At the beginning of the summer, I was having visions of sunny afternoons spent reading on the porch swing, and relaxing get-away weekends of camping, fishing and reading. So, I purchased seven books with which to fill those long, lazy hours. Yea . . . not so much!
We have only found time for one camping trip so far, and the addition of a full-time job pretty much ended the afternoon plans. So here it is, nearly Labor Day, and only 2 1/2 books marked off my list.
Book #1 was Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman (review here). Excellent start!
Book #2 was Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews
While this book doesn't rate quite as high as #1, it was still a good summer read. There were times that the heroine's legal troubles seemed a bit contrived, and the ending was predictable . . . after that it sounds a little silly to say how much I enjoyed it -- but I did.
Book #3 is The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. Dave and I are reading this one together and both enjoying it so far.
On the up side, driving to work every day allows more time for listening to audio books, so I've "read" three this summer:
Trunk Music by Michael Connelly - I assumed it would be good because Connelly wrote wrote it. I was not disappointed.
The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright -
The shepherd, an elderly, mysterious, learned man, escapes the buzzing restlessness of the city to live in the backwoods neighborhood of Mutton Hollow in the Ozark hills. There he encounters Jim Lane, Grant Matthews, Sammy, Young Matt, and other residents of the village, and gradually learns to find a peace about the losses he has borne and has yet to bear. Through the shepherd and those around him, Wright assembles here a gentle and utterly masterful commentary on strength and weakness, failure and success, tranquility and turmoil, and punishment and absolution. This tale of life in the Ozarks continues to draw thousands of devotees to outdoor performances in Branson, Missouri, where visitors can also see the cabin where the real Old Matt and Aunt Mollie lived.
No need to review a classic. Beautiful story and now I've added visiting the site in Branson to my Bucket List.
And my favorite, Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah. Amazing story! As in Ladies' Night, there were moments that I felt the hardships were contrived to create more drama, but over all a unique and engrossing story. Highly recommended!
I'm obviously not going to make it through my summer reading list before summer ends, but there's nothing wrong with a "Summer read" in the Fall.
Here's a quick run-down of what I've read in July and August. A couple more, that warrent a longer review, coming soon.
The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper: Sound, usable rules for healthier eating. Can't say I'm following every one of them, but I learned some good basics for healthy eating. Highly recommended for anyone who wants realistic, easy to follow guidelines for losing weight.
Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner: Explores the new trends of surrogacy and egg donors, and the effects they have on everyone involved. Interesting premise but just didn't grab me - 3 out of 5 stars.
Watership Down by Richard Adams: "It is a powerful saga of courage, leadership and survival; an epic tale of a hardy band of adventurers forced to flee the destruction of their fragile community...and their trials and triumphs in the face of extraordinary adversity as they pursue a glorious dream called "home." Classic - 'nuff said.
True Colors by Kristin Hannah: While the story is centered on racial prejudice and a man wrongfully imprisoned, the real story is in the relationship between his wife and her two sisters. Extra interesting to me because I am the middle child of three sisters. Moved a little slow - but still gets 4 stars.
Jeeves Takes Charge by P.G.Wodeshouse: A classic in audio version performed perfectly. The variety of voices performed by one man was amazing.
A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber: If you follow me on Twitter (@mrschupa), you might remember that I mentioned wanting to load up the car and just drive till we see an ocean. This is the book that helped spark that wanderlust. Three generations of women drive from Washington to Florida - working out their life problems along the way. Good but not great.
Demon Rumm by Sandra Brown: Don't bother
11th Hour by James Patterson: Latest in the Women's Murder Club series. It's typical Patterson - standard thriller, nothing out of the ordinary, but keeps you turning pages.
