With a couple months left in summer it is not too late to pick up that really good summer read you have been longing for. Here at HelloLuvvy we want to help you out with that. Here are 5 of our favorite summertime books.
Several summers ago I had the pleasure of hearing Ellen Gilchrist read from her collection of short stories, I, Rhoda Manning, Go Hunting With My Daddy. I fell hard for her and for her storytelling, and that summer I read everything of Gilchrist's that I could get my hands on. The female characters that command her stories and novels are as starkly Southern as it gets, ranging from neurotic New Orleans debutantes to wild-eyed Fayetteville heartbreakers. Her quirky, romantic, gut-wrenching stories make for deliciously fun summer reading.
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"I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman" By Nora Ephron
This collection of essays is one of my all time favorite summer reads. I have always been a fan of Ephron's writing for film, but this was my first venture into her prose. Ephron's dry wit and sincerity make reading this book feel like a long chat with your closest friend--albeit an older, wiser friend. If you are not acquainted with Ephron's writing, I suggest you go out and remedy this immediately!
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The Mom in Me: Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle - This mothering thing is serious business but you can't take yourself too seriously or you'll miss all the fun. Melanie Shankle made my mom parts laugh - the kind of laugh that you do because you've slept with your hand holding in a pacifier too and also the kind you can't keep from being out loud even when your baby is asleep. But then she wraps is up with a insightful thought. Comedy and wisdom, you can't beat it.
The Story Lover in Me: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - Olympic Running. Shark Attacks. POW's. Three things you never would have thought made up one person's real life story but yes, yes they do. I'll be honest you have to push through the first couple chapters but there is sweet reward for doing so. It's one of those books you will sacrifice sleep for and one you will recommend to your dad, your boyfriend, your best friend, your book club and your boss. Everybody will love it. Including you.
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Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
This is one of those books that every time I look at it, I can still remember the incredible details of summer that I read it. I absolutely fell in love with Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver because it is the story of a woman who is strong, smart, and has true knowledge of the earth and it's cyclical patterns. The story takes place amidst a hot Appalachia summer where three stories intertwine and a sultry romance broods between main character Deanne Wolfe and a passerby hunter Eddie Bondo. This novel bleeds passion for biology and the outdoors while pulling you away on a sultry southern romance. I still think someday I will spend a summer hiking through Appalachia... Who's coming with?
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What is one of your favorite summer reads? Don't be shy, comment below or let us know today on twitter, instagram or facebook.
