My Summer Reading List

It's that time again--the air is thick and sweet with the beach roses, salt, and oysters, and I've got a heap of books ready. I said it last year, and I'll say it again: there is nothing like the feeling of getting lost in a book, and quiet summer afternoons and evenings are some of the best times to do it. How I love naptime/resting time for the girls!

This entry merits two separate posts--one for the books I've already gotten into this summer, and one for those awaiting me.

First, the books I just finished:
A few weeks ago, I finally got around to reading Julia Child's My Life in France. It was well worth the wait--I was completely engrossed in her adventures in France, where she discovered cooking and her passion. Of course, she mentioned working with a young chef called Jacques Pepin, and I was off to find his autobiography, called, The Apprentice, My Life in the Kitchen. It did not disappoint. I made some lovely meals that week, among them a French-style sauteed chicken breast with garlic and herbs. Yum.

Anyway, I switched gears to more mystery the next week, with The Book of Air and Shadows, by Michael Gruber. I was, I admit, a bit doubtful at the outset. I was looking for something to get lost in, and I was a bit worried that I wouldn't "get into it." Ha. This book was a real thriller, not just because of the intrigue of seemingly tame bookbinders, but really because the characters were so vivid and sympathetic. It was one of those books I didn't really want to end; I found myself lingering over the last 30 pages just so I could keep the characters with me for a bit longer. It's definitely worth checking out for a weekend read.

Finally, a book to put on the shelf next to Wallace Stegner's beautiful stories of families and moving West. This book is called Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. It's been on the best seller's list, but it took me some convincing to pick it up. Why?! I kicked myself for waiting so long to read this! The writing is beautiful, and the narrator is loveable and convincing. When I finished it yesterday, it left me in tears.

Up next: The big list of books yet to be read...