Memorial Day Weekend… Dance Recitals… Eighty-Degree Days in Minnesota… 9 Days Left of School…
It can only mean one thing: it’s almost summer! And while summer means warmth and vacations and swimming and napping, for me it also means lots of time for reading.
After scouring Amazon’s reading list suggestions, perusing my purchased-but-not-yet-read pile, and surveying friends on social media, I have put together my summer reading list for 2014 {organized by category, of course}:
Fiction
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This one was recommended to me by Lindsey Mead, and I always love the books she recommends! And I was drawn in by this line from the Amazon.com review: “Does the world need yet another novel about WWII? It does when the novel is as inventive and beautiful as this one by Anthony Doerr.”
The Giver by Lois Lowry. How have I never read this book? It comes up every year when teach socialism and utopian philosophies. My students always ask about it. So I’m finally going to read it!
Magnificent Vibration by Rick Springfield. By Rick Springfield! Rick. Springfield. Wrote. A. Novel!
Euphoria by Lily King. A novel based on the life of Margaret Mead, and set in Papua New Guinea in the 1930s. You had this anthropology teacher at “Margaret Mead”…
And time permitting…
A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White. I bought this book a few months ago when it was on sale {and I had a coupon!} at Target. From the back of the book: “Three outcasts longing for home come together at Manhattan’s Cafe Andres, a chic gathering place for New York’s cultural illuminati…. Susan Rebecca White braids together the stories of these unforgettable characters who must learn that when you embrace the thing that makes you different, you become whole.”
Memoir
The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr. It’s supposed to be like the best memoir ever written.
And time permitting…
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Because it’s also supposed to be the best memoir ever written.
Nerdy Non-Fiction
{Anne of Modern Mrs. Darcy has an entire section of her summer reading list devoted to this category, and I just love that title!}
Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman. It’s all about awareness, attention, mindfulness, and cognition. Swoon!
Spiritual Evolution: How We are Hard-Wired for Faith, Hope, and Love by George Vaillant. A Harvard professor argues that spirituality is an innate part of our humanity, and traces its development in the brain and over the course of human evolution. Fascinating!
And time permitting…
Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris. Norris writes about how the language of Christianity estranged her from her faith. This book is her reflection on, and attempts to wrestle with, that language and ultimately make it her own.
Reader Recommendations
I received so many recommendations from friends and readers in the last week. Here are some of the titles they suggested:
- The Earth Hums in B-Flat by Mari Strachan
- Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
- All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- Fly a Little Higher by Laura Sobiech
- Bossypants by Tina Fey
Want More Suggestions?
Obviously, the books on this list so far are ones I haven’t read. The following list contains some of the best books I have read lately and can absolutely recommend if you’re still looking for a summer read:
- Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington {a prescription for what ails us in the modern world — more sleep, more meditation, more exercise, less busy!}
- 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works — A True Story by Dan Harris {great introduction to mindfulness for skeptics and non-woo-woo types}
- The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty {gorgeously-written page-turner!}
- All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior {why are parents so miserable?}
- Paradise in Plain Sight: Lessons from a Zen Garden by Karen Maezen Miller {paradise is right in front of us… but we may need to dig a bit}
- Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn {one of the best introductions to mindfulness there is}
- The Sky is Not the Limit by Neil DeGrasse Tyson {astrophysics, scientific literacy, education… lots of good stuff!}
You can also check out my 2013 Summer Reading List, my list of the Best Books I Read in 2013, and my What I’m Reading page.
What are YOU reading this summer? What would you add to this list?
- A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions - January 13, 2020
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- WAIT: A Mindfulness Practice for Waiting in Line - December 9, 2019
