Hi all, happy last day of May! We’re having some major rain event going on here through Wednesday, which I guess is good since the land around here was dry as a bone this month, but getting two to four inches of rain all at once might get a bit crazy. I hope this horse will be all right. I met this Black Beauty while walking our dog down our street yesterday. We have cows and horses along here, so I guess I’ll start taking their pictures and maybe interviewing them, lol. They like to be fed.
This past week we saw the movie Devil Wears Prada 2 at the old theater in the small town to our south. When we arrived there, a film crew was setting up on the sidewalk out front, which I think was for Heartland, which is a long-running Canadian show that often films around here. After investigating that, we got into see Prada 2, which I thought was fun and entertaining while my husband thought was a total chick flick, lol. Regardless it was great that the main cast was back for the sequel after 20 years with Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt … along with cameos by various fashion designers and Lady Gaga.
The original movie came out in 2006 and I remember seeing it with my mother-in-law who loved seeing movies at the theater. We laughed, and it was special with her. You might have heard that Anne Hathaway has secured the screen rights to the adaptation of the novel Yesteryear, (reviewed last week). I sort of see Hathaway as the goody Andy Sachs from the Prada movies, so I wonder if she can she pull off the calculating, narcissistic Natalie of Yesteryear? She’s not really the actress I envisioned for Natalie, but then I’m not sure who is … perhaps Lena Headey who was Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, lol. Then again Natalie is in her early 30s and has had six kids. So we might need another actress pick.
I seem to have skipped my June preview post in lieu of my Summer Book list, which took a while to compile. I had about 25 possible choices — involving mostly recent and new books — and then I cut those back to 15. Some stayed, while others fell off the list. AnnaBookBel is hosting the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge, which I like to do for fun, and you can also choose 15 or 10 Books of Summer depending on what you think you can get to. I plan to extend the challenge from June 1st to Sept. 15 in order to help me get to more of these. So without further adieu here is my Summer Book List of 15 below.
(The brief synopses below were cobbled together from Kirkus Reviews, the NYT, publishers’ files, and Publishers Weekly.)
- Whistler by Ann Patchett. After a chance encounter, Daphne and her former stepfather re-establish their relationship and reflect on the choices that separated them.
- Land by Maggie O’Farrell. In 1865, while documenting Ireland’s Great Hunger, a father and son stumble on an ancient sacred site, with lasting consequences.
- The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout: A chance incident sparks a powerful realization in a beloved teacher’s life.
- Strangers: A Memoir of a Marriage by Belle Burden: The story of a woman’s surprising divorce and her attempt to build anew.
- Under Water by Tara Menon: A woman navigates the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami as Hurricane Sandy bears down on New York City.
- Kin by Tayari Jones: About two lifelong friends from Louisiana whose worlds converge after many years apart in the face of tragedy.
- John of John by Douglas Stuart: In Scotland’s Hebrides islands, a closeted gay man returns home to an insular community, where complications and secrets await.
- Dominion by Addie E. Citchens: A Southern drama of secrets and sin, revolving around a Baptist preacher, his family, and the shocking violence that erupts around them in their Mississippi town.
- Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See: The story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive despite the odds in the turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles.
- Good People by Patmeena Sabit: A kaleidoscope of perspectives weigh in on a young Afghan American’s suspicious death.
- Brawler: Stories by Lauren Groff: Nine stories that range from the 1950s to the present day and move across age, class, and region … that speak to the human predicament.
- Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women’s Ascent of Denali by Cassidy Randall: The true adventure tale of the 1970 summit of North America’s highest peak.
- What We Can Know by Ian McEwan: A pair of scholars look back on the present day from a future Britain radically transformed by climate change.
- True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell: The surprising tale of the crime writer’s rise to literary fame.
- Five by Ilona Bannister: The story of five lives randomly waiting for a train to London but one will die in minutes. But first their stories. Who will it be?
What do you think? Have you read any of these, or are any on your list?
That’s all for now. I need to get started on one of these ASAP, quite a stack to manage. Have a great week and happy reading.
I opened up and saw the horse and thought – OMG Susan has a beautiful horse! That’s funny. I think you should walk with a carrot or two and feed the horses. We had donkeys not far from us yaers and yaesr ago. Once I gave them carrots and after that they would run to me at the fence.
You have seven books on your summer list that I have holds on at the library. Plus I’d love to get thirty Below but so far our library doesn’t have it. Maybe I will splurge for my birthday and get the kindle copy.
I’m about a third of the way through The Midnight Train by Matt Haig and then I’m not sure what I will read. But it’s hot enough to be and read afternoons.
Hmmmm…. Ann Hathaway would fit the bill looks wise to play Natalie. I will watch this movie once it’s out…unless it’s on Netflix which would be my luck.
Hi Tina, I wish I had horses … or better yet, donkeys! And once they’re fed by you they seem to really latch on. I plan to visit the donkeys soon.
I hope your library or a connected library will get Thirty Below — that might be an interesting one to read together. Right now I’m #8 on 2 copies of that. And John of John just came in for me … though I’m still reading Kin. Uh oh.
I hope you like the Haig book. The author was interviewed on the NYT podcast.
I’m sure the Yesteryear movie will be crazy, lol. We’ll see.
Hope you’re having a very happy birthday week!
I will email later but wanted to tell you I do have a summer list and just got The News from Dublin. Its a bunch of short stories and I’m not sure I knew that beforehand. Still, Colm Tóibín…so I like his books.
I finished the Matt Haig book, liked it but I think I liked The Midnight Library a little better. Almost done with Hotline, that’s on the kindle. Then….summer reading from library holds.
I love the photo of the horse, and I look forward to future interviews with the horse and the cows. I just saw that Jo Ann has read the new Strout book, and she liked it a lot. I hope the book arrives for me soon. I did not realize that Lisa See has a new book out. I think I need to put Daughters of the Sun and Moon on hold soon. I’m sure it will be very popular.
Hi Deb, I’ll see if I can get more animal photos; they are sweet.
Strout’s book is getting good reviews and I too was surprised to see Lisa See has a new one. Sometimes her novels can be grim … but also quite good. I’m looking forward to it. I think my Summer List might reveal some good gems, yay.
Have a great week.
I’ve only read two of Lisa See’s books, but I enjoyed both of them. I think I’ll try this new book, and then I will think about reading some of her books that I have missed.
I haven’t read any of these (yet!) but the Patchett and Cornwell memoirwill definitely be on the list. What We Can Know sounds interesting too. I’ve got to check out Prada — I enjoyed the first. We saw Sheep Detectives last week which I loved. Not a kids movie, and anybody movie. (Especially if you like to read mysteries!)
Hi Jeanie, good to know about the Sheep Detectives movie. We’d like to see it too. The Prada 2 movie is pretty entertaining … if you get a chance to see it.
Both the Patchett and Cornwell books should be interesting … much to read this summer! Hope you have a good week. Happy reading.
I haven’t read any of the books on your list, although three of them are on my Summer list. I’m interested in the Ian McEwan–up until fairly recently I’d read every one of his novels. I loved The Children Act best.
I’ll be very interested to hear about your reading this summer. Enjoy!
Thanks Judith, I think these will be good books this summer. I have also liked Ian McEwan’s novels and recall being pretty taken by Atonement. I’ve read about 5 of his but would like to read the rest. My husband has read his new one and thought it was good. So I’m curious about it. Enjoy your list as well.
That’s a gorgeous horse! And we got rain over the weekend, too. It was so lovely. We really need it. And your reading list has some great titles on it. I haven’t read any of them, but I love the variety. I haven’t written out a summer reading list yet, but I have a ton of books to choose from. I’m kind of letting my mood and bookish serendipity decide what I read next this month. Happy reading all of yours! 😀
Thanks Lark. I will try to take more animal or horse photos as they are sweet.
And I think these books should be good … I’m geared up. It was a bit fun to make the List … and now I’m a little more focused. I hope you enjoy your summer reads as well … and I hope your rain did some good for your drought! We got a lot of rain here for once. Enjoy your week.
Wowzer! That’s a lot of rain in one storm. But, I guess it’s better than no rain. We had some while on our road trip and came home to a very lush looking yard. We’re still below average, though.
Beautiful photo of Black Beauty. The whole scene is lovely.
Yeah, I doubt Rod would want to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2. I keep meaning to re-watch the original movie…
You’ve got some good books on your list for the summer. I’m curious about Kin, JOhn of John, Good People, and Strangers. The first three are on my list, too. It’s time to start a new audio book, so I think I’ll go with Whistler since I don’t own a print copy.
Happy reading!
Hi Lesley, we were under a deluge of rain for 3 days … but now luckily the sun is coming out. It was good to get the rain … things are more green now, but we sort of need to dry out a bit. Glad it is lush where you are.
I will see if I can get more pics of animals …. from our street.
And Prada 2 was pretty entertaining though the original is still a bit better. Worth seeing both.
I tried to pick the cream of the crop of new releases for my Summer List … so I hope they will be good. I’ve started Kin this week and I’m liking it so far. Good luck with your list. You can vet Whistler for us. Cheers! Enjoy your week.
That’s a great summer reading list. Some of those books are ones that I, too, hope to read , if not this summer then very soon. And what a wonderful scene with the horse and the meadow. It just looks like a perfect summer day.
Thanks Dorothy, the Summer book list was fun to make and I hope they’ll be good reads. I will let you all know. And the horse was sweet and I hope to take more pictures of animals on our street. After 3 days of cold rain here, we need to get back to summer! Hope all is well there. Happy reading.
A great collection of books I have Kin on hold. Strangers I want to read as well and True Crime by Patricia Cornwall has me interested. I need to read more nonfiction. Good luck on rhe challenge!
Thanks Kathy, the List was fun to make and I have just started Kin. It seems good already. The Strangers divorce story sounds like a doozy and pretty harsh, and I think Patricia Cornwell’s will be quite a read too. See what you think of some of these, & Happy reading.
I haven’t read any of these but got some on my TBR. Looking forward to see how you like them.
Hi Hena, Good to know some on your TBR too. These should be good reads. I will let you know. I just started Kin — my first of the bunch, it’s good so far. Have a great week and enjoy your reads.
Pretty horse! I’m looking forward to reading the new Lisa See book too. Maybe in the fall. Enjoy your summer reading!
Thanks Kay, I’m hoping great things from these reads, lol. And Lisa See doesn’t mess around … she’s been consistently quite stellar. Much to read ahead … enjoy your summer reads as well. Cheers!
That horse’s coat is so shiny and the animal is obviously well cared for. What a beautiful horse! Your nickname does it justice. I have six books in my TBR in common with you, plus one pending (McEwan’s) and one I already read (Strout’s). The Strout’s was a mixed bag for me, but JoAnn liked it a lot, so see what you think. It’s a pretty short book, as well as Patchett’s, so I would suggest diving into those first. Five may also be a quick read since it’s a thriller, and I would like to read that one to see if I spice up my picks this year, which have been sort of meh. Have a great, soaking reading week!
Hi Carmen, yes this horse seemed pretty healthy and happy and I will check back as the summer goes along on Black Beauty, which I remember being quite a book as a kid. I’m glad to hear your thoughts on these and that we have much overlap. You were fast to read Strout’s new one! I wish I could start those first but I’m on a long list … so I started what came in at the library: Kin is my first, and John of John just arrived. I’m hoping the mix on my List will be a winner … of slow and fast. We will see. I just recently heard about Five and it sounded a bit intriguing, so I added it. I hope you find a good read. And if you find a diamond in the rough, let me know, lol.
Whistler will be entertaining because Patchett has written about her relationships with her stepfathers before (she also married her mother’s doctor, which is somewhat unusual as well – and as you probably know, her mother has written several charming novels; an interesting family).
A lof of my friends read the Belle Burden book because she went to our college, although about ten years younger, I would guess, and lives in NYC and Martha’s Vineyard. I don’t really like most memoirs although I bet Patricia Cornwell’s will be worth reading. I will look forward to your impressions.
Hi Constance, I’m not sure I knew that Patchett’s mother wrote novels as well. Hmm, interesting. Maybe I’d forgotten about that. I hope Whistler will be a good one. People seem to be liking it … perhaps more than Tom Lake.
The Belle Burden book should be a doozy … and quite an upscale life it appears … I will report back … as well as on the Cornwell memoir. I’ve heard her speak about her book … and it seems quite interesting. Much to read. I hope you enjoy your Summer List as well. Cheers.
Susan, I’ll chime in here since I’m familiar with Patchett’s mother’s books. Her name is Jeanne Ray and she’s written some good novels. They’re light and funny, easily read in a day or two. I think the first is Julie and Romeo. Julie and Romeo Get Lucky is next. Step Ball Change is another. I would compare her books to those of Marisa de los Santos and Elizabeth Berg. You can read my reviews on my blog here, if you like.
Oh thanks Lesley! Good to know. That’s quite interesting. A mother – daughter who are both writers doing different kinds of novels. Not sure there are too many like that. I will check out your reviews. thanks.
Black Beauty is gorgeous… what fun to have horses on your street!
Really nice list of books, too. The only one I’ve read is the new Elizabeth Strout. It’s not my favorite of her books, but I still loved it. Quite a few of the others are on my list, with Whistler, John of John, and Good People on my ‘priority’ tbr! Happy summer reading!
Hi JoAnn, Black Beauty is a nice one … I hope to take some more pics of the horses around here. They are pretty sweet.
Glad we have some overlap on our reads … and good to know about the Strout novel. Much to read! I just started Kin … and John of John just arrived from the library … so we will see. Cheers, Happy June!
That black horse is a beauty. Did you end up getting lots of rain? I don’t have hopes for rain here anytime soon.
Your 15 Books of Summer list is impressive. There are two on your list that I really want to read: Brawler : Stories and The Things We Never Say. But not until September or later. I hope you do review some of these because some of them are new to me.
I am starting to read Middlemarch tonight. I will let you know how I get along with it.
Hi Tracy, Yes we did get about 3 days of hard rain … and I wonder if it was 3 inches? I will have to check on that. It was good for the ground.
Thanks about my List … I tried to get some recent topical books. I’ve heard great things about Brawler and Strout’s new novel. I will let you know how they go.
Wow you’re starting Middlemarch!! That’s impressive. Which edition are you reading … is it paperback or what? I would need the font fairly good sized but that’s just me. I hope it’s accessible. Good luck.
Beautiful horse photo!
You’ve got some great books on your summer list. I just added the new Strout to my TBR and have also heard good things about Kin.
Hi Helen, thanks. Now I’m keeping tabs on Black Beauty down the street.
I’m hoping my List will be good … and I’ve heard good things about the new Strout. I have started Kin this week and I’m liking it. Good storytelling so far.
Enjoy your reads! & have a great weekend.
We’ve been meaning to see Prada 2 but something always gets in the way, however it’s a long weekend in NSW so maybe we will get there on Monday.
Nice to hear from you again and to see your 20 books. I’ve also read the Strout and think it is wonderful. It could ever be her best yet!
My colleagues are very excited about John of John and I’ve heard very good things about Kin. Good luck with your summer reading.
Hi Brona! great hearing from you … and I hope to visit your site more frequently now since getting back in touch. You’ve got a good book List as well. And good to hear how much you liked the new Strout novel …. I will get to it.
I just got Kin and John of John from the library … too bad they came in at the same time but I’m liking Kin so far! Good luck with your List & reads. And I hope you do see Prada 2 … I thought it was lightly entertaining. Cheers!
It’s so nice and green there! I loved Heartland! I didn’t know it was still running. Must start watching again and catch up. Part of what I liked was the setting so how neat you live close to their filming location!
To answer your question on my blog about the Solo Stove, it’s wonderful! It puts out a good amount of heat with little or no smoke because of the design. I definitely recommend it! We ordered it with that metal surround so we could put our feet up on it, too.
Hi Rachel, glad to hear you are a fan of Heartland. Yes it’s filmed in various locations not far from here. I haven’t followed the show but it is cool to see the scenery (and animals) it uses.
And I’m glad you told me about Solo Stove … we are thinking now of getting one for our back deck. It seems pretty safe … and like it won’t catch anything on fire. That seems my husband’s main concern. Also that there’s no smoke is a huge plus! thanks for telling about the Stove. I’ll let you know if we get one. Cheers.
That is a gorgeous photos of the horse with the grass and the sky!
I have not read any of your Books of Summer choices so look forward to your reviews.
Thanks Jinjer …. I am keeping an eye on the horses down the street and perhaps I’ll get another picture. Black Beauty was kind to pose for me.
I’m already getting behind on the Books of Summer! But I will give a report of what I get to. I look forward to your reviews of books this summer as well.
Cheers!
This is an excellent list. Truly.
Thanks Ti. I’m excited about all of these. Could be my best list, lol.