Some Fun Summer Reads

Mara here:

Well, it's definitely summer.

And even though as an adult, life doesn't change that much over summer (it's not as if I'm suddenly spending a lot of time at the beach or anything), the heat of the summer days definitely makes me feel as if life is a little slower. Even though my school days are long behind me, I always mentally feel like I should be taking things less seriously during summer.

And mentally, this means I always look for books that are "summer reads" or books that would be easy to read if I were going on a vacation. I want to read fun books. I want to read books that don't require a lot of concentration to understand.

This is not to say that I don't read these books other times of the year, but I tend to seek out these books more in the summer. So I thought it would be fun to share some books that I've read that I think fall under this category. Most of these are books I've read recently. They're not necessarily my "favorite" books. But they were books I enjoyed (meaning I was sad when I got to the end) and were easy to read (meaning they hooked me fast and they were page turners).

I'm not going to give plot summaries because it's easier for you to just look them up at Amazon or whatever bookseller you prefer. Instead I'm just listing the titles and a quick reason why I liked the book.

—Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
I read this one a few years ago, but I'm including it on my list because I love it so much. It's laugh out loud funny. I very rarely actually laugh out loud when I'm reading, but this memoir is funny. If you have ever thought your life was crazy, Jenny Lawson's life is guaranteed to be crazier.

—Eleanor Oliphant is Perfectly Fine: A Novel by Gail Honeyman
This is a very quirky book, but I found it very charming. A combination of comedy and drama, it's subtle plot twists keep you engaged and rooting for Eleanor the entire time.

—Where'd You Go Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple
This was a fun book that I related to as a mom who has had whimsical fantasies of escaping the everyday hassles we all face. It's well written and definitely not predictable.

—A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
This is a very odd little book that I ended up loving. The author is Swedish and the protagonist is old and cranky. But you end up loving him in the end. There's even a film version you can watch for free on Amazon if you have Prime and don't mind subtitles.

—Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
I read this before I even knew she was a television (now film) star. I bought it because it had great reviews and the summary peaked my interest. Her memoir is very well written and fun, which is not surprising considering how smart and funny she is.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
I'm including this book because of all the books written by Gillian Flynn (author of Gone Girl) this is my favorite. It's not a light subject like most of the others included on this list, but with the new HBO television adaptation, I thought I'd put in my little plug for the book. It's not what I would call light reading, but definitely a page turner. Great characters and plot.

—The Rosie Project: A Novel by Don Tillman
This is just a fun book. The protagonist is odd but loveable and it's pure entertainment.

—Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
I actually read this on a vacation so it's 100% a summer vacation read. It's a fun look into a world of riches and extravagance. There's a movie version coming out soon.

—Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
If you were a child in the 1980s, you will definitely enjoy this book, especially if you loved video games. (Or if you were like me who had a brother who loved video games.) There was recently a movie version of this book, but as is often the case, the book has a lot more detail. It's a fantasy/sci-fi futuristic look at the world. Definitely a quick read and very fun to re-live some of the nostalgia of the 1980's.

—Home by Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben has been a bestselling author for decades, but I had never read any of his books (or even heard of him) before I saw him interviewed on television as part of a commemoration for the former First Lady Barbara Bush. He has long been involved with one of her many charitable causes. So after seeing him interviewed and learning he was a bestselling author, I checked out one of his books and really enjoyed it. He writes interesting mystery/action stories with lots of heart.

Toni here:

Wow, Mara. I'm impressed by how much reading you do! Due to my illness, it's hard for me to read, so I listen to audiobooks. But I go at a much slower pace than you do so I don't have many summer books to share. I'm going to take your list to audible.com and check out the sample from the narrators. (If I don't like the narrator, I won't buy the audiobook. This is why I personally chose the person who narrates all three of my books!) 

As I've mentioned before, I always have a book by Alexander McCall Smith going—from one of his three series's: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, The Sunday Philosophy Club, or 44 Scotland Street. There are multiple books in each series and the narrators are fabulous. I can start playing one and know from the narrator's voice which character he or she is representing. I love all the characters in McCall Smith's books and I love his perspective on life. We see the people and the world in the same way. 

Here are a few other books I'd like to mention. Two are by Ann Patchett. I'd read her Bel Canto several years ago and so thought I'd check out her newer books. I listened to: State of Wonder and Commonwealth. I recommend them both highly. I've listened to Commonwealth twice and am about to listen to State of Wonder again. 

And, by listening to these two books, I discovered a new narrator I love: the actress Hope Davis. Unfortunately, she hasn't read that many books, but finding her led me to get Michael Ondaatje's Divisadero (he wrote The English Patient), and Anna Quindlen's Every Last One. I've loved a couple of Quindlen's books (Blessings is my favorite) and have found others to be less than compelling, but Every Last One is the best account of grief (in a novel) that I've ever read. I plan to listen to it again soon.

So what about you? Do you have a favorite summer read?