Monday, June 15, 2015

Sweet Summertime Reads 2015 With Estelle


Welcome to Sweet Summertime Reads!  All summer long I will be featuring a different blogger to share their current summer reads + what's on their agenda for this summer.  I hope you'll join me each week!  Today I am excited to have Estelle from Rather Be Reading sharing a few books she plans to read + her plans for a summer in NYC.  Just look at that sunset photo!!!  


Happy summer, friends! I'm so happy to be kicking off a new week by participating in G's Sweet Summertime Reads feature. We still have a few days to go before it's officially summer, but we've broken down and turned on our AC, so I think we are pretty much there. I don't have any big plans (my husband is studying for the bar so vacation plans will have to wait) but I'm so ready for afternoons at my favorite park in Long Island City, checking out some new ice cream eateries, another year of the NYC Good Beer Passport, and catching up with my friends and family. Oh, and swimming! Of course, summer is only as good as the books you are reading so here are a few that are on the top of my list:

Rather Be Reading & GReadsBook's Sweet Summertime Reads

  • The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler: I'm the ultimate Disney fan and I love this Little Mermaid-y twist to a YA. I still have NO idea how it's going to work but I can't wait to find out.
  • The Forget-Me-Not Summer by Leila Howland: I haven't been shy about my love of the Nantucket Blue series by Howland so I couldn't deny myself her latest -- a middle grade book centered on sisters and summer vacation in Cape Cod.
  • The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy: This one is a re-read for me about sisters at a summer camp but it's also the prequel to a book that McVoy wrote last year. Now that I've indulged in In Deep, I want to see how it changes my reading of this backlist title.
  • Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker: Are we sensing a theme yet? (Ha!) I bought this book on my last trip to Austin to see Magan (almost two years ago) and it's about time I get to it. I fell in love with the cover but it's set in Cape Cod (popular setting, huh?) about Stella and her aunt's foster child, Angel.
  • BONUS: Unibrow by Una LaMarche: A collection of short stories is about as perfect as summer reading can get. You have fun, you read, you put a bookmark in, and you go and have fun again. I love Una's fiction writing, and I'm looking forward to checking out her non-fic work!
So we have free time, beer, ice cream, and reading? This summer itinerary is not complete without city sunsets. I can guarantee I'll be taking pictures of a billion of them... like this one:

Queens summer sunset

I hope this summer brings you tons of frolicking, great stories, and time to take in all the beauty around you. Enjoy it! xoxo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks so much, Estelle.  I had not heard of his MG book from Leila Howland, but it's now been added to my summer TBR as well!  I love following your pics on instagram and will keep my eye out for more summery sunsets in the city.

Be sure to check out the giveaway (open international -- Book Depository must be able to ship to you!) happening all summer long...


a Rafflecopter giveaway

+ Open internationally (Book Depository must be able to ship to you!)
+ One winner will be chosen to receive one book from the image above (provided that it is available)
+ Contest ends August 31, 2015

11 comments:

  1. I just finished The Forget-Me-Not Summer and LOVED it :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just took my kids to the annual carnival my city puts on each June. Giant gunny sack slides, funnel cakes, the whole shebang.

    Hubby's family is going away for a long weekend this Wednesday and I will definitely be bringing The Royal We and Everything Everything. Fingers crossed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yay summer reads! I liked seeing what you'd choose for your summer reads, E, and it looks like you're going to have an awesome summer staycation ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Summer gives me time to catch up on reading after a busy school year. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love Summer, though it's pretty hot here in Louisiana. I like to spend time with my kids and catch up on some reading. This is a great feature, ginger :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. What great summer books! And WOW that sunset photo is gorgeous! Looking forward to all of these summertime posts! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I live in Iowa and we host Ragbrai every year. What is Ragbrai, well it is a biking event. It starts in the Western part of our state and individuals get up every morning and they start biking. They bike at their own pace and along the way they pass through towns where individuals welcome them with entertainment and food and lots of drinks. There are even individuals along the road just cheering them on. Every night there is a host city that has a celebration for these bikers and others to join in with bands, lots of foods and more drinks. All week long this happens and at the end of the week, the bikers dip their bikes in the Mississippi River. People do this every year and people come from all the world to participate in it. It is quite an event and you can ride the whole week or just one day if you like. It is a huge party with families, teams and just about anyone taking part in it. I like to volunteer, as the spirit of the riders and their friends is so fun and entertaining. My husband rides one or two days with his friends. That is what is unique about where I live.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I live in Pittsburgh, and every summer, there is a regatta. I haven't been there in years, but they bring in all sorts of cool things - airplanes, skydivers, boats, jetskis, etc.

    Also, my street is full of honeysuckles, so it always smells amazing in the summer. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Here in Mexico, we don't have much going on in the summer. Just a lot of tourist's coming down, haha! During my summer though, I love to read and bake up a storm in the kitchen. Always a fun time! :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love that picture, Estelle! So gorgeous. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is a fantastic book - I hope you enjoy!

    This summer I definitely plan on going to Holiday World! It's one of the top rated water parks in the country (it's located in IN, but it's a short drive for me). As for books.... definitely my BEA ones. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I live in a resort town. Every weekend there is something to do.

    ReplyDelete

Hello Readers! Once you've typed up that comment that I oh so appreciate, please click "notify me" in the bottom right corner so that you don't miss my reply! Thanks, xo.

 
Site Design by Designer Blogs