A FEW days ago while I was feeding my goats I felt that first chill of autumn and because my mind is a strange thing and my train of thought often derails it made me think about a few books that bring summer to mind. Books that I would recommend as suggestions to read as you hang onto those last summer days.
Still Summer by Jacqueline Mitchard
This is a tense, gripping novel about three women and one of the woman’s teenage daughters. The women have been friends/frenemies since high school. After one of them is left a widow they set off on a chartered yacht for what’s meant to be just a few days.
When disaster strikes and they are hijacked by modern-day pirates- (no eye patches and peg legs) they are forced to do unthinkable things to survive. It’s a summer that will forever change their lives. When secrets are revealed and they’re pushed beyond normal limits they have to work together to stay alive and find rescue. I would class this as a suspenseful fiction book with a touch of drama. I have listened to this as an audiobook as well and I really enjoyed both the print and the audio.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
I think most people have heard of the film by the same name, but there’s just something special about the book, it’s like you’re reading Noah’s actual journal to Allie and the emotion in it is something the film just cannot convey properly.
Noah and Allie meet as teenagers and Noah falls in love instantly, but being from the slightly wrong side of town Allie is not interested at first. But when she falls, she falls hard and their passion for each other is insatiable. Many years later when Allie starts to show signs of dementia Noah creates a journal with their love story recorded and reads it to her so she’ll remember him and how they came to be a couple. It’s a touching story that spans a lifetime and proves that the heart remembers what the mind can’t retain.
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Olivia flees her abusive husband with her 6-year-old son and takes over the family beekeeping business. 12 years later her son Asher phones her to say he’s in trouble, he thinks his girlfriend Lily is dead.
I was very nervous to start this book because I built it up so much in my mind and it definitely exceeded my expectations!
It’s told from a dual point of view: Lily, a gifted cellist and skilled fencer, and Olivia a beekeeper and mom. Each character is written by one of the authors. I haven’t read a co-authored book so seamlessly put together.
I loved all the captivating bee and honey facts that are intertwined in the story and despite actually having a hive of my own I still learned so much. I can’t say a lot so as to not give spoilers, but all the topics are covered with such sensitivity and compassion.
It has everything from drama, romance, and suspense and is kick you in the gut raw, it’s heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and incredibly enlightening, if you only read one book this year, read this!
On the street where you live by Mary Higgins Clark
I have been reading and collecting Mary Higgins Clark books for around 20 years now and I finally completed my collection a few months ago.
This title remains a favourite of mine.
Emily Graham is a newly divorced woman and when she finds out that her ancestral home is for sale she decides to go back to her roots. While excavators are digging up her new backyard for a pool a female skeleton is discovered with a bone-chilling item in it her hand! A finger bone belonging to another skeleton! And on that finger bone is a ring that was a family heirloom to Emily’s ancestors.
While trying to uncover the link between the two skeletons Emily becomes a threat to a killer who has made Emily his next target.
This is an enjoyable read for one of those sudden summer stormy days. There’s nothing like a slightly creepy read when the weather is playing along and setting the scene for you.
You and me on Vacation by Emily Henry
This one is one I’m putting on my own list, as a reader and book adopter (I adopt books that need homes) my TBR shelf is overflowing and this title is one of those books. If you follow any “bookstagrammers” on Instagram the name Emily Henry is as familiar as your own name. She is an author who has gained popularity in recent years and writes romance novels. So while I can’t review this stunning-looking book yet, I’m hoping to read it before summer is over.
Bonus Kids Summer book.
The book series that got me hooked on reading is the epitome of summer vacation vibes.
The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It just embodies that summer holiday feeling, with freedom, beach days, and fun with friends. Add in a mystery to solve and you’ve got me.
I do wonder if Famous Five was the start of my love for suspense and mysteries. As an adult, I think about the fact that these children were very young to be on their own in the wild for days at a time, but that’s the beauty of reading. It does not have to be realistic at all.
The Famous Five series star a group of 4 children and a lovable dog. Each book in the 21-book series features a mystery the children solve. If you read this as a child reading this series out loud to your children will stir up memories and create a sense of nostalgia and hopefully create a new generation of book lovers.
Reading avidly from the age of 9 I am now a homeschooling and homesteading mom who incorporates reading and books into just about every aspect of my life. We live on a small holding on the outskirts of GQ with a menagerie of pets - more often than not there is at least one farm animal inside. I do bits of freelance writing and am currently writing my first novel. Last year I decided to share my love of reading by reviewing books and promoting the books and their authors. STAY INTOUCH WITH LAUREN Instagram Blog TikTok
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