Summer Reading

 

Is there anything better than reading a book on the beach with your feet in the sand and the warm sun on your face? It might be our favorite thing about summer and today we are sharing some of our favorite books for easy summer reading. So relax, pull up a beach chair and transport yourself into a great novel.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The only things we might love more than reading on the beach is Paris and old bookstores. Seriously, the smell of old books = heaven. So naturally, we were drawn to The little Paris Bookshop. In this story, Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary.  At his bookstore on the Seine, he prescribes novels to his customers to help them mend from the hardships of life, helping to heal broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself. He is haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened. After reading the letter he departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Throughout his travels he shares his books with those he comes in contact with, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.  If you love books and believe in their power to transform us through great stories and lessons, you will enjoy The Little Paris Bookshop.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Written by New York Times best-selling author Kristin Hannah, The Great Alone tells the tale of Ernt Allbright, a former POW, who comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and unstable man. After losing job after job and feeling at the end of his rope, he makes an impulsive decision to move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Caught in the middle of her parents’ passionate, and tumultuous relationship, thirteen-year-old Leni, hopes that a new land will lead to a better future for her family.  Her mother, Cora, will blindly follow her husband anywhere even if it means giving up everything to go to Alaska.

Upon first arriving, Alaska seems to be the answer to their families struggles until the long dark winters start to settle in and Ernts volatile mental state take the family down and dark and tremulous path.  In the harsh winter,  Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own and they need to find a way to save themselves. The Great Alone is a story of love, loss, and survival that will keep you engaged from cover to cover.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An intimate and emotional story that follows the wrongful imprisonment of a young black man named Roy, and its impact on him and on his wife Celestial. Three years into his incarceration Celestial finds herself taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend,  and she is unable to hold on to the love for Roy that once believed could withstand anything. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta looking to reconnect with his wife and move on with their lives together.

This stirring love story is an insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is beautifully written with complexed yet relatable characters. It captivates readers with an intimate look into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward into the future. We couldn’t put it down.

 

We would love to hear from our Salt and Suede readers what your favorite summer reads are. Let us know in the comments below.