Thursday, June 3, 2010

Summer Reading

If you haven't clicked over from your reader, then you might have missed the new background look. This one suits me right now. I'm spending more time reading offline these days and I'm looking for suggestions. Please tell me I am not the only one who has different books for different reading occasions. Here is what's bookmarked (with a scrap of paper, not digitally) for now...

on the nightstand:
My Way of Life: The Summa Simplified for Everyone by Walter Farrell, OP, STM and Martin Healy, STD
Treasures Old and New: Traditional Prayers for Today's Catholics by Philip Neri Powell, OP
It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh (reread)

in the beach tote (for poolside reading):
Sense And Sensibility by Jane Austen (It's usually about this time of year that I find myself ready to fall again into the dark world of Jane and Rochester but I'm kind of thinking about losing myself in a different Jane this summer.)

in my purse:
Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever by Roger Gould

on the kitchen counter:
Alton Brown's Gear For Your Kitchen by Alton Brown 
(I love what he has to say about decluttering your kitchen! Oh, fancy shaped cake pans, can I really justify keeping you?)


saved for later:
Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess by Jerramy Fine
It's All Too Much Workbook: The Tools You Need to Conquer Clutter and Create the Life You Want by Peter Walsh
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben Winters (maybe just for fun?)
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (after reading Lissa's review and remembering enjoying The Perilous Gard when my SIL recommended it)

As you can see, I am a little lacking in the fiction department. Lighthearted and fun is what I'm looking for. Nothing gross or scary although mysteries are fine. What's on your TBR (to be read) list?

13 comments:

  1. I'm going to buy and read Consoling the Heart of Jesus written by Michael Gaitley and I think I'll do a "study" of it with at least one friend whom I know to be interested in the book.

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  2. Oooh. I forgot I had that one. Let me know about your study!

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  3. I think I see a theme here -- do I need to bring over my big, black garbage bag? I'm not afraid to use it, you know. ;-)

    Join me at Goodreads to find some great selections. You'll know lots of folks there. http://www.goodreads.com/

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  4. OK, Barbara, I popped over there and now I'm totally freaked out. Too much info! Send an email with helpful tips, STAT!

    And yes, there is a big purge coming on!

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  5. Good fiction? I love Willa Cather. I just checked out Shadows on the Rock and One of Ours at the library. I haven't read anything of hers I didn't like. She's up there with Austen for me.

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  6. Charlotte, great timing! I just posted my summer reading list, too. I have a post of recommendations in the works---things I've enjoyed in the last few years. A few leap to mind:

    An Uncommon Reader (Alan Bennett, I think?)
    Genesis (Bernard Beckett)
    Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

    Re Sherwood Ring---now that both of Pope's books have had time to sink in, I think Sherwood is my favorite of the two. And I *loved* Perilous Gard, so that's high praise. Sherwood Ring has a more lighthearted tone & wonderful banter, while still being a gripping mystery. And fun historical stuff too.

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  7. So the book I have to recommend is definitely not light-hearted. But it is amazing and a true strory. Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza. http://www.lefttotell.com/

    I plan on posting something about it on my blog soon.

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  8. Oh, oh oh!! I NEED to share with you my latest most FUN find!
    The First Ladies' Detective Series by Alexander McCall Smith. It is set in Botswana, Africa. The two women in the agency are so delightful... filled with good morals, and wonderfully sane philosophies of life. The best part is, it's a whole series! A bit of mystery thrown in, but nothing remotely gory or scary.
    I just love them.
    :)

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  9. You are not the only one who has different books for different reading occasions. I've usually got several going for just that reason.

    On my to be read pile:

    The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. Nice, fat tome that should take me most of the summer; but light at the same time. At least I consider Dickens light. Others think I'm insane. Your mileage may vary.

    Thy Will Be Done! Letters from St Francis de Sales to various people who came to him for spiritual direction. I'm especially interested in some of his advice to pregnant women on how to pray and offer up their bodily ailments.

    What's Going on in There. A book about neurological development in the first five years of life. To feed my geeky side.

    A biography of St Gianna Molla.

    A book about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

    A review copy of lives of a bunch of recently canonized saints. (I can't recall the title and can't go find it with a sleeping baby on my lap.)

    There might be one or two more that I'm forgetting.

    hmmm... my fiction pile is looking slim too. Guess I'll be peeking over your shoulder for suggestions.

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  11. The only unitasker in Alton's kitchen is the fire extinguisher ;) My hubby loves Good Eats.

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  12. Congrats on your blog-rank! :) You're only a few slots behind Danielle Bean--I think it's time to write a book! :) (Or put your coloring pages on Lulu so we could just buy a book with them in it! ;) )

    As for Light, fun reads-- If you don't mind YA (My main reading these days since it's next to the children's room at our library and short enough that I don't neglect the kids!), there are some good ones:

    Meg Cabot's "Airhead" trilogy (a nerdy girl's brain gets transplanted into a supermodel's body)

    Ally Carter! She has two series:
    1. Gallagher Girls -- the MC attends a school for spies. But she wants a normal teen life too. Hilarity and adventure ensues, reminiscent of the old Kathryn Hepburn screwball comedies....

    2. The Heist (only one book so far)- A gang of international teen art theives tries to pull off the theft of the century to save the MCs dad.

    Her books are clean, light,fun. Perfect beach reading, fine for a 12 year old.

    And I LOVE Perilous Gard too! One of my favorites.

    Another Fun kid author, if you can find her (most Libraries don't have her books anynmore, but she's been reprinted) is Sally Watson-- lots of fun historical adventures.

    Oh, and as a goofy read-aloud, the "How to Train Your Dragon" books are fun....

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  13. I've had The Well Educated Mind for a few years now. I've read the first part, but it's the second part where she gives book lists that I've been wanting to tackle. Decided to get through at least the first half of the fiction list this summer. I'm just waiting for my used copy of Don Quixote to arrive to begin.

    I'm also on Book 2 of the Percy Jackson series. Have to catch up to the boys. Might read the Ranger's Apprentice series too. Just a question of time.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts and yourself!