Monday, August 20, 2012

My Summer Reading in Review



I have had a very successful summer when it comes to reading!  I started out wanting to read a few books, but didn't give myself an exact schedule to read by.  I think this worked to my advantage.. and it also encouraged the laid back, relaxing atmosphere which always entices a good book.

I had the pleasure of traveling quite a bit as summer began... jet setting from Texas all the way to Seattle, jumping in the car and road tripping it to the river, or spending a week at the beach with my family.  All of these vacations were fun, relaxing, and memorable.  And OF COURSE there were great books involved for each one!  Below are a few of the books which stood out as my "favorites" read this summer.  There's still a few weeks left of the season, so hopefully it will encourage you to grab a few and finish out your summer with a great book.

How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo
Written in her wonderfully honest, edgy, passionate and often hilarious voice, Tiffanie DeBartolo tells the story of Eliza Caelum, a young music journalist, and Paul Hudson, a talented songwriter and lead singer of the band Bananafish. Eliza's reverence for rock is equaled only by Paul's, and the two fall wildly in love.

When Bananafish is signed by a big corporate label, and Paul is on his way to becoming a major rock star, Eliza must make a heartbreaking decision that leads to Paul's sudden disappearance and a surprise knock-your-socks-off ending. [goodreads]


Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker
Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? [goodreads]

Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar
Imagine there is someone you like so much that just thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless. You crave them in a way that's not rational, not right, and you're becoming somebody you don't recognise, and certainly don't respect, but you don't even care.

And this person you like is unattainable. Except for one thing...

He lives downstairs.

Abbie has three obsessions. Art. The ocean. And Kane.

But since Kane's been back, he's changed. There's a darkness shadowing him that only Abbie can see. And it wants her in its world.

A gothic story about the very dark things that feed the creative process. [goodreads]

Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
Love is awkward, Amelia should know.

From the moment she sets eyes on Chris, she is a goner. Lost. Sunk. Head over heels infatuated with him. It's problematic, since Chris, 21, is a sophisticated university student, while Amelia, is 15.

Amelia isn't stupid. She knows it's not gonna happen. So she plays it cool around Chris—at least, as cool as she can. Working checkout together at the local supermarket, they strike up a friendship: swapping life stories, bantering about everything from classic books to B movies, and cataloging the many injustices of growing up. As time goes on, Amelia's crush doesn't seem so one-sided anymore. But if Chris likes her back, what then? Can two people in such different places in life really be together?

Through a year of befuddling firsts—first love, first job, first party, and first hangover—debut author Laura Buzo shows how the things that break your heart can still crack you up. [goodreads]

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken. [goodreads]

I ended up re-reading three books this summer, as well. The stories were so good I just wasn't quite ready to say goodbye!

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over. [goodreads] 

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Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly. [goodreads]

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Easy by Tammara Webber
When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy. [goodreads]

So tell me, which books have you read and enjoyed this summer? Did you travel anywhere and take a book along for the trip? I love summertime, but I am definitely looking forward to some reprieve from the heat... and all things pumpkin! Bring on Fall!

13 comments:

  1. Hehe what a cute post!!!! Too bad I haven't had a real summer vacation yet. Mostly because we tempt to go on holidays rather in winter when everything is cold here, then we go on a long vacation to some place where it is warm!

    But, I'm having a great reading summer anyways and I'm enjoying all the awesome NA books right now. Just like Easy! :))

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  2. My country totally don't recognize 4-season, only two: Rainy and Dry season. But, I just celebrated Eid Mubarak this month after I have had one month of fasting, and I took travel to my homeland for one week, gladly I bring my ebook reader so I could finish a few novel, including From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas....and it definitely be on my favorite book-list.

    I also want to read Unbreak My Heart, Easy, and Such a Rush in next few days...I hope I can finish them...

    Enjoy your rest of the Summer, Ginger...:)

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  3. Such a fun, fun post.

    I love the baby feet in the picture. haha.

    You read so many great things this summer... I think we all had a lucky one. And there is still like a week or so left... so you never know what might happen :)

    I'm totally psyched for fall, and I've been thinking about it more and more lately but then I read something like this and I feel like I'm cheating on summer already. haha.

    Love & Other Perishable Items is going on my Christmas list. (Yes, I said it.)

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  4. I absolutely adore that you did this post! Summer and winter are my favorite seasons to read (It must have to do with being extremely hot and extremely cold - the extreme conditions make it conducive to reading?).

    I'm so glad you got the chance to read so many great books! I've read quite a few of the ones you included in this post, and I'm in complete agreement about loving them - especially My Life Next Door <3

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  5. I loved this roundup, even if it made me nostalgic for summer when it's not quite gone yet. You read some great books. I have to agree especially with My Life Next Door, I think that was my favourite of the books I've read recently.

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  6. Fun post! I have a bunch of these on my TBR list. And I need to reread SWEETHEARTS at some point. I have loved everything else by Sara Zarr, but that one just didn't quite work for me at the time.

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  7. I'm happy to see Sweethearts on this list! I have heard so many wonderful things about My Life Next Door and I can't wait to get around to reading it. Books involving contrasting social/political opinions never fail to be awesome!

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  8. I love your list!! My Life Next Door, How To Kill a Rockstar, and Easy sound awesome! I just finished Love and Other Perishable Items today... I LOVED IT!

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  9. This is fun! This is the first summer we didn't take a vacation in probably ten years or more. BLAH. But I've read so much because it is my down-time and my go-to after noisy days at home. I've read several of these and loved them!

    My biggest accomplishment this summer has been that I've learned to love contemporary! YAY ME!! And thanks for your help with that. I NEVER thought I'd choose to read contemps on my own! But now I do. Pretty awesome.

    Also, I'm with you: Bring on the Fall! I'm ready for some cool weather.

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  10. SO many good summer books! Now we can make a new list for fall (and of course have Pumpkin Spice Lattes to go with those books!)

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  11. Found your blog through a fellow blogger and Goodreads.com friend! I really enjoyed your latest posts. New Follower! Looking forward to your future posts and fun features!

    Lily
    Bookluvrs Haven

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