July 8, 2010

More Summer Books

Mamacita of What Would Jane Austen Do is currently shut in by foul weather and asking about favorite things one does when it rains.

For me, nothing beats reading by the rainy window wrapped in a down blanket with tea in a cup and saucer – neurotically, always the saucer. Living on foot/bike in the city means lots of being cold and wet in Wellies when it rains, all the better to stay inside with a book.

Coincidentally, I’m back on Jane Austen now, having already read through my stack of summer books including The Elegance of the Hedgehog (loved it), Three Cups of Tea (good story, terrible writing), The Eight (silly fun), Let the Great World Spin (stuck four chapters in) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (bad title, good book).

Sense and Sensibility seems especially perfect for a rainy day. All that uprooting and living by the sea and reading by fires and being rescued in a rainstorm by a Colonel.

Any more book recommendations? You’ve steered me well before. Ideas for rainy days and sunny are appreciated!

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This article was written by

mrsem

There are 9 comments for this article

Stephanie R July 8, 2010 at 2:58 pm

South of Broad by Pat Conroy. It has eautiful writing about Charleston and interesting characters.
Stephanie R July 8, 2010 at 2:59 pm

I meant beautiful!
nomadic gnome July 8, 2010 at 3:28 pm

oh i just started elegance of the hedgehog!
i'm reading a really interesting bio about pierre l'enfant, the architect who designed DC, "grand avenues". i'm loving it.

just finished The Help. it was amazing.

thanks for the recc's! i'm always looking for a good book to read, and can never seem to pick.
Anne Living Life July 8, 2010 at 6:22 pm

I really enjoyed Three Cups of Tea but sometimes all of the geographical info was hard to follow. Very inspiring though! I just compiled a list of 10 books to read this summer. Some of them are a bit older.

http://annelivinglife.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-reading-list.html

Love the Le Pen too!!
mamacita July 8, 2010 at 11:37 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. I was wondering about The Elegance of the Hedgehog — now I'll definitely check it out.

I am SO caught up on naps now, because every time I lie down with a book I fall asleep! I'm going to have to try a different approach.
Anonymous July 9, 2010 at 3:44 am

Two authors I love–Sigrid Nunez and Joan Didion.
"A Feather on the Breath of God" and "Play it as it Lays" respectively.
Caroline Hallemann July 10, 2010 at 3:42 am

I actually just did a post about my summer reading list! Check it out here:

http://styleofa20something.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-reading.html

ps I love the penguin cloth cover series. So gorgeous!

xo
Caroline
Laurel July 11, 2010 at 5:07 am

okay, you don't know me, but if you haven't read These is My Words by Nanci Turner, you simply must. It's one of those books that I love so much that I nearly force it into people's hands–even those I don't know (obviously.) Anywho, I haven't known anyone that doesn't love it. The best–in my not-so-humble opinion–heroine written in the last decade. If I knew Sandra Bullock, I would convince her to buy the rights, make the movie, and win another academy award. I really would. And this time she could enjoy it. But I digress.

Also, Ava's Man by Rick Bragg is another book I tried to convince a total stranger in Barnes and Noble to buy. Couldn't help myself. My husband just shook his head. The language in that book is just so beautiful. I don't think she bought it, but she was nice enough to hold it at least until I walked away.

I know. I may need to seek help.
Anonymous July 12, 2010 at 3:37 pm

I sort of always seem to end back on "Jane Eyre" on rainy days, a book which I coincidentally have in hte same edition! I just had to buy it because it's so lovely.