Let's Talk About ... Summer Reading

Happy First Day of Summer! 

Summer ... a time to catch up on your reading! But with all this free time to lounge around with a good book, how do you decide which books to dedicate your time and concentration to during all those long, hot, summer afternoons?

Is it the fun, light, girly read about road-trips and "true love"? *sigh!* Or maybe all those classics that you have been putting off reading during the rest of the year because you just couldn't give them the time and energy they deserve? Or, maybe it's that super-duper door-stoper volume that you're FINALLY going to read this summer? OR, maybe you're ridiculously ambitious (like moi) and you have included all of the above in your summer reading plans?

I love reading all three types of these books during the summer and wanted to share with you some of my choices for each "category":

The "fun, light, girly, summer read" ...

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West; How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski; and This Is What Happy Looks Like 

by Jennifer E. Smith

The "classic that has been on the to-be-read shelf for too long" ...

 Brideshead Revisted by Evely Waugh; Oyx and Crake by Margaret Atwood; 

and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 

And, (drum roll please) ...

"super-duper door-stopper volume that you're FINALLY 
going to read this summer" ...

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and/or East of Eden by John Steinbeck 

You can check-out my entire "Summer Reading List" here. I KNOW! It's a tad overly ambitious. I am well aware that I will probably only skim the surface of this list, but sometimes making the list is half (if not all) the fun. Right? ... maybe?

Let me know if you feel like you read some different types of books in the summer, or how would you categorise the books on your "summer reading list"? What's your favourite type of "summer reading" atmosphere: laying out in the sun, or curled up inside during those summer thunderstorms? AND, what is on your summer reading list???

Happy Summer Reading!

Top 10 Books of 2012

So clearly this post is a tad late, nevertheless, in no particular order .... my Top 10 Books of 2012:

1. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick 

A great novel and a great film adaptation. Wonderfully written with flawed but loveable characters. 

2. Let's Pretend this Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson 

One word: Hilarious. Read my review here. 

3. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Super fun summer read. Read my review here. 

4. Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor 

Amazing. Laini Taylor is a phenomenal story-teller with an incredible imagination. Read my review here. 

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

Perfection. The Fault in Our Stars can be found on almost any "Best Books of 2012" list and it deserves its place there. 

6. Insurgent by Veronica Roth 

Excellent sequel to Divergent. Lived up to my anticipation and expectations. 

7. Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard 

Such a wonderful YA novel. Realistic, inspirational and well written. 

8. Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell 

Loved this realistic, gritty novel with an incredible heroine.  

9. Room by Emma Donoghue 

This novel took me by surprise. Fell in love with the narration. Was an uplifting and empowering read.  

10. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

Another wonderful contemporary YA read. Fitzpatrick writes well of family, first loves and tough decisions.