Summer Reading – Book Review

Back in school, “summer reading” meant having to read whatever was required by your teachers. Now, though, summer reading means whatever we want it to mean! Different people have different ideas about what makes an ideal summer book, but there are lots of good choices to enjoy during the lazy days of summer:

Light, Funny Books

Lots of people like to keep their summer reading light and fun. Here are some great choices:

• The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich – you can rely on Evanovich for fast-paced suspense with plenty of laugh-outloud moments. Her latest in the series, Top Secret Twenty- One, was released in May.
• Author Bill Bryson’s nonfiction books are always good for a laugh. His childhood memoir, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, is one of his best, both amusing and informative.
• If you like irreverent, slightly silly humor with a heart, then you will probably enjoy Christopher Moore’s novels. I liked the hilarious A Dirty Job, about an ordinary, slightly neurotic dad whose new job title is Death (this one contains profanity).

Mysteries & Suspense

Some people like their summer reading with a hefty dose of suspense and mystery. A few series to try:

• The Jack Reacher series by Lee Child is a favorite suspense/ thriller series. Personal was his latest book.
• If you prefer your protagonists younger (and precocious), you might enjoy the Flavia de Luce novels by Alan Bradley, featuring the adolescent amateur detective. The series begins with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
• You might get hooked on Tana French’s award-winning series featuring the Dublin Murder Squad that begins with In the Woods. Her latest novel is The Secret Place.

Big Books

For some, summer is the time to lose yourself in the big books that you don’t have time for the rest of the year. A few to try:

• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. He also wrote The Century Trilogy that starts with Fall of Giants. All are long yet engrossing books.
• The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (recently made into a TV show), about a young woman in 1940’s Scotland sent back in time, delivers adventure and romance in very big books.
• George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series begins with A Game of Thrones, a massive, epic fantasy set in a Medievaltype world.

Whatever your preferences, enjoy your summer reading!

Find more of Suzan Jackson’s blog about books, featuring reviews, book news, and more, at www.bookbybook.blogspot.com.