Long Weekend Reading | Summer Book Recommendations
Summer reading guides are everywhere these days, and I couldn't resist putting a few of my favorites out there. For those of us that have a long weekend this weekend, I hope you get to squeeze a bit of reading time in. I know it's going to be hard for me- I have a race to run, a birthday party, and a wedding to attend!
Here are my picks for long weekend summer reading, broken down by category!
Compulsively Readable Summer Reading
Free copy sent to me by the publisher!
How to Walk Away | Katherine Center
Margaret has a fear of flying. All is going perfectly in her life- she and her golden boy boyfriend Chip have both just graduated business school and are on the brink of beginning what is sure to be a successful life together. It's Valentine's Day, and despite said fear of flying, she agrees to let Chip show off his not quite yet newly minted pilot's license. And everything she thought she was sure of dissolves from there. I loved the author's writing voice and found myself able to predict most of the major plot points, but not minding that at all. (There is a weird HIPPA thing that does make me squirm a bit, but I still enjoyed the story). If you're looking for a compulsively readable book about resiliency with a side of humor, this is for you!
Gripping Dark Mystery
Then She Was Gone | Lisa Jewell
Another hit from one of my favorite authors. I Found You was one of my top books read last year and I was stoked to pick up her latest. I will say, the synopsis does nothing for this book. A mother's youngest daughter disappears, never to be seen again. 10 years later after doing her best to put the pieces of her life together, she meets a man she can finally see herself with. Things are going well when she meets his daughter, Poppy, who reminds her unnervingly of the daughter she lost. I had a suspicion as to what was coming, but the execution was jaw dropping. If you love a page turner with alternating POV thats dark and twisty, grab this ASAP.
Unreliable Narrator Done Right
Free copy sent to me by the publisher!
Sometimes I Lie | Alice Feeney
Smart, well-written, and fast paced, Sometimes I Lie shot to the top of my 2018 favorites. Amber Reynolds wakes up in a coma and can’t move. She can’t speak or open her eyes, but she can see and hear everything. She doesn’t remember what happened to her, but suspects that her husband had something to do with it. The story unravels and is told from the present, the week before her accident, and from her childhood 20 years ago. Once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. I debated putting this one on the list because there are so many twists and turns that are going to require your attention, but I think one would be well served by reading in large chunks of time, if you have the option to binge read. I know when I finished, I immediately went to Goodreads to see what everyone else thought! But I love a book that will leave you wanting more, so it made it to my long weekend list.
Friends Trip Gone Wrong
Free copy sent to me by the publisher!
The French Girl is of the “something bad happened to a group of friends in college and it’s coming back to haunt them” troupe. Kate is our protagonist and a member of a friend group made up of men, women, friends, former lovers, and frenemies. During college, they spend a long weekend in France and meet an enigmatic girl next door, Severine. Severine is gorgeous and exotic and quickly disrupts the equilibrium of the friend group. And by the end of the weekend, she’s missing. Her body is found 10 years later and the book opens up with the group coming back together because the case is being re-examined. Having been the last people to see her alive, they’re under heavy scrutiny. This wasn’t as fast paced as Sometimes I Lie, but I liked how the story came together and the unique devices used to tell the story (including regular appearances by the ghost of Severine herself). For fans of slow burns with adult characters that have to atone for bad deeds in childhood.
Celebrity Memoir
We're Going to Need More Wine, Gabrielle Union
My was favorite memoir to read since Born a Crime! I don't know what made me pick this up, since I don't really watch movies and my only knowledge about Gabrielle Union was that she was in Bring It On and Married to Dwayne Wade. But- I learned that this was much more than a typical, bubblegum celebrity memoir. She's so talented and empowering. She shares parts of her life and really gets into the meat of issues like race, class, gangs, sex, racism, feminism, fame, and self esteem. There were parts that made and others that made me laugh out loud, with a little celebrity gossip thrown in. This would be a perfect beach read.
And finally, the You STILL Haven't Read That!? And What I'll Be Reading This Weekend:
Little Fires Everywhere! Immediately, I can see why everyone is such a fan of Celeste Ng's' writing. Its so unique and beautiful, yet very readable. The book opens with, as you might guess, a fire and the story backtracks so we can see what led to this. I can honestly say I have no idea where the story is going- but I cant wait to see!
What are you reading this long weekend?
