Thursday, August 22, 2019

Summer Reading

One of my FAVORITE things about summer is the time I have to read... I know that I can read throughout the school year as well BUT I just don't have those same big chunks of time that I do during the summer and so I try to make the most of it.  This summer I read a variety of books, I honestly enjoyed them all for different reasons and today I'm sharing my favorite picks...

The Farm, by Joanne Ramos




The Farm was one that I couldn't put down.  I've started and restarted a short summary and can't seem to do it justice... so here's the "teaser" from Amazon...

"Nestled in New York’s Hudson Valley is a luxury retreat boasting every amenity: organic meals, personal fitness trainers, daily massages—and all of it for free. In fact, you’re paid big money to stay here—more than you’ve ever dreamed of. The catch? For nine months, you cannot leave the grounds, your movements are monitored, and you are cut off from your former life while you dedicate yourself to the task of producing the perfect baby. For someone else.

Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is in desperate search of a better future when she commits to being a “Host” at Golden Oaks—or the Farm, as residents call it. But now pregnant, fragile, consumed with worry for her family, Jane is determined to reconnect with her life outside. Yet she cannot leave the Farm or she will lose the life-changing fee she’ll receive on the delivery of her child.

Gripping, provocative, heartbreaking, The Farm pushes to the extremes our thinking on motherhood, money, and merit and raises crucial questions about the trade-offs women will make to fortify their futures and the futures of those they love."

I loved this one SO MUCH!  It was thought-provoking because parts of it seemed almost sci-fi or futuristic but it really wasn't THAT far off from reality.  I felt like parts of it were a bit predictable but overall it was a great read.


The Residence, by Kate Andersen Brower



I'm not really sure what prompted me to read The Residence because it's kind of out of the norm for me but I'm so glad I read it because it was SO GREAT!  The author compiled a ton of first-person stories with ample amounts of research and painted a really unique picture of the relationships between the first families and the staff who works in the private spaces of the white house.  It was interesting and revealing and I cried a few separate times.  The stories spanned decades and it gave a really special insight into the lives of the Presidents and first families as well as the staff who devotes their careers to caring for them.  I HIGHLY recommend.  Dave isn't a huge reader but after I couldn't stop talking about it and reading excerpts on the drive home from Colorado he's working through it as well.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris



I read the Tattooist of Auschwitz in pretty much one day (in the car this summer) and couldn't put it down.  The book is based on the interviews of a Holocaust survivor and concentration camp tattooist and I think that what I found most compelling was how almost conflicted I felt while reading it... the absolute horrors of what was going on at the camp alongside a beautiful love story (he met and fell in love with another prisoner).  It was haunting and gut-wrenching but almost uplifting at the same time because Lale and Gita endured the unimaginable to have a life with each other.  It's one of those books that will stick with me forever (like The Nightingale or Winter Garden) and I highly recommend taking the time to read it.

The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead



I'm a big fan of historical fiction and I was intrigued by The Underground Railroad because I knew that it mixed historical accuracy and depictions of slavery in America with more "fantasy" elements like the underground railroad being an ACTUAL railroad.  It made me uncomfortable (in a good way) at some points because I feel like the way Whitehead wrote about slavery was more honest and "raw" than what we learn about in school, see in movies and read about in a lot of books and I appreciated the perspective.  I felt like there's an interesting conversation to be had (I don't want to spoil too much) about Cora's experience when she get's to "freedom" in South Carolina and her time spent in the attic (again, I don't want to spoil too much) was probably the most poignant part of the book for me.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book - it was thought provoking and informative while still having some fantasy elements which made it unique.

Beartown, by Fredrik Backman



Again with the picks that are out of my comfort zone :)  Bear Town chronicles the story of a town built on hockey and the teenage boys who are essentially carrying that burden.  A violent act is committed and it divides the town... "accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected".

I felt like this book was less about hockey and more about the incredibly diverse cast of characters.  Backman told the story in such a way that I felt like I KNEW all of them and their idiosyncrasies and was invested in the town.  It was a little darker than I anticipated but I so enjoyed the read.  I'm currently reading "Us Against You" which is the sequel to Beartown and am enjoying it just as much.

I have quite a "virtual stack" going on my Kindle right now but would love it if you'd share a favorite (or two!) that you've read lately so I can add to my pile.




Happy Thursday, friends!!!

PS - this post contained affiliate links... thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog!

21 comments :

  1. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is one of the best books I've ever read.

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  2. I have already logged on to my library account and requested a few of your suggestions!

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  3. I loved The Residence and have got Tattooist on my list at the library. I love seeing what other people are reading! If you're looking for a book along The Nightingale, check out The Things We Cannot Say...I read it this summer and it was amazing!

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  4. You read two of my favorite books! The Residence (SO interesting - if you loved this one, you should ready her other - First Women, its just as good and the same style!) and Bear Town! Can't wait to read some of the others - especially the Farm!

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  5. If you liked The Residence, consider reading Clint Hill's books. He is most known for being the personal secret service agent assigned to Jackie Kennedy and the children. He chronicles this in "Mrs Kennedy & Me." He also has another book "Five Presidents" which tell the stories of him being an agent through the 5 presidents he served. Absolutely wonderful stories and you do not need to be a history/politics buff to love these books.

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  6. I loved Bear Town!! Check out the sequel ... Us Against You. I love A Man Called Ove too, which is also by Backman. Check it out if you haven't already read it.

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  7. I just added a couple of these to my online library holds list. Thanks!

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  8. I recently read all of Nancy E Turner's books and they are great! My favorite was My Name is Resolute. I am currently reading Half Broke Horses and it is very good so far.

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  9. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty is in one of my favorite books that are not mentioned by others. My bookclub read it - we have members from 74 to 23 - and everyone enjoyed it - one of our longest discussions we have ever had.

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  10. I've only read one of the ones you read this summer. I just finished Save Me The Plums and it was fantastic!

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  11. If you haven't read Where the Forest Meets the Stars, I would highly recommend it! Also check out Cilka's Journey. Its a written by the same author as the Tattooist of Auschwitz. I was able to snag an ARC via Netgalley, but it comes out on October 1st!

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  12. I read a ton this summer too! I feel like during the school year I can't focus on a book to save my life but I LOVE reading in the summer. One book I read that stood out among all the others was The Kitchen House. I highly recommend this historical fiction book. I think you would love it!

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  13. I read (actually I listened to it in the car) The Tattooist of Auschwitz this summer too and agree that it is unforgettable. I am also a teacher and do so much reading during the summer. I read so many books. I loved Before We Were Yours and kind of got hooked on the author and worked through several more of hers. I am always reading one book on my kindle and listening to one in the car when I am out and about by myself. The best of both worlds!

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  14. You have some great reads in your virtual stack. I'm in the process of reading Crawdads. I started it, and it was very slow for me. ( I struggle when books jump around in time) I have hit a point that it is starting to get me interested.

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  15. I recommend Harry's Trees, Setting Free the Kites and Everything Here is Beautiful.

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  16. Two on your list, Crawdads and Before We Were Yours are books that stayed with me long after reading them. Off to request a few of these from my library!;).

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  17. I LOVE Fredrik Backman! If you haven't read his other books, you definitely should! I finished The Great Alone recently and it was sooo good! I also second the Liane Moriarty suggestion...she's one of my favorite writers!

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  18. I really enjoyed the Lost Girls of Paris this month; also a WWII book but about a ring of woman spies who go missing.

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  19. I'm reading The Wife Between us and listening to The Marriage Pact on Audible. Both are really good (I'm about 3/4 the way through each of them!)

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  20. I have read two of the books listed, and I just noticed that the Kindle edition of The Farm is on sale on Amazon for $2.99, so grabbed that one.

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