Is it just me or is summer flying by? So far, I've read six books... all on my phone. I've discovered that I read so much more if I do it digitally. With a baby and a toddler, it's much easier for me to sneak in a few minutes of reading if it's not via an actual hard copy of a book, with those pesky pages that are so easy to grab and tear. On the downside, I do worry about looking like I'm on my phone too much. Claire knows what books are for, but she's much more hazy on what smartphones do exactly. On the upside, the Overdrive app makes it really easy to checkout library books and get access to them instantly. Anyway, onto the books...
Attachments, Rainbow Rowell. A sweet romantic comedy about a guy whose IT job requires him to read personal email, which leads to him falling in love with a girl he's never met. But how could a relationship ever work when she finds out about the whole email thing? I couldn't stop picturing how cute of a movie this story would make.
Bread and Wine, Shauna Niequist. A collection of essays about the importance of food, hospitality, and gathering around the table from a Christian perspective. There was a recipe at the end of each chapter. A lot of times in food memoirs like this I just glaze over the recipes, but these ones really intrigued me. Probably because she's also a busy mom of young kids, so her recipes are right up my alley. I've already tried the quinoa breakfast dish and the peach crisp, both with great results.
The One and Only, Emily Giffin. I've read every single one of Emily's books and this one felt quite different. It's about a college football coach in small town Texas whose wife passes away. His daughter's best friend loves football as well and now works for the college athletic department. What would happen if a romance blossomed between the two? It definitely put me in the mood to re-watch some of my favorite episodes of Friday Night Lights.
Someday Someday Maybe, Lauren Graham. Yep, that's Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood fame. Her first novel is loosely based on the very beginning of her career, fresh out of college and trying to make it big in New York. My main impression was that she doesn't just play funny characters, she is actually really funny. Oh man, those one-liners. I laughed out loud quite a few times.
Dinner: A Love Story, Jenny Rosenstrach. Another food memoir, this time from a magazine editor with two elementary-age daughters, all about the importance of family dinner. This also included recipes at the end of each chapter, but none really jumped out at me. She recommends not really trying for a routine family dinner until your youngest child is three. Umm, hopefully that will be a very long time for us! We should probably figure it out before we reach that milestone...
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, Sally Bedell Smith. I'm kind of obsessed with the British royal family (guilty pleasure: Vanity Fair's royal watch) so when I spotted this at Costco, I went home and immediately downloaded it. Definitely a very favorable portrait of the Queen and her family, with the exception of Princess Margaret and Princess Diana.
When my family was in town, Scott and I got to spend an evening browsing at Half Price Books. I picked up a copy of A Homemade Life and American Wasteland, both of which I'll be bringing on the plane to the Edel Gathering. Two whole, quiet flights to read real books. Can you imagine?!
Some of my favorite authors are releasing new books later in the year that I can't wait to dive into:
I'm particularly excited for the latest Shopaholic book! They are not exactly highbrow, but always hilarious and just so much fun.
What have you been reading lately? Anything exciting on your to-read list?
After finishing Kristin Lavransdatter (which, yes, Dominic did eat a page of!! sigh) I have just read Fearless by Cornelia Funke on my Kindle. :) I think it's back to digital reading for me too now, at least for a bit.
ReplyDeleteI have Bread and Wine on my goodreads list, and also A Homemade Life. Maybe I will add DInner. For some reason food memoirs all sound really appealing to me right now!