Hi Reading Friends– Do you have a stack of books waiting for time you can snatch for summer reading?? Here’s a few recent reads that I really enjoyed, memoirs, fiction and an amazing story of WWII. What are you reading this summer?? Would love to have your suggestions!!
The Middle Place — by Kelly Corrigan
A memoir of Kelly’s growing up in her close knit family, alternating with chapters about her cancer treatments as a young mom and her father’s battle with cancer at the same time. Sounds grim, but Kelly’s honesty, humor and love of family make it a book you won’t want to put down. Love all her relatable books.
The Dirty Life, On Farming, Food, and Love by Kristen Kimball
Memoir of the author’s falling in love with her husband Mark and falling in love with organic farming. It follows the first year they spend developing their farm in upstate New York–so many informative stories about crops and cooking, about animals and how to care for them. Makes me appreciate all that goes into the food we eat!
Devour by Sophie Egan
Egan goes in to detail about how and why American’s eat the way they do. Topics: How work affects our eating, Diets, the rise of wine consumption, how Italian food became so mainstream, fast food marketing, the popularity of brunch, organic, gluten free, non-fat options, family meals… Fascinating and sometimes surprising. Loved it.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Riveting from the first page, the story of the bright and prosperous Richardson family and their renters, artist Mia and her smart daughter. Their lives intertwine to the breaking point and divisions over the adoption of a baby, personal choices provide all the plot twists and turns.
The Song of Hartgrove Hall by Natasha Solomons
The story alternates between 3 brothers returning to their dilapidated manner house after WWII and an enchanting young singer who helps bring it back to life– and then the story of one of those brothers 50 years later, training his grandson, the piano prodigy and reliving the turmoil of his life. British family drama wrapped in music.
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
A small girl is found alone on a ship arriving from England to Australia in 1910. She is taken in by the harbor master and his wife. But her story is a mystery. It takes 500 pages and 3 generations of women to tell the true story. Sort of a mix of Charles Dickens meets Downton Abbey. Very readable and graced with likable characters and an involving plot line.
A Higher Call: an incredible true story of combat and chivalry — by Adam Makos
The true story of an American pilot in WWII who was flying a battered bomber out of Germany, when a German fighter pilot, Franz Stigler flew along beside him and escorted him out of danger. The book gives the two men’s backgrounds and stories through the war and their meeting finally many years after the war. Interesting to have an anti-Nazi German pilot’s point of view.
Illustration at the top by Andre Pecoud.
The Thankful Heart 
Great titles! I enjoyed Little Fires and always love a Kate Morton! I just finished A Place For Us and loved it so much! I have a huge book hangover!
Hi Carol– I have A Place for Us on my reading list with a big star. Hope it turns up at our library soon! love your posts! xox
There’s some new books on my list. I like the premise of devoured and think the story of Forgotten Garden would be something I could get into.
Happy summer reading Chris!! –Fun to read your Appleton House review! thanks.
Read “Dirt Life,” years ago and loved it!
Wow what a list! I haven’t read any of these, but Dirt Life, Devour, and the Forgotten Garden sound especially interesting.
Hey Lacey– I think all your reading time these days is spent on the kids summer reading lists!! Happy Saturday! Hope you can kick back a bit! xox
I loved Celeste Ng first book so I suspect I will love this one as well. The Song of Hartgrove Hall sounds great as well. I love Kate Morton’s books.
Yep, haven’t read Celeste Ng’s first book so now I want to go back and pick it up! This is my first Kate Morton– perfect for summer. hugs!
Loved Little Fires!! Am reading The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Highly recommend! – Kat
Hi Kat– Have see The Great Alone on a lot of reading lists! I’m going to put my name on the list at the library since you are recommending it too! thanks! Happy summer reading! How is your summer going– it was 109 degrees here yesterday! crazy! xox
Just finished BEING MORTAL by Atal Gawande–outstanding and everyone should read, whether 30 or 90, on end-of-life decisions and why we need to make them ahead of time. Also loved EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON and other lies I’ve loved by Kate Bowler–definitely best book of the year for me. As a 30-something, Kate is told she has Stage IV cancer . . . written with such beauty, humor and faith.
I just have to say– I take any book recommendation from your very seriously Jenni!! See you tomorrow for VBS set up!! Here’s to a wonderful week ahead… hugs!
What a great list of books. I’d like to read them all…but how is it I never have any time! The last story is interesting because I’ve heard of several cases of German pilots doing things like that. One story was of a female pilot in England who wasn’t allowed to fly or contribute in the military but was called to move a plane from one place to another because of some kind of desperate situation. Once she was in the air a German pilot, who supposedly was going to engage her over England’s airspace saw she was a woman and escorted her, instead. There seems to be a certain honor amongst the early military pilots on both sides. But the Forgotten Garden appeals to me as a fun read. Thanks for the list!
Interesting looking list, I’ll be adding a few of these to my own list. A friend who has excellent taste in good literature told me she just finished the best book she’s read in years. So I quickly reserved Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger on audio and will start listening tomorrow.