Summer Reading Recommendations

ANYTHING by Anita Shreve! (Pilot's Wife, Sea Glass, All She Ever Wanted--all of her books are excellent and VERY well written.) Or Jodi Piccoult. Oh! if you love dogs definitely Marley and Me.
I just finished "How Wal Mart is destroying America and The World". What an eye-opener!

L.,

I enjoy Beverly Lewis. She writes stories about the Amish. Give one a try I never dreamed I would like them but as of now I have read every one she has written to deal with the Amish.

I liked Sitting Practice. I can't remember the author's name. She is from Canada. Also, books by Elizabeth Berg. Happy reading!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

If you're daughter isn't even two yet, I wouldn't be too concerned on the topic. The idea at this age is to just read to the child. It's a great moment for the two of you. But I can suggest Dr Suess books. They're long but the rhythm is enjoyable to young children. But any books will do fine. Just find something that seems good to you, that are simple and have plenty of pictures. Board books can be helpful since some kids will still chew and may rip pages.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat

Hi, I'm the kind of person who wants an easy read for naptimes, since you may have to stop in the middle of a paragraph. I'm hooked on Sophie Kinsella, the "shopaholic" series. If you like to shop, like me, and want an easy read that's funny but SMART, try looking into these. I've read all of her books, and laugh out loud with each one!

L.,
My all time favorite author is Nicholas Sparks. He write fiction, usually set in North Carolina. I am currently reading "The Choice"...which I can hardly put down! His books just suck you...he is a fabulous writer.....I can easily knock out 100 pages a day and that's with a 2 & 4 yr old at home! Ok, well I read mostly at night, but they must be good for me to muster the energy for reading after long summer days with the kids =)
He has written quite a few books. I love them all but I have "**" my absolute favorites:

**The Choice
**Dear John
**The Notebook
**A Walk To Remember
**The Rescue
**The Wedding (although you need to read The Notebook first to better understand the characters in this one)
Nights in Rodanthe
A Bend in The Road
Message in a Bottle
The Guardian

I guarantee you will love his work & become a Sparks junkie =)
Enjoy your vacation!

I LOVED the book the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It is non-fiction,a memoir. So wonderful! So moving! www.bookbrowse.com gives you a review and you can read the jacket too. I have read a couple by Nicholas Sparks and enjoyed all of them, The Wedding was good. I am reading Marley and Me right now, but I think you must be a dog lover to appreciate it.
have a great vacation!
B. S

I love anything by John Grisham, Sue Grafton, Beverly Lewis or Karen Kingsbury!!! It's rare that I have time to sit and read but when one of these authors has a new book out, I just have to! :)

The latest Nora Roberts Trilogy, Signs of Seven is awesome! The first 2 are out but the 3rd doesn't come until December. Also her Three Sisters trilogy is a great read.

I particuarly enjoyed the series by Philippa Gregory on the Tudors: The Constant Princess
The Queens Fool
The Virgin's Lover
The Other Boleyn Girl

I also recently got into the series by JD Robb- recommended by another person earlier. They're easy reads and a good mystery.
Stephen King has a new novel out as well, Duma Key, and I read it in two days. I just can't get enough of his books!

All fun reads!
Have a great vacation.
R.

White Oleander-Janet Fitch
The husband-Dean Koontz
Beaches-James Patterson
Alone-Lisa Gardner
Any of the books from Janet Evanovich
The Da Vinci Code-Dan Brown
Body of Evidence-Patricia Cornwell
Memoirs of a Geisha-Authur Golden
I heard that song before-Mary Higgins Clark

These are a few "fast, keep the pages turning books", You'll wish nap time didn't end.
For other choices-I would visit shelfari.com, a wonderful website that reccommends books and some offer insight as to what you'll be reading before reading the whole book.
Enjoy your vacation.
Mother of 4.

I am a Fiction junkie, from Nicholas Sparks, all of them - to James Patterson. Sparks is more suspensful romance type books. Patterson has a " Womens Murder Club" series that I could not put down. They are titled with a number starting from to 1 think 8? I just can't rememeber the exact titles off hand. For me they were quick reading and engrossing.

Jodi Piccoult for sure. Her books are fantastic. I agree with another response that anyone should start with "My Sister's Keeper." My friend gave me that book and I try to get my hands on anything from her now. My other friend and I read them at the same time so we can talk about them. Her books make you think...and she really makes you relate and feel something for her characters. You won't be disappointed... (My Sister's Keeper and Perfect Match are my favorites--I started with My Sister's Keeper). Have great vacation!!

Anything from Jodi Picoult. I love her, I started with "My Sisters Keeper". After that I have read one after another. I"m sad because I only have 1 more to go, and then I have to wait for a new one. I have turned so many of my family and friends onto her, that I basically have my own library, lending out all of the books.
Have a great vacation, and if you do choose one by Jodi, let me know how you liked it.
I believe that Lifetime has made movies out of 2 of her books.
You would think by that, that they are romance, but her books are not, they are more every day life.
Have fun!!

I recently read Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Piccoult and I loved it. I couldn't put it down. Good luck with your book search and have a great vacation!!

I have recently read the "Odd Thomas" series of books by Dean Koontz. I haven't read Koontz since high school, and picked one up while on a business trip, for something to pass the time. The book ended up taking my time, I got so hooked!

Odd Thomas is a young man who can see ghosts. The ghosts cannot speak to him, so it is tricky trying to work out why they are still here. (Elvis follows him around, for example, which is a charming and very fun element.) He's a wonderful character, I absolutely fell in love with him. Koontz has really explored how a person would live with this gift, what it would to your life (For instance, he doesn't have many personal belongings because the occassional angry spirit may destory them) and I can't stress how much I loved this character. One novel takes place in a monastery, and I loved the details of a monk's life. Koontz really really really focused on some wonderful details to make you feel like you were in the story. Even many focused details about Elvis' life. Just loved them.

There are four novels now, the last one just out in hard back and on wait list for me at the library. : ) You don't have to read them in order, (I didn't) they do stand on their own, but they do take place sequentially, so you might want to try them sequentially. Perfect summer reads.

What an awesome request - thank you for asking! I will benefit from the responses too!

I don't know if you've done and are over the classics, but I have to say, the best book of all time is "Jane Eyre". If you've never gotten around to it, read it read it! It's the best!

I just finished "Interpreter of Maladies," a book of devastatingly gorgeous short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri. Also short stories by Alice Munro are always a pleasure.

I really enjoyed "The Time Traveler's Wife" too.

Have an awesome vacation!

Hi L.,

I just got done reading Rules of Prey by John Sanford excellent book just a small tip if you have an ipod nano download the book and listen to it it s great with small children.

The entire "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series (I think there are 7 or 8 now) are excellent. Others of my favorites are " I Capture the Castle", "Peace Like A River". Thee books by Phillippa Gregory like "The Other Boleyn Girl" or "The Queens Fool"; also "The Poisonwood Bible", "The Life of Pi". Some great memoirs are"The Glass Castle", "Expecting Adam" (You'll laugh, you'll cry - especially as a mother) or any of Bill Bryson's stuff.
Enjoy your reading time!

My favorite author is Karen Kingsbury. Mostly inspirational, realistic fiction about families. I took her Redemption series on one of my husband's business trips one year, and while he was in meetings I read pretty much 3 books in 3 days! I also like Ted Dekker. Blink (may be called Blink of an Eye) is my fav of his and Three. Have a good vacation!

I love the Janet Evanovich books - all of them! The Stephanie Plum ones are hysterical and always make me laugh out loud! =) They're quick, fun reads. Have a great time!

I like read pretty much anything. I atend to hit the bookstore with the notion of picking up something by an author I have not read. Go wander the aisles and just pick up some stuff and read the cover. Nora Roberts is good. I love Patricia Corwell. James Patterson is always good for a fast read. Have a nice vacation
L.

THE BEST BOOK EVER... Caravan by Dorothy Gilman. It has love adventure humor! A great summer read!

It depends on what you like. I'll give you some authors that I like to read. Charles DeLint, George R R Martin, Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. DeLint is an author of urban fantasy, faeries and folklore set in modern environment. Very good stuff. Martin writes some very in depth fantistorical fiction. Great books, very long. I would reccomend the Ice & Fire series. Frank Peretti writes some good suspenseful stuff, Ted Dekker writes some good strange action.

And for some good girly stuff, look into Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Karen Kingsbury. They all write some very good books.

Have fun reading!

L.,
Reading is the greatest! I'm a big reader, but everybody has their favorites. Mine is romance because I'm a big softy. My favorite authors are Debbie Macomber and Diana Palmer. Debbie has several series which I love to read. The Good Yarn, The Shop on Blossom Street, Back on Blossom Street, Twenty Wishes. These books were a series that I absolutely loved. I don't care to read mystery and thrillers because there is enough violence going on, I don't want to read about it any more.
Happy Reading with whatever you choose!
Kristin

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
The Red Tent (don't remember the author)

are two of my favorite books. they are fast reads, but not 'light' not sure what you are looking for.

have fun on vacation

Really funny true short stories about motherhood "The Kid Turned Out Fine" edited by Paula Ford-Martin it will make you feel like a good mom.

Christopher Moore's "A Dirty Job" I laughed until I cried which rarely happens.

If you are a dog lover, try "Marley and Me". Easy read. If you like mysteries/detective-type stories, I'd recommend anything by James Patterson or Harlan Coben, both excellent authors. James Patterson's books are "quick-reads" too.....I can usually get through one in 2-3 days.

Happy Reading from a Book Fanatic!

Oh man I have so many! I just finished "The Book of Bright Ideas" - a novel. I am now reading a memoir titled "Pretty is What Changes." Have you ever read "The Secret Life of Bees"? It's really good. I love "The Red Tent" and "The Poisonwood Bible." "The Glass Castle" is good - a memoir. I love all the Irish novels by Maeve Binchy. "The Kite Runner" was awesome.
So many good books, so little time! :0) Enjoy your vacation!

M.

I second the recommendation for "The Kite Runner" - I was fascinated by the story and it was so different and not predictable. Now I'm reading another book by the same auther "A Thousand Splendid Suns". I like everything by Nelson DeMille - crime/mysteries with a sarcastic twist.

My style of novel is easy to read and doesn't require having to think too much...you need to give your brain a break when baby is sleeping, right?

I suggest any novel by author Jennifer Weiner. She writes a lot about women, balancing motherhood and careers, etc. I've read two of her books ("In her Shoes" and "Goodnight Nobody") ...very good and some laugh out loud parts too!

Enjoy your vacation.

Good question!!

I just finished the Stephanie Myers trilogy. They are supposed to be for 'young adults' - but with having two kids around I loved them. They were very entertaining and exciting, but you didn't have to be peeled to the book. Really enjoyed them and actually CAN'T wait to read her new book for adults :)

If you're looking for something a little deeper, I LOVED Angels & Demons (Dan Brown).

I'm reading "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult right now and I can't put it down!

There are so many great suggestions here, I'm going to read a few myself. I noticed that most are fiction so I have a non-fiction suggestion. I just started reading "A New Earth" Eckhart Tolle. It's really deep but I'm enjoying it a lot! I fought reading it tooth and nail because I was sick for hearing my mom preach from it, but it's so interesting. It helps me to be more at peace. Have fun on vacation!

I just finished reading "Pushed" by Jennifer Block & I could NOT put it down! It is EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!! It will really get you thinking!

I like horror and mystery novels myself. I'm not much of a romance novel person. The author Dean Koontz is a favorite of mine, and Stephen King is always a classic. Enjoy your vacation!!