Recently, I rediscovered my all-time favorite place to read a great book.
We have swinging chairs in our screened-in porch and this week we had our first good soaking rain in a really long time.
We usually call this room the “lemon room” because of its themed decor, and for three seasons out of the year, it’s my reading and self-care room.
Sitting in a swing, listening to much-needed rainfall and reading my latest book felt like a little slice of heaven. It checked all the boxes for me!
I’ve been working my way through some really great reads this spring – including going on a serious Judy Blume kick after watching two of her movies – so I have some solid recommendations for you.
Who’s ready for my summer reading list?
- In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume – One of Blume’s three novels for adults, I found this book to be an excellent read yet also a little confusing due to the large cast of characters. It’s based in the 1950s and is a fictional retelling of actual historic events: namely, when the city of Elizabeth, NJ experienced not one, not two but THREE major airplane crashes in a span of as many months. Did I mention that I read this book while on the plane to Kauai and that at first I didn’t know what it was about?
- Wifey by Judy Blume – Another Blume book for grown-ups, Wifey is fairly feminist and was quite controversial. It’s the story of a nice suburban housewife dissatisfied with her life so she gives in to some very randy fantasies. I love Wifey for how entertaining and authentic it is, similar to Blume’s books for young adults. I never really related to the Sandy character, but she certainly reminds me of women I’ve known in my life. Personally, I gave up the “good girl” persona much earlier in life than this character – but then again, I was a child of the 80s, not the 50s.
- Forever by Judy Blume – Rarely will one find a book more award-winning while also likely to be at the top of banned book lists. Forever is a love story about a high school senior who meets a boy, falls in love and loses her virginity. It’s told in Blume’s unmistakably authentic way and while the sex scenes are not explicit by today’s standards, they are detailed enough to ruffle some feathers. In my opinion, it’s a must-read for all girls just before they start high school. Forever is a bit dated in some ways, but still super relevant.
- The Bill Hodges Trilogy (aka the books Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End of Watch) by Stephen King – I really enjoyed reading King’s foray into crime thrillers. These books are not horror – although they do have a touch of the supernatural and some horrible happenings – and King shines as bright as ever. My favorite of the three was Finders Keepers and my least favorite was End of Watch, which – trigger warning – had a lot of upsetting suicide content. King has a related novel coming out this year, called Holly, which I also can’t wait to read. I absolutely adore his Holly Gibney character.
- Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez – we’re ending on a scary note. I can’t possibly do justice to this enormous tome of supernatural horror, so check out this NYT review that beautifully captured the essence of the book. If you’re looking for a long, deep and very dark read, prepare yourself and dig right in. Like so many great horror writers, Enriquez knows that humans are truly the worst monsters of all. How can a book be this beautiful and this disturbing? You’ll have to read it to find out the answer.
There you have it – a little romance, a lot of thrills and a few things that go bump in the night. That should get your summer reading off to a great start!
Let me know if you have any good book recommendations for me – and be sure to check out our past reading recommendations, too.
