Love these recommendations! I currently break my books into my books and our books (those I read with my 7-year-old daughter). I also love the Charlotte Holmes Services, but you have to read not listen.
Our Books: We have been reading the Mary Poppins series and are loving it. The books are full of antics, magic, and laughter. Though very different from the movie, Mary Poppins is still a delight. The movie did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the book while making the story their own such as the chalk picture drawings, tea on the ceiling, and the Bird Woman. But readers also get to experience the magic of gingerbread wrapped in gilt paper stars that later get glued to the night sky, a funny night in the zoo where the main attractions are people, and the tale of Andrew, a silky little pampered pet who wanted nothing more than to be a common dog. We are currently on the third book and the stories seem to deepen. We talked about how times have changed since the days of Mary Poppins like the depiction of Friday, from Robinson Crusoe and the significance of the 5th of November.
My Book (Audio): I just finished The Last Thing He Told Me is a mystery/domestic suspense about that take a unique look at a family as they struggle to discover who their husband/father really is. Hannah’s happy marriage to Owen crumbles when Owen disappears, and she is delivered a note with two words: “Protect her.” She knows the note refers to her stepdaughter Bailey. Hannah begins digging into her husband and she begins to understand that her husband Own was not who she thought he was. Hannah and Bailey are forced to work together to find out the truth about Owen. Hannah is smart and intuitive in how she deals with Bailey and their relationship was one of my favorite things about the story. As the novel progresses, Hannah must figure out what she needs to do to protect Bailey and make a difficult choice on how to move forward. How she does so was completely unpredictable, yet perfect.
So much to love about this one. I loved the relationship between Hannah and Bailey. I loved that the ending, the choice she made was completely unpredictable. I loved the epilogue, and I usually hate epilogues. The chapters are short, crisp and to the point, but the author skillfully creates a real feeling of authenticity. The writing is not flashy or verbose, it is just a good story that moves quickly.
My Book (Read): My favorite summer reading book has been Tell Me Three Things. I read it last year at the beach in two days which is a feat since I was at the beach with a 7-year-old. Tell Me Three Things is about a teenage girl, Jessie Holmes, who is still grieving the death of her mother. She longs for someone who can truly understand how she feels. Jessie is uprooted from her hometown of Chicago and moved to LA when her father remarries a rich woman. Jessie just does not fit in her new fancy private school, Wood Valley High School. Then one day, she gets an anonymous e-mail someone offering to help her navigate her new school. I loved that this booked discusses deep and meaning topics, like home, change, and grieving. I liked how the book kept you guessing who the anonymous writer is till the very end.
Angel, I love that you and E read so much together! I know you both will treasure those memories. I read Tell Me Three Things a few years ago, and it has stuck with me. It is genuinely smart and sweet, and it is one of the few YA books I’ve read lately that I wished had a sequel.
I just finished reading A Place For Us last month and LOVED it!! It has to be my favorite book I've read this year. Truly a beautifully realistic story about the delicate balance between family and tradition (sort of reminiscent of Fiddler on the Roof which is my favorite musical!).
The first thing that came to my mind to recommend was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes! The collection is 12 short stories, so they're quick but complex and intriguing mysteries. Great for keeping your mind sharp this summer.
I'm currently reading The Poisonwood Bible and I'm really enjoying it.
Usually in the summers I try and read more non-fiction, so on my TBR this summer is Educated by Tara Westover and This Is The Fire by Don Lemon!
I love that Sherlock is always in fashion! I read Educated a few years ago... I know you will love it! I’m traveling next week, and this solidifies that I’ll need to take a copy of A Place for Us with me 🥰
The best nonfiction self-help type book I've ever read is The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi. It is full of so much grace and freedom in addition to really practical advice about how to be intentional about what really matters to you in your life.
For a fun, fiction read, I love A Study in Charlottle, and the whole Charlottle Holmes series, by Brittany Cavallaro. Charlotte, a direct descendant of Sherlock Holmes, ends up at the same Connecticut boarding school as Jamie, a direct descendant of James Watson. They are framed for a series murders committed in the styles of the original Sherlock books and have to work together to clear their names and find the real killer.
For a more intense fiction read, The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey is excellent but very disturbing. In this one, the main character is a brilliant scientist who has perfected a technique for cloning humans and giving them specific personality traits. Early in the book, you discover that her ex-husband stole her technology to create a clone of her with the personality of his ideal wife. This is all exposition, and the plot of this book takes so many twists it leaves you reeling at the end of almost every chapter. This isn't a straight recommendation, the book is dark and disturbing and definitely not for everyone, but if you want a really engrossing story that will leave you thinking for a long time, this is an excellent read.
These are amazing recs, Kara!! I’m adding them all to my goodreads list. I tried A Study in Charlotte on audio, but I’ll give it a second try since I know you loved it so much!
Can't wait to dive into some of these books this summer!
Thank you for sharing <3
So glad you liked them! It's one of our favorite topics :)
Love these recommendations! I currently break my books into my books and our books (those I read with my 7-year-old daughter). I also love the Charlotte Holmes Services, but you have to read not listen.
Our Books: We have been reading the Mary Poppins series and are loving it. The books are full of antics, magic, and laughter. Though very different from the movie, Mary Poppins is still a delight. The movie did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the book while making the story their own such as the chalk picture drawings, tea on the ceiling, and the Bird Woman. But readers also get to experience the magic of gingerbread wrapped in gilt paper stars that later get glued to the night sky, a funny night in the zoo where the main attractions are people, and the tale of Andrew, a silky little pampered pet who wanted nothing more than to be a common dog. We are currently on the third book and the stories seem to deepen. We talked about how times have changed since the days of Mary Poppins like the depiction of Friday, from Robinson Crusoe and the significance of the 5th of November.
My Book (Audio): I just finished The Last Thing He Told Me is a mystery/domestic suspense about that take a unique look at a family as they struggle to discover who their husband/father really is. Hannah’s happy marriage to Owen crumbles when Owen disappears, and she is delivered a note with two words: “Protect her.” She knows the note refers to her stepdaughter Bailey. Hannah begins digging into her husband and she begins to understand that her husband Own was not who she thought he was. Hannah and Bailey are forced to work together to find out the truth about Owen. Hannah is smart and intuitive in how she deals with Bailey and their relationship was one of my favorite things about the story. As the novel progresses, Hannah must figure out what she needs to do to protect Bailey and make a difficult choice on how to move forward. How she does so was completely unpredictable, yet perfect.
So much to love about this one. I loved the relationship between Hannah and Bailey. I loved that the ending, the choice she made was completely unpredictable. I loved the epilogue, and I usually hate epilogues. The chapters are short, crisp and to the point, but the author skillfully creates a real feeling of authenticity. The writing is not flashy or verbose, it is just a good story that moves quickly.
My Book (Read): My favorite summer reading book has been Tell Me Three Things. I read it last year at the beach in two days which is a feat since I was at the beach with a 7-year-old. Tell Me Three Things is about a teenage girl, Jessie Holmes, who is still grieving the death of her mother. She longs for someone who can truly understand how she feels. Jessie is uprooted from her hometown of Chicago and moved to LA when her father remarries a rich woman. Jessie just does not fit in her new fancy private school, Wood Valley High School. Then one day, she gets an anonymous e-mail someone offering to help her navigate her new school. I loved that this booked discusses deep and meaning topics, like home, change, and grieving. I liked how the book kept you guessing who the anonymous writer is till the very end.
Angel, I love that you and E read so much together! I know you both will treasure those memories. I read Tell Me Three Things a few years ago, and it has stuck with me. It is genuinely smart and sweet, and it is one of the few YA books I’ve read lately that I wished had a sequel.
I just finished reading A Place For Us last month and LOVED it!! It has to be my favorite book I've read this year. Truly a beautifully realistic story about the delicate balance between family and tradition (sort of reminiscent of Fiddler on the Roof which is my favorite musical!).
The first thing that came to my mind to recommend was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes! The collection is 12 short stories, so they're quick but complex and intriguing mysteries. Great for keeping your mind sharp this summer.
I'm currently reading The Poisonwood Bible and I'm really enjoying it.
Usually in the summers I try and read more non-fiction, so on my TBR this summer is Educated by Tara Westover and This Is The Fire by Don Lemon!
I love that Sherlock is always in fashion! I read Educated a few years ago... I know you will love it! I’m traveling next week, and this solidifies that I’ll need to take a copy of A Place for Us with me 🥰
Book girl summer - love it!! And I second Chanel Miller's book. It was tough to read at times but so worth it.
Right now I'm re-reading Pride and Prejudice. I had forgotten how funny Jane Austen is!
I did the same with P&P and found an entirely new take on Austen. I love that her work is timeless!! She’s got a wicked sense of humor.
Love this list! Here's my picks:
The best nonfiction self-help type book I've ever read is The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi. It is full of so much grace and freedom in addition to really practical advice about how to be intentional about what really matters to you in your life.
For a fun, fiction read, I love A Study in Charlottle, and the whole Charlottle Holmes series, by Brittany Cavallaro. Charlotte, a direct descendant of Sherlock Holmes, ends up at the same Connecticut boarding school as Jamie, a direct descendant of James Watson. They are framed for a series murders committed in the styles of the original Sherlock books and have to work together to clear their names and find the real killer.
For a more intense fiction read, The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey is excellent but very disturbing. In this one, the main character is a brilliant scientist who has perfected a technique for cloning humans and giving them specific personality traits. Early in the book, you discover that her ex-husband stole her technology to create a clone of her with the personality of his ideal wife. This is all exposition, and the plot of this book takes so many twists it leaves you reeling at the end of almost every chapter. This isn't a straight recommendation, the book is dark and disturbing and definitely not for everyone, but if you want a really engrossing story that will leave you thinking for a long time, this is an excellent read.
These are amazing recs, Kara!! I’m adding them all to my goodreads list. I tried A Study in Charlotte on audio, but I’ll give it a second try since I know you loved it so much!