Summer is a season of readin'. As a Midwesterner, this actually doesn’t make much sense to me. I mean, all winter long we sit around, cuddled up inside. I feel like that’s the time we should plow through books the most. It’s not like we have much else to do! But for whatever reason, is seems summer is the season for reading. In fact, I just finished two books this week! Maybe we are vicariously soaking up the freedom vibes of our children who no longer have to go to school everyday. Maybe we are going on more vacations and choose to use our free time to read. Maybe we just want to make better use of the longer daylight. Who knows???But it seems to be true. We read more in the summer.

Hey, I’m not going to argue. I’ll give you a good book recommendation any time of year you want to read. Actually, that’s the purpose of today’s blog post. I’m going to point you over to my WHAT’S AMANDA READING LIST but also give you a recap of a few books I’ve recently read. If you’ve finished something fantastic in recent weeks, I’d love to hear about it too. Drop it in the comments of this post and I’ll be sure to add it to my list.

All my best and happy reading,

Amanda

Concrete Cowboy by G. Neri

(Middle Grade Realistic Fiction, but really, for readers ages 12+ including adults!)

Did you know that all across the United States there are urban cowboys? Specially, urban black cowboys? Before reading this book I had no idea! But apparently, it’s a thing! And a good thing too. These groups of cowboys are not only trying to hang onto the ideals of old west, but also save today’s youth in their neighborhoods by introducing them to horse instead of the many other big city troubles that seem to be available on every street corner. This book is a fictionalized account of a boy who needs to find his way and his dad, a cowboy, who helps him. Trust me when I say there are more than two people who benefit from the outcome of this incredible story. Perfect for reluctant readers and fans of Ghost by Jason Reynolds. First Chapter Friday Read Aloud coming soon! Also, or those of you who love reading the book first and watching the movie second, this story can be found on Netflix under the same name.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

(Adult Fiction)

This book was FASCINATING! Told in the form of interview audio recordings, we are sucked into the life of American’s most famous actress and her ghostwriter. I listened to this story every chance I got and actually, listened to the last chapter twice… just to be sure I got every last bit of goodness out of it. "If you're looking for a book to take on holiday this summer, this book has got all the glitz and glamour to make it a perfect beach read." -- (Bustle)

From the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & the Six--an entrancing and "wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet" as she reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. — (PopSugar)

Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling

(Middle Grade Realistic Fiction)

Talk about a book that tugs on the heartstrings! This book is about the power of friendship and the value of self-worth. It’s a survival story, but also, so much more than that. T12 year-old Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: The Desert Aviator, where twelve-year-old "Addie Earhart" shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. Then, one day, it all goes wrong: Addie's engine abruptly stops, and Jolene watches in helpless horror as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video goes dark. Jolene knows that Addie won't survive long in the extreme summer desert heat. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, it's up to Jolene to find a way to save the Desert Aviator. I stayed up late finishing this one because I just had to see how it all turned out!

A few of my favorite summer-inspired stories from the past…

To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

Middle Grade Realistic Fiction: a hilarious Parent Trap Twist told entirely in emails!

Listen to chapter 1 here and purchase here.

The Lost City of the Monkey Gods by Douglas Preston

Adult Nonfiction: a modern day Indiana Jones adventure to the Honduran jungle to search for an ancient civilization.

Read my blog post about this book here and purchase it here.

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davit Bell

YA Realistic Fiction: a funny story about a family that tries (and despises) family frontier camp

First Chapter Read Aloud coming soon! Purchase here.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Adult Memoir + Self Help: one woman’s journey to come to grips with what it means to be herself in today’s world. Jam packed with inspiration, advice and loads to think about.

Read my blog post about this book here and purchase it here.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

YA Realistic Fiction: Get your tissues ready, this one made me ugly cry… in all the best ways. Think cross country road trip on a bus turned tiny house with a cast of memorable characters (Coyote might be one of my most favorite characters ever) and a driver-dad who doesn’t know the destination.

Listen to chapter 1 here, Purchase here.

Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbain

Adult Historical Fiction: a super long (but it’s summer, you have the time!) historic fiction love story plus civil rights tension makes this a real page turner. This is my mom’s favorite book of all time!

Purchase here.

You could also read my recently re-released book: Breaking the Surface! :)

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