Summer Reading Extravaganza Day One: Fun Summer Reads

Today's topic for the Summer Reading Extravaganza is Fun Summer Reads.

First I should probably start by saying that my Books in 2008 page as linked over in my sidebar needs a serious update, I have eight, almost nine, books to add to the finished list.  That's my job when I'm finished here I think.

Books that I've read this year that were fun?  Body Surfing by Anita Shreve is one of the most recent.  In fact, I will probably read some more of her books later on - reading Body Surfing and remembering other books of hers like The Pilots Wife has left me hankering for more of her work.  Beach living, romance and some unexpected happenings this book has it all and is just the right size for a quick read.  An easy read for when you need a break from it all.  I think it's set in the same beach house as The Pilots Wife (and from what I've read online, a couple of Ms Shreve's other books - ones I hope to find and read soon).  I've passed my copy of Body Surfing onto a friend to take on holiday with her; she describes these books as perfect beach reads and I think she's right.  I have one other of these books on my shelf waiting to be read (been on there years I think) but as that's called Light on Snow me think it is the exception to the "beach read" rule.

Mary Doria Russell's A Thread of Grace was a really really powerful read which hit me and touched me in ways I didn't expect.  I wrote about that in detail here.  If you're looking for fun, easy reading, chick lit type books - this is not your book.  It's set during the last few year of WWII in Italy and it's about the hardships and struggles of life and it is very much the real story - not so much the war but the life within it.  If you want a book that will be hard to put down, will touch you, stay with you and completely blow you away - this is your book.

I've read three out of four Dorothy Koomson books and think I will probably buy the fourth and take it (possibly along with some other as yet unidentified book) with me when I go away in August.  Usually I take three or four books when I go away and end up buying more there but as I'm only going away from really Friday morning to Sunday night probably late ish I figure I can probably manage with just two.  Actually given that other than travel time and sleep time the rest of my time is probably jam packed with sailing etc (am going to a regatta) one would probably do just for the travel time.  Still I can't stand to be without reading material.  Anyway, I found the Dorothy Koomson books to be great reads - they all work along basically the same lines but have great characters and well written plots.  It's a quick, easy, fun read but enjoyable and I expect The Chocolate Run to be just the same.

There's also a new Jane Green book I have my eye on too but I forget what it;s called.  I mean the paperback one not the hardback.  I don't buy hardback books a rule but I must admit A Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult is really making that hard to stick to right now.