Ten Books for Summer 2018 (five I would recommend, and five I'm looking forward to!)

Another Memorial Day weekend is approaching, and another barrage of summer reading lists have arrived. As per usual, I'm adding my list to the pile: five books I'm hoping to read this summer and five I've read (since last May) that I would recommend. Looking at last year's list, I realized that each book on my 'looking forward to' list had a publication date past Memorial Day. This year, in addition to the list of books I'd recommend, all the books are available RIGHT MEOW for loading up the Kindle or library tote - with the exception of the new Elin Hilderbrand. However, if you haven't read her novels, there is plenty of backlist to choose from while we wait just a couple of weeks for the June release. (There are lots of reviews for her books in my 'reviews by author' list.) 

Books I'm looking forward to:

 The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin got a lot of social media buzz this winter, especially with such a gorgeous, Instagram-worthy cover. Apparently the inside is worthy of the outside, as some of my most trusted sources gave this novel the thumbs up (Megan's review, Tara's review and Anne Bogel's Summer Reading Guide). A Grey's Anatomy-esque drama sounds perfect for summer.

It wouldn't be summer without a trip to Nantucket! I didn't go for Hilderbrand's new book last summer, as I was catching up on some backlist that helped prep me for the final Winter Street book. This summer's The Perfect Couple is her first Kirkus starred review (after 21 books!) so I am definitely adding it to the beach bag.

 The Ones We Choose by Julie Clark is my pick for a debut author read. This story about the emotional bonds versus the DNA that bonds family sounds intriguing and hopefully a family drama with a little heft.

I have yet to read a Jenny Colgan novel, but from what I gather, they are perfectly cozy and sweet reads. I'm hoping  Little Beach Street Bakery will be the perfect summer treat that the title evokes.

 Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is hitting the big screen this summer and looks like so much fun! I don't know how I missed the boat on this one years ago, but I hope to make up for it in time to watch the movie.

Books I would recommend:
Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge is a fast paced, tearjerker love story of two complete opposites stranded on an island. It's melodramatic and a little hard to suspend disbelief in parts, but it's a quick and romantic read. (my review)

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is an adorable, magical romance set in the south. Definitely recommend for those who loved Practical Magic. (my review) 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a must read, full of fabulous old Hollywood glam and drama. I think every summer should include a novel by Reid. (my review)

I just read The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy and if you are a fan of domestic thrillers poolside, this is definitely the summer book for you. (my review)

Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett is my off the beaten path book for summer. A story about a girl navigating life after her mother's death does not scream SUMMER. But, there is so much warmth and hilarity in this quirky story about a girl named Elvis trying to bake a world record number of rabbit shaped cakes. (my review)

Books I've Been Meaning to Read for Ages

When I set my goals for the year, getting around to reading the books I've been "meaning to read" was high on my list. I thought it might be fun to solicit some feedback on my pile - so if you have a recommendation for what I should (or should not) read next, holler! 

The first book I'll address on my list is the one I couldn't track down for the picture above, and that's A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I avoided this book like the plague because, even though people looooooove it, it just sounds so heavy and I don't know if I can handle the terrible abuse the main character apparently suffers - especially for 800+ pages. However, I have heard The Heart's Invisible Furies is reminiscent of this book for many readers, so I may just cave. Because John Boyne's latest is an ABSOLUTE TREASURE.

Another chunkster, the Pulitzer winning Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry has come up several times on the What Should I Read Next podcast with guests that I share similar taste in reading. I recall the miniseries being a pretty big deal in my youth, and I think it would be fun to read something completely different from my usual contemporary fiction.

A room with a View by E.M. Forster has been on my pile since June, and given that it's a rather slim volume, I should be able to check that one off my list easily!

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath always makes me think of the defining film of my youth, Heathers, as it's Cliff's Notes are sitting on the table in the first Heather's bedroom upon her demise. And the buzz around Maggie O'Farrell's current memoir (also on my TBR) has rekindled my interest in finally reading this classic, as the title I Am, I Am, I Am is taken from a quote in The Bell Jar.

The Remains of the Day is one of my favorite books, and yet I have not read another novel by Ishiguro. Never Let Me Go seems to rise to the top of most recommended titles, so I'm hoping it lives up to the former.

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy can be filed under 'classic novel that wouldn't have been assigned reading and sounds rather fun and romantic.' Plus the most recent film version looks lovely, but I reading the book first is always preferable.

Years ago, I remember reading that I Capture the Castle was one of J.K. Rowling's favorite books and put it on my TBR. In the years that I have consistently moved it down the queue, I continue to hear raves about this book and am determined to get it read this year!

I try my best to keep up with great children's literature, and somehow I missed catching The Golden Compass train - see also: Percy Jackson. Are there any others I should catch up on? I did start The Mysterious Benedict Society series with my son, and would definitely recommend!

Last, but not least, I have been meaning to read another Barbara Kingsolver. The Poisonwood Bible is one of my all time favorites, and I also loved Prodigal Summer and The Bean Trees. But, it's been at least a decade since I reacquainted myself with this beloved author and I really want to read Flight Behavior. I scored this copy for ONE DOLLAR on the books for sale shelf at the library!!

Thoughts on Planning a Reading Schedule (and September Library Haul)

It's been awhile since I did a library haul update! It's partly because I purposely downshifted posting over the summer, and partly because I became a Little Brown and Company book ambassador - YAY! In the last month or so, they have graciously added EIGHT complimentary review copies to my never ending TBR pile. 

(To be clear, this is NOT a complaint! Look at all the bookish goodness!) So I picked up a little less from the library last month and have read two of these, so far, that will be included in my monthly reviews.
Since I was feeling a little overwhelmed, albeit in a good way, I took a spare moment during my kid's soccer game warm ups the other day and nerded out with a SCHEDULE. (Please do not dwell on my left handed scrawl. Handwriting is something I think about trying to improve upon quite often...) 

With the exception of advance copies, I really don't plan my reading or posts ahead of time. Just thinking about it gave me the heebie jeebies. Which is funny, because in all other aspects of my life, I am a type A, organizational, habitual freak (see also: menu planning). But when it comes to books, it's about what is speaking to me RIGHT NOW and my mood. Yet, with the influx of Little Brown books, the new 'Lucky Day' shelf at the library, and the Net Galley requests that can get out of control, I thought I should at least experiment with some planning.
My very simple method was to write down every single book that I hope to read before the end of the year and try to shoehorn them into the remaining months of 2017, with my average of six books per month. I started by looking at ARCs to review and realized that, since reviewing The Trick, I only have one in the queue: ARTEMIS by Andy Weir (of The Martian fame) squee! It's always so very tempting to request new books to review, but I shall refrain until the new year and I scheduled Artemis for November - the month of it's release. 
Next, I went by what I felt were seasonal reads, like First Frost and Winter Solstice and scheduled them for October and December, respectively. Lastly, I went through and tried to evenly schedule backlist titles and this year's releases into some remaining slots. I assigned four specific titles per month total to read, plus a TBD Newberry Honor book and left the sixth slot (perhaps more) for a mood read from the master list. I may also try to do one or two on audio, or add in an audio book not on the list. I figured this is a good compromise to hopefully get through my current stack, but also keeps things from feeling too structured.
In general, this was a really fun exercise and I can't believe I haven't done it before! I spend a great deal of time looking back on books (with every year end favorites list, or Goodreads challenge) but hardly any time looking forwards in such an organized way. I can't imagine doing this as a yearly endeavor, but perhaps quarterly... Fellow book nerds, do you do this? How do you plan? How far out do you plan? Or do you shun the idea completely? 
Here are the books on zee big list, I won't go into the minutiae of each month, because it can/will probably change. And as for the library stack, I will have some of those reviews in the monthly wrap up. But I can quickly say that Castle of Water was worth the hype, When Dimple Met Rishi was not quite worth the hype, and I found Mrs. Fletcher to be highly entertaining satire.

Current/2017 Releases
Artemisby Andy Weir
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Killers of the Flower Moon Moon by David Grann 
The Party by Elizabeth Day
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza
Fierce Kingdomby Gin Philips
The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand
The Good People by Hannah Kent
Sourdough by Robin Sloan
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
My Absolute Darling by 
Unbelievable by Katy Tur

Backlist I've been putting off for too long/really want to read:
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
A Darker Shade of Magic V.E. Schwabb
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
11/22/63 by Stephen King

June Library Haul

Anne Bogel's podcast is KILLER for my TBR pile... On a recent episode she talked classics, and I realized that I have never read A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. I adored the movie, but it's been a long time, so I hope to read it and watch with fresh eyes. 
I've been reading Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo with my son, and now I'm re-reading it to get the whole picture, since I missed out on the nights my husband was on bedtime duty. And it's my Newberry book for the month!
Marrow Island by Alexis M. Smith is a book I took note of earlier this year, as it was on the PNW authors shelves at Elliot Bay Bookstore and it's been making the rounds on social media lately with the release of the paperback. It's set in my neck of the woods, too, and sounded intriguing. 
Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham is a very compelling sounding dual timeline historical fiction YA, and another book mentioned on the What Should I Read Next podcast, as well as her summer reading guide. I also have Killers of the Flower Moon (a nonfiction account Osage Indian murders) from a recent Book of the Month box, so I hope to read them back to back.
All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai has been described as similar to Dark Matter and more lighthearted, which made me put it on hold immediately.
It's been awhile since I paged through a new cookbook, and Naturally Nourished by Sarah Britton looks like a good one!

And as I was returning some books for my kids yesterday, I discovered Beartown by Fredrik Backman on the lucky day shelf! I'm pretty far along in the queue for the digital book (see below), but I had to grab it. I didn't love A Man Called Ove, but I keep hearing raves about this, and that it's a departure from his other work. I guess that's what I'm reading next, and as always, I look forward to any commentary or suggestions! 

NetGalley/ARCs:
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin
Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais

Other Digital Books in the Queue:
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry