Favorite Summer Reads




Summer is coming and that is my time to reread the books I love. For many years--many years ago--I reread Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind and Rachel Fields's book All This and Heaven, Too. Then I went through my Daphne du Maurier summers, where I reread Rebecca, The House on the Strand, Jamaica Inn, The Scapegoat . . . well, you get the picture. Now, my summer comfort reads are Liz Flaherty's One More Summer, Jar of Dreams, A Soft Place to Fall . . . oh, heck, anything by Liz Flaherty is rereading pleasure.

When I was a young teen, I read every one of Rosamund du Jardin's books every summer. Pam and Penny Howard and Tobey Heydon were like old friends. I still have the entire collection on my bookshelf. They were my first introduction to romance and I loved them! I haven't read them for a long time, but now I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't just go back and reread the whole du Jardin set of books this summer. Hmmmm . . .

No, although the temptation is great to bask in past reading pleasures, I've decided that this summer, I'm going to read some of the books on my Kindle that I haven't gotten to yet. I probably download at least three to five books a week, thanks to BookBub and The Fussy Librarian and Robin Reads. They send me emails and I always seem to find a book or two that sounds appealing. Some I start books and never finish them because they're just bad books or they don't keep my interest--they get deleted from my Kindle. Some I read partway through and although I might be enjoying the book, I get distracted and don't finish it  and then I lose the thread of the story and rather than start over, I . . . delete it. I know--that's not fair. But it's the result of having a glut of books in the market . . . and they're still waiting in the Cloud, so I can always get them back if I choose.

So, today, I'm starting a book I downloaded sometime in 2014 . . . I don't know which one yet. I'll pick tonight when I sit down to read. How many books do you have waiting on your Kindle or e-reader? What books do reread and reread?

Comments

  1. Thank you for the shoutout, Nan. I'll probably wander back to Willow Bay this summer, too, plus I'm behind on Kristi's (she's young and writes too fast for me ). I have Mary Balogh's new one sitting on my Kindle today--it's kind of hard to think beyond that. But I have often thought about revisiting some Rosamund du Jardin or some Betty Cavanna--Summertime might be the time to do it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe we should we just give in to the urge to return to the sweet romances of our youth, Liz...I could bring along my Rosamund du Jardins when we travel this summer...just a thought!

      Delete
  2. Nan, I agree with you. Anything by Liz Flaherty falls into my favorite book category. I also will revisit Willow Bay this summer. All are my favorites. My Kindle is packed with other books I have downloaded and never started. Too many books, not enough time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Carolyn, thanks for stopping by! Yes, absolutely, too many books, too little time. But I confess, I'm glad you're going back to Willow Bay this summer! ;-)

      Delete
  3. I love this topic. I'm feeling a bit of Book Fatigue, though. There are so many great books to read and I'll never get them all read . . .and I can't even buy them all . . . and some aren't at my library. Well, you see what I mean. I have a ton on my Kindle and don't delete them as I should. Has anyone figured out how to organize books on the Kindle? Sometimes, I just plain forget they are on there if they don't pop up when I'm looking for something else.
    Last night I discovered this book series called "Neapolitan Novels" and read the free sample from the first one called "My Brilliant Friend." The books came to my attention because they are set in Naples, Italy, written originally in Italian, and the translator is considered brilliant. The author, Elena Ferrante, represents a pen name and no one can figure out who it is, and people are flocking to Naples to experience the setting. The thing is, the free sample, while somewhat compelling, didn't make me feel I have to read the rest, but I'd like to. And how have I not heard of these books before? But if I quit buying so many books, maybe I can go to Naples. So, for what it's worth, this is my thought process on books lately. LOL Cathy Shouse

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love "Book Fatigue," Cathy! What a great way to put it. Yup--so been there. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  4. The lat time I checked, I had something like 150 books on my Kindle. I wish they gave us the option to create 'shelves' within our reader - I'm making the switch to iBooks (that way I can just take my iPad and not iPad and Kindle and...you know), and I can create shelves for fave authors or comfort reads or...whatever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I meant, I can create shelves within iBooks...eesh, I can't form sentences yet today.

      Delete
    2. Isn't there a Kindle app for the iPad? KB and I share a Kindle account and I'm pretty sure she reads on her iPad.

      Delete
    3. I love my Kindle and I've learned to go look in the cloud if I want to find something different. Plus, Amazon graciously doesn't let you download something you've already got on your bookshelf. I appreciate that.

      Delete
  5. I just counted and I have like 400 books and samples on my Kindle. And I've read about a quarter of them. You know that question, "What book/author would you want if you get stranded on a desert island?" I decided I want my Kindle with a renewable solar battery. LOL

    And I love Rosemund Du Jardin. The Marcy books were always my favorite. I have most of them bought at Library surplus sales over the years.

    One book I like to reread in the summer is On The Island by Tracy Garvis Graves. But, I think I should focus on the ones I have to be read this year as well :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margie, I would've thought you were too young for Rosamund du Jardin, but I'm thrilled you know her. Have you ever seen www.imagecascade.com? Great site for all those old teenager romances!

      Delete
    2. I discovered Rosemund at the public library when I was in high school. I used to spend hours just studying the shelves for new authors and books.

      Although I loved my S.E.Hinton books--The Outsiders, and Paul Zindel, The Pigman,*heavy sigh*, her books were a welcome reprieve from the angst of the seventies.

      Delete

Post a Comment