colorful bookshelf with stacks of books and a plant inside a crockpot

My Summer Reading List

I didn't realize there was a theme to my summer reading until I stacked the books on top of each other!

Different genres, different centuries, different authors, but they all share something in common. Their stories belong to people who have already lived a lot of life.

What surprised me most was how familiar some of their inner lives felt. The melancholy reflection, realizing you're somewhere in the middle of your story. Wondering if you've made the right choices. Grieving what might have been while learning to appreciate what is. It's there in the 1700s midwife of A Frozen River, and it's there in the woman who travels to Paris simply to enjoy herself. Completely different lives, yet they're asking many of the same questions.

These books are filled with second chances, deep friendships, old wounds, unexpected joy, the relief of letting go of impossible expectations, and the comforting realization that some of our best chapters don't begin until much later than we imagined.

Here are a few of the books I've been enjoying this summer.

the correspondent book on a table beside a bowl of yogurt and fruit

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

"Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime." ~Penguin Random House

Now I just started this but I really love it so far! I love that this book is told through letters, and it has energized me to renew my letter writing practice.

Sandwich book on a tabletop beside a glass of iced coffee

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

“Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a miraculous job reminding us of all the wonder there is to be found in life."~Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

Ok maybe I actually read this in the spring but I had to include it here because it is the perfect summer celebration novel!

There are so many reasons I love this book.

Set during a family vacation on Cape Cod, it somehow manages to be hilarious, tender, heartbreaking, and deeply recognizable all at once. And the food. Nobody has mentioned the food enough. Every meal, snack, sandwich, and beach picnic is described with such affection that I spent half the book hungry.

This is the kind of novel that makes you want to rent a cottage near the ocean and stay there for a month.

The Wedding People

"It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other." `MacMillan Publishers

This was such a breezy, fast summer read. It's funny in a familiar, observant way that makes you laugh because it's true, and underneath the humor is a surprisingly thoughtful story about loneliness, second chances, and figuring out what comes next in your life. I love a book about second chances!

It wasn't a five-star, life-changing read for me, but it was absolutely solid, engaging, relatable, and exactly the kind of novel I wanted to curl up with for a few afternoons.

I'm Mostly Here To Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol

"After New York City emptied out in March 2020, Glynnis MacNicol, aged forty-six, unmarried with no children, spent sixteen months alone in her tiny Manhattan apartment. The isolation was punishing. A year without touch. Women are warned of invisibility as they age, but this was an extreme loneliness no one can prepare you for. When the opportunity to sublet a friend’s apartment in Paris arose, MacNicol jumped on it. Leaving felt less like a risk than a necessity.

What follows is a decadent, joyful, unexpected journey into one woman’s pursuit of radical enjoyment." ~Penguin Random House

I picked this one up expecting a light memoir about a woman spending time in Paris, but it ended up being much more thoughtful than I expected. She writes honestly about the strange mix of confidence and uncertainty that can come with midlife and I found myself highlighting half the book.

Her writing, to me, feels refreshingly unsentimental, unapologetic. It was like sitting across from a fascinating friend over drinks while she tells you stories about her adventures, someone who's done a lot of living and has no trouble giving herself permission to enjoy it.

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

"When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous, nineties-era boy band and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them since childhood.

In a smart and incisive book packed with laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, aging, and marriage, Emma Straub delivers a richly textured story that shows us real passion is never truly lost, that what we love makes us who we are, and that deep meaning can sometimes be found in a sea of screaming fans." ~Penguin Random House

I picked this up because it seems like the quintessential summer beach read. But truth be told, I'm having trouble getting into it, not because there’s anything wrong with it or the writing, but because the central obsession with a boy band isn’t a world I naturally connect with.

What I’m most curious to see is how she explores nostalgia. I may not have had a boy band obsession, but I do understand the feeling of being completely captivated by something when you’re young—the way a band (U2) , a book (To Kill A Mockingbird), a movie (Say Anything), or a particular moment in time can feel almost electric. Those early passions (obsessions??) can be so powerful and so personal that they actually shape who we become.

So I’m going to keep reading. Sometimes the books that take a little longer to settle in are the ones that surprise you!

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

"The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to underestimated women who know that calamity can be the spark of new beginnings. This is Kathryn Stockett at her most confident, heartfelt, and hilarious—the triumphant return of one of the most beloved storytellers of our time." ~Spiegel and Grau Publisher

I’m excited to start this one. It’s been years since I read The Help, so I was especially curious to see Kathryn Stockett return with a new novel. I remember being completely drawn into the story so I’m looking forward to spending time in 1930s Mississippi with this new group of women.

From what I know so far, it sounds like another story centered around women's friendship and resilience which seems to fit perfectly with the theme that has unexpectedly emerged in my summer reading this year!

Yesteryear book on a tabletop beside a glass of iced coffee

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

"Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan?" ~Penguin Random House

Ok I know everyone is talking about this book. I’m still reading it and have complicated feelings about it!

The story grabbed me almost immediately and refuses to let go. The pacing is fast, the writing pulls you forward, and I am genuinely desperate to know what happens!

And yet... I’m finding it surprisingly hard to read.

Not because it isn’t good—quite the opposite. The story has so much tension and uncertainty that I find myself feeling anxious every time I pick it up. I want to know what happens, but I also almost don’t want to turn the page. You know that feeling when a book has you so invested that your heart can barely handle what might come next? That’s where I am with this one!

I’m going to pick it up again at some point because I absolutely need to know how it unfolds. But I’ll admit, a small part of me wishes someone would just tell me the ending so I can relax. :)

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

"Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day." ~Penguin Random House

I absolutely loved this book. The writing pulled me in from the beginning, and I was completely captivated by the protagonist Martha Ballard, her strength, intelligence, and determination. Knowing that she was a real person made the story even more fascinating and sent me down a rabbit hole wanting to learn more about her life. I’m now excited to read Martha Ballard: A Woman of the Eighteenth Century by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

The only part that didn’t quite work for me were some of the more bodice-ripping romance-focused passages. They felt a little different in tone from the rest of the novel, which I loved.

I didn't expect this to become a summer of reading about women standing at crossroads, looking backward and forward at the same time. But I think that's exactly why these books resonate with me. They remind me that we're all works in progress, and that there's something deeply comforting in stories that honor the beauty and the messiness of a life that's still unfolding. The questions are just so universal: what do I deserve in my life, what do I want. What if I want to change, pivot and do something truly unexpected. How have I shown strength and resilience in my own life? What have I overcome? How does this shape the second half of my life? How will I embrace joy and passion and pleasure going forward? What will I do with the time I have left?