There are many reasons why I love summer break. A break from the classroom and hustle of the school year gives me more time with my kids, beach days, and Cape Cod summer visits. One of my favorite summertime activities is reading. It is an activity that is purely for me, and I am voraciously working my way through my list of books so far this year, specifically this summer.
I find it hard during the school year to fit in pleasure reading. It seems that when things get hectic, this favorite hobby of mine is the first to get pushed to the side. But once summer hits, I feel like I just cannot put my book down, and it makes me so happy!
This summer has brought a lot of camp drop-offs and pick-ups. Often I am early for pick-up or have time to waste when running errands. I started carrying my book with me, which has given me a lot of extra reading time when I wouldn’t have expected it.
Every summer since becoming a teacher, I have loved to spend my time reading. I have memories of laying at the pool, pre-kids, going through books on my first-generation Kindle that I spent an arm and a leg for. I can still picture where I was, bawling my eyes out as I finished Marley & Me.
In January, I set a goal of reading 40 books this year. I knew that reading made me happy, was a time just for me, and was something I wanted to get back into as part of my routine. Thanks to my school’s staff book club that was started this year, I could jump back into and fall in love all over again with reading.
As I write this, I am proudly in the middle of my 24th book of the year and my 9th book of summer break. I have liked most of the books I’ve read, some I have LOVED, and some were just not my favorites. My favorite genre is mystery/thriller, but I like changing it up every few books with something lighter and happier.
I am sharing some of my favorites I have read so far and hope you will enjoy some of these reads. Take the time for yourself and get lost in a good book!
The Silent Patient – A thriller that left me guessing until the end!
The Perfect Marriage – Another thriller that had me gasping! Who you think the characters appear to be is not who they actually are.
Rom-Com Agenda – This book was a light, fun, and entertaining break from my typical murder/mystery. I loved the nods to classic movies and found it heartwarming and a quick, enjoyable read.
The Guest List – I had previously read The Paris Apartment by the same author, Lucy Foley, and liked her dark writing style. The Guest List kept me guessing until the very end.
The Housemaid – As I got to know and like the characters, then their true colors came out. This book had my jaw on the ground as I finished the second half of it. It was so good, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Love and Other Words – I LOVED this book. I can confidently say that it is my favorite book that I have read in the last 5+ years. It evoked all the emotions; joy, sadness, worry, and love. It is a beautiful story of a beautiful relationship. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time.
The IT Girl – This book proved that you can’t always trust who characters present themselves to be. I loved the unexpected twists and the many sides of the story that were told.
The True Love Experiment – This was a light-hearted and quick read that was very Bachelor/Bachelorette-like. It was a cute story, a little racy, and though somewhat predictable, I still very much enjoyed reading it.
Some of the books still on my to-read list include:
- The Personal Librarian
- Beach Read
- Saint X
- The Thinks We Leave Unfinished
- In My Dreams I Hold a Knife
- Happy Place
- Lessons in Chemistry
- On a Quiet Street
- Book Lovers
Totally agree. I would power read all through the summer when I was teaching grade 4 and even now I still do. Book Lovers and Happy Place are great! You may like The Little Italian Hotel, too. Hi to Tom!