Summer Reading

It's here!!!! Summertime and the living is easy..... time to lay by the pool and read a good book.

What I really miss were those seven beautiful years when I waited not so patiently for the next Harry Potter release. Every July I would rush to the bookstore but not crack the cover until I was at the lake, the pool or the beach- to savor every JK Rowling second in the perfect setting. Oh how I miss Harry....

They're not HP, but here are a few recommendations for your pool adventures. Nothing too deep, nothing too challenging, just enjoyment- aka, perfect summer reading.


1. The Informationist by Taylor Stevens. Growing up in the Children of God cult, Stevens relied on daydreaming to escape life. When she finally escaped, her daydreams became stories, which have translated into books. And they are fantastic.

Stevens's has created the ultimate female protagonist, Vanessa Munro. Munro is fearsome and complex; a killer with great remorse. 

The Informationist is her first in the series, and in my opinion, the best. The story focuses around a kidnapped American girl Munro is contracted to rescue from Africa. The story is exciting and surprising, the dialogue mature,a and the character development beautifully crafted. I would follow Munro through any jungle as long as she promises to teach me all the crazy African dialects and some badass kung fu skills she has. 

2. Discovery of Witches by Diana Harkness. Remember: summer reading. This is a story about witches and vampires, I know, I know. BUT! This is actually interesting. Harkness is a History professor at USC, with a specialty in the history of science and alchemy in Elizabethan England. She approaches the story from a fascinating and historical angle. Yes, it's still completely unbelievable and as a teacher she tends to be slightly verbose in her writing, but it's interesting, the characters are lovable, and the dialogue witty and fun.

Matthew, a vampire but also a scientist of gene theory and evolution, meets Diana, witch and professor of history and science at the Bodelian Library in Oxford, England. Their story is one of love, witchcraft, and adventure driven by their desire to understand the origin of their species. It's romantic, it's fun, it's perfect beach reading. 



3. The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson. I love Homeland, it's one of my favorite shows on TV. But I was a little disappointed in Season 2 (Brody really left? A car bomb could really get that close to the CIA?) and I sought out others who shared my views, this is how I "met" Alex Berenson. Berenson did a weekly review of Homeland in "Esquire" magazine that was smart, beautifully written and exactly my reaction nearly every week. Obv we should be friends, or at least he could be my Homeland guru. When I found out he also writes books.... well.... there may have been a rush to the bookstore.

The Faithful Spy is the first of his collection and one of the best. It introduces us to John Wells, a CIA operative undercover with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. In this novel we follow Wells across the globe as tries to unravel a plot to blow up Times Square. Basically, it's reading a season of Homeland. And it's addictingly good.

4. Divergent buy Veronica Roth. If you are in desperate need of a Harry Potter/Hunger Games summer escape, this is the book for you. If you've already read this, forgive me as it's not new, so go get the second book Insurgent. The third comes out in October of 2013.

The Divergent series takes place in the future, in what we now call Chicago. The population is grouped into five factions, each one designed to represent a certain virtue of humanity-Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). When the children turn 16 they are tested to decide which faction they should join, but Beatrice Trior is an anomaly: she is Divergent, a secret that could cost her, and her family, their lives. 

An addicting read, it may infringe on your summer social time as you won't want to put it down, but a very fun read.




5. Rarely do books make me laugh out loud, the lone exception being Bridget Jones's Diary. This is the other. It's a preposterous storyline, total "chick lit", but I love it, a go-to for me when I need a life escape. 

Twenties Girl by British author Sophie Kinsella follows young, over-imaginative Lara, who has never been successful in love or work. Who knew the ghost of her great-aunt Sadie would be the driving force behind her .

Sadie and Lara have a hilarious relationship, sparring often and with witty dialogue. Their quest for Sadie's missing necklace upends a family history long thought forgotten and forces Lara to face truths about herself that only her aunt can see.

I promise you will be laughing, a lot, out loud, and probably snorting whatever beverage you may be drinking at the time. It's all worth it.

Ok, I'm off to the pool to read!!! What summer books do you enjoy?