I buy – and read – a lot of books. There is a teetering stack of books next to my desk downstairs, another in the living room, and three next to my bed – as well as two book cases crammed with books! My “TBR” pile is ridiculous, so I’ve made a short list of books I intend to read over the summer, and here it is…

summer reading list

 

Fiction

The Silent Wife – Kerry Fisher

 

I love Kerry Fisher’s books; I reviewed The School Gate Survival Guide in 2014 and The Island Escape in 2015. I also really enjoyed reading After the Lie. When I saw this one on Amazon a couple of weeks ago I couldn’t help myself. I’ve already started reading it, and so far I’m loving it… expect a review soon!

 

 

The Whispering Wind – Lexa Dudley

 

Lexa Dudley contacted me a while ago and asked me to review one of her books. She sent this one for review – and her other book as a gift, which was lovely. I’ve read a couple of chapters of this one so far and it seems pretty good. It’s about a woman who goes to Sardinia for a holiday, but without her husband.

 

 

Far From True – Linwood Barclay

 

This is the second in a trilogy of books by Linwood Barclay. I’ve read several of his other books and enjoyed them; they’re easy to read  and great stories. The first in this series was great, so I thought I’d try the second one. From what I can tell it carries on from the first in that it has the same characters and long-term plot lines, but it is also a story in its own right.

 

 

Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 

I read an interview with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in a magazine a little while ago, and enjoyed what she had to say. This book was mentioned in the interview because it was apparently optioned as a film before it was even released or something like that. I thought it might be worth a read! 

 

 

Nonfiction

Headstrong – Dave Asprey

I have a love/hate relationship with Dave Asprey – I find him irritating because he comes across as a bit of a know-it-all. But on the other hand, he does seem to know it all and he is right – which is infuriating! I read the Bulletproof Diet and found it mind blowing so when I heard this book was coming out, I grabbed myself a copy. Can’t wait to get stuck in.

 

 

 

The Rules Do Not Apply – Ariel Levy

 

To be honest, I saw this book on someone else’s reading list and it looked interesting. And then I found that the first endorsement quote on Amazon is from David Sedaris, who is one of my favourite people.  The Amazon reviews are all glowing and it looks fascinating… watch this space!

 

 

 

If I Could Tell You Just One Thing – Richard Reed & Samuel Kerr

 

I saw this book in a magazine and it seemed interesting. It’s a collection of advice from prominent figures: Bill Clinton; Stephen Fry; Simon Cowell; Clare Balding; Margaret Atwood and lots more. It will be interesting to see what these different people with different careers and lives think is the most important advice to impart!

 

 

The Danish Way of Parenting – Jessica Joelle Alexander & Iben Dissing Sandahl

Hygge took the world by storm last year and lots of people became enthralled by the Danish way of life. No surprise then that there’s now a book about parenting the Danish way. I tend to avoid most parenting books; advice like that of Gina Ford gives me hives. I like the look of this one though because – as we all know by now – the Danish are the happiest people in the world. I’d love some tips on how to parent S so that she grows up happy!

 

 

 

Lifetonic – Jody Shield

I heard about Jody Shield on social media; I found that a lot of people I followed were talking about her, so I started following her. She does a lot of wellbeing events, but I’ve not been able to go to any of them (the perils of being a single parent with no reliable childcare), but when I saw that her book was being released I bought it immediately. The first half is Jody’s story, of how she left a job in marketing to become a meditation and wellbeing coach; the second half is a series of tools for people to use. I’m looking forward to experimenting!

 

 

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter – Scaachi Koul

This is one of those books that have just kept popping up lately. Someone read out a section of it on a podcast I was listening to; it appeared in someone else’s summer reading list and I’ve seen it in magazines and all sorts. And then when I looked it up on Amazon, it was featured alongside I Was Told There’d be Cake by Sloane Crosley which I absolutely loved. Also a couple of the reviews mention David Sedaris who I adore.

 

 

 

Eat Fat Get Thin – Mark Hyman

I’ve heard this guy on several podcasts over the last few months, and am really interested to read this book. I’ve known for a long time that the whole “low fat=lose weight” thing was a big fat (!) lie, and I’ve been experimenting with a high fat diet. I’m interested to read this book and see what Dr Hyman has to say.

 

 

 

Mindset – Carol Dweck

I’ve had this book on my shelf for ages, and kept meaning to read it. Then there was a curriculum evening at S’s school where they talked about growth mindset. I wasn’t able to go but a friend told me it was great, and that she really enjoyed it – and then sent me a link to Carol Dweck’s TED Talk. I watched it, thinking why don’t I read that blummin book… and so it’s on my list for this summer! (also: how awesome is it that S’s school are teaching parents about this!)

 

 

Release Your Wow – Rennie Gould

 

I know this looks like a typical “self help” book but I heard this author speak as a guest on a podcast (I listen to a lot of podcasts, ok!) and found him very interesting.  This book mixes mindfulness with neuroscience and positive psychology; I loved what Gould had to say when I heard him on the podcast so I’m hoping the book will be more of the same!

 

 

 

Better Than Before – Gretchen Rubin

 

When I had a nervous breakdown I bought and read lots of books about depression and mental health in my quest to fix myself. One of the books I bought was Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project – which I enjoyed because it was about a series of small changes she made in her life to feel more happy – no massive overhauls! I’ve seen this book in magazines etc a lot since it was released, so I thought I would buy it and see how it measures up!

 

Theft by Finding: Diaries: Volume 1 – David Sedaris

I’ve already mentioned several times in this post that I love David Sedaris. One of my most prized possessions remains my signed copy of Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls which a lovely friend got him to sign for me at a book signing. (I reviewed it here). I have just ordered this book from Amazon; it came out last week. I can’t wait to have it in my grubby little mits. Sedaris is a great diarist; he carries a notepad with him everywhere and records every minute detail. I have high hopes for this book!

 

 

You may have noticed that I have more nonfiction than fiction on my list! Although I review a lot of fiction on the blog the larger part of my reading material is nonfiction. I’m looking forward to reading all of these… and probably many more besides since I’ve also agreed to review several books over the summer, and I will of course still indulge my habit of buying more books than I could ever hope to read.

 

What’s on your summer reading list? Do you have a TBR pile in every corner of every room like me?


Vicky Charles

Vicky is a single mother, writer and card reader.

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