Summer Reading

I love reading and in the summer I feel I have more time to enjoy it. I have several books that I suggest to people they must read in the summer. It just feels right. The Poisonwood Bible being my all-time favorite summer read. Barbara Kingsolver gives amazing descriptions of Africa & just sitting in the heat of a summer day, makes you feel like you are there.
Any who....this is what I read this summer. Hope you find something you are interested in.
A Thousand Splendid Suns.

On the last day of school we jumped in the car and drove to Iowa, and then on to Utah. Since I was driving 100% of the time, I did not have time to read. When I got to Utah I had the chance to see a friend that I hadn't seen in years. She had a 3 year-old daughter that I had only seen in pictures. We are kindred spirits, and we especially like to share our favorite books that we have read lately. She had this book, and I have wanted to read it for awhile now. I loved The Kite Runner, and this was the same author. I started it that night, but with all the late nights during the rest of our trip, I devoured it on the drive home. {My husband met us in Utah & then drove us home to Texas. I read every moment that he drove the looooong way home.} This story is intense, yet real. It was beautifully written, yet sad. The characters were strong, especially the women. I came away from the book with gratitude for the privledges I have had as a woman my entire life. These woman fought for their respect throughout the story & their lives. Great read.

Safe Haven

After the first day of reading & riding (in the van); this book was perfect. Since A Thousand Splendid Suns was intense & thoughtful, it was nice to jump into a fairly easy book. I have not read many Nicholas Sparks books. Sometimes they feel full of fluff and the characters are unrealistic. But for this book, it was perfect for a  road trip. It is a great story about a woman who starts a new life, trying to forget her past. It kept me reading for the entire second day of riding in the van. By this time my kids & husband were feeling ignored. {I really wasn't ignoring them!}I enjoyed spending hours upon hours reading. I absolutely loved it.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

This was the first book I read as an ebook. I figured out how to check out books through my local library and read them on my Kindle app. I love reading books this way, even though it took me a little getting use to it. I am not 100% reading ebooks now; I still love the old-fashioned way. It is a nice change and I have had access to books that are sometimes more difficult to get in paperback.
This was a lovely story. Since this references a history of our country that I didn't know much about, it was a reminder to see the good, the best, in all people. It has a love story that I wished at the end of the book would have continued. The ending was not my favorite, but sometimes those are the best books if it doesn't end perfectly.

I will be back tomorrow with a few more of the books I read this summer. I don't want this post to be too long & boring. On the left side of my blog I have a link to my goodreads. I keep track of all the books I have read,  what I am reading, and what want to read in the future. If you love reading too or are interested in books, check it out. Happy Reading!