It has been a pretty lovely summer with lots of HOT weather. I know some aren’t fans of hot weather, but I like it. Winter is so long and cold that I try never to complain about summer. Also, this summer, we were fortunate to get away for a few vacations for the first time in three years. That really felt good and almost normal. The last three years have been long and sad with the loss of my brother and Gracie last year. Although I still miss them more than I can say, and I think of my brother every single day, it felt right to once again start doing all of the things that bring us joy…nothing does that more for me than traveling and reading. Daisy is also becoming such a great traveler, so the three of us just rambled along all summer long, Jim and I with our bag of books and Daisy with her bag of treats.

Our Maine house is the perfect place for reading…Lots of porches and comfy chairs, recliners, and even a hammock close to the lake for getting that gentle breeze that might occasionally drift by. Early to bed, reading and pausing only when we hear the cries of the loons out on the lake…we wait and listen and try to figure out just where they are. The Maine House is our happy place, our retreat from all the worries that we carry, both our own and the world’s. Nestled in the woods, sitting on the edge of the lake, it is a healing and relaxing place.

Travel, now that is a much different reading experience. This year, besides spending time at the Maine house with books and lots of families, so much fun, we took a bucket list trip to Nova Scotia. Searching for my grandfather’s home, we learned more than I expected and traveled all the roads that he once walked. Very rural and quiet. Nights were spent reading in silence. I will tell you more about that later. We did get good reading time going back and forth on the Cat…the ferry from Bar Harbor, Maine, over to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. It was a no tv, no electronics week…just books. Our last trip of the summer was back to Camden, Maine. A favorite spot and a Christmas gift to us from my son and daughter-in-law. A week of coastal living, good food, books, and photography. The best gift for me. So here we go. Summer is still happening, so I will have one more group for you soon, but like last time…I’m trying to keep the piles smaller. It’s hard to do, but I never want you to miss out.

The Best of Us by Joyce Maynard. Joyce Maynard has become a favorite author of mine. Also, a favorite teacher of mine for learning about writing. This summer, I just finished taking a writing course with her, and I love her approach to writing. Keep it simple and just tell the story. She is raw and honest in her memoir and her joy, pain, and sadness surface throughout the book. “Her memoir is about life, death, and love, is written with honesty, intimacy and a generosity of spirit that left me weeping, and in awe.” Abigail Thomas. I loved this book, and so it receives 5 Stars

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett I have never read an Ann Patchett book that I haven’t liked, and Commonwealth was no exception. “On a Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins is uninvited to Fanny Keating”s christening party. But shows up anyways. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny’s mother, Beverly-thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and joining two families.” The book then takes us on a journey with the lives of four parents and six children. Before you know it, a famous author has gotten hold of the story of the families and writes about it in a successful book. After the release, all hell breaks loose as they try to figure out where their love, loyalty, and guilt belong. Filled with humor and heartbreak, Commonwealth is a meditation on inspiration, interpretation, and ownership of stories. It was a tender tale of the ties that bind us together. 5 Stars

The 100-Year-Old Man who climbed out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson What a good book this was. Part aging, part mystery, with lots of humor and sometimes unbelievable situations. Allan Karlsson was desperate to avoid his 100 birthday party, so he climbed out the window of his nursing home and headed to the nearest bus station to go to wherever the money in his pocket will take him. But when he steals a suitcase from another passenger, Allan ends up on a journey involving other things, including some nasty criminals, a large amount of cash, and an elephant named Sonya. We follow him on this journey; it is pretty interesting, funny at times, mysterious, and even dangerous. A great romp across the land. A novel about aging gracefully or not. 4 stars

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo Well, I joined a book group this summer, but there were only two members. Still, it turned out great because the other member was the person who recommended this book to me. He loved it so much that when we were at Barnes and Noble one day, he told me about it and suggested that I should have a copy for myself, which I did. On the way home in the car, yes, you guessed it, Jaxson came up with the idea that we should have a book club, and so that is how I got to read this fantastic 5-star book about a mouse with big ears, a rat who longs for a world full of light, and a lonely serving girl with a simple, impossible wish? Read the book and find out. You will love it. Maybe you, too, could find a partner to share it with. That’s the best kind of reading. BTW, the cover is beautiful, and it won a John Newbury Medal. I have since found out that anything by Kate DiCamillo is excellent.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel This was a fascinating story for me. Not knowing very much about how immigrants suffer when they leave their foreign homes and land on American soil. This is such a story. The writing is beautiful and heartfelt. Two parents who left their home in Bogota with their firstborn child looking for a better life in the USA…they had two more children here in America. When the father gets deported, that’s when you feel all the pain and suffering that happens to these people. I won’t tell you the end because that would be a spoiler, but I will tell you if you want to know and understand better the lives who are affected all the time by the immigration process; read this book. 5 Stars

Everything Is Beautiful In Its Time by Jenna Bush Hager I really had such fun reading everything Beautiful in Its Time by Jenna Bush Hager this summer. So many books to get lost in. So many that I couldn’t wait to get back to during the day when I could squeeze in a bit of reading time. Everything In Its Time was the perfect summer read. Jenna Bush Hager is a great writer, mainly when she writes about those she loves. This was a warm, funny, but also sad book. It really was a thank you note to all who she writes about. I loved reading about the Bushs. They are a unique and loving family before they are anything else. The world, especially the United States, needs it right now. More understanding and love. I don’t write this as a political review; I write it as a family history full of all the good and bad that every family travels through over the many generations of their time. I think it would be good if everyone read this book and then sat with the message for a while. Where do you think you would fit in if you were to think about yourself and your loved ones? An engaging, easy read but also thought-provoking. 5 Summer stars.

Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell “Ree Dolly's father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up for his next court date. With two young brothers depending on her, 16-year-old Ree knows she has to bring her father back, dead or alive. Living in the harsh poverty of the Ozarks, Ree learns quickly that asking questions of the rough Dolly clan can be a fatal mistake. But, as an unsettling revelation lurks, Ree discovers unforeseen depths in herself and in a family network that protects itself at any cost.” That quote is from the Amazon description of the book. Although it was a good story and interested me, I found it brutal and dark in places. I did admire Ree’s determination and grit as she took on the job of finding her father; I just didn’t think it was my kind of 5-star book. But it might be yours, so check it out. For me, I gave it 3 Stars

One More Croissant for the Road by Felicity Cloake Who wouldn’t love a book with that title? This was an exciting book. It was about food, bike riding, and travel. Lots of information about riding a bike through France, and the goal is to stop in several little villages and towns; and you must be sure to order croissants from a local cafe or bakery and rate them. She also describes each town that she travels through and the people she meets along the way. There are even several good recipes in there to try on your own. I found it delightful at times; I loved the rating of the scones, but honestly, there were times when I found it hard to push through. You might enjoy it more if you are a cook or an avid bike rider. I struggled to finish it, so although I love a good croissant, I rated this book 3 Stars.

So there you have it. My partial list of summer reads. I do have another stack that I’m working on, but now that fall is fast approaching, my reading time will dwindle, just like the bright, hot sunny days, we had this year. Most of that list, though, would also be excellent Fall reading. I hope you find a few that you like…