Recommended Reading: Summer

Let's just be clear that none of these were beach reads. I know that lots of people are capable of reading on the beach, but somehow, I'm just not one of them. I did try to take advantage of the limited time I have left living near the beach to relax and read there. But, it was weirdly windy and sand got everywhere, and then my friend and I stumbled (almost literally) onto two dead fish that had washed up on shore. So, I'll be containing the rest of my summer reading to either a porch or a couch.

That being said, if you're looking for options on what to read this summer, either on the beach or somewhere less exciting, I have plenty of suggestions. 

The Books

Bossypants - Tina Fey

We don't even need to talk about why you should read this book. It's by Tina Fey. I realize that everyone probably read it forever ago (by which I mean 2011) when it first came  out, but I've only now gotten around to read it. Still good.

A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea - Masaji Ishikawa

During World Book Day, Amazon Crossing gave away Kindle downloads of books translated from different languages. This book turned about to be a solid choice. The author was born in Japan but moved to North Korea with his family as a child. He tells about his life there and about his escape many years later. This is not a fun read, but it was eye-opening.

The House by the River - Lena Manta

The book also came from the World Book Day celebration. The House by the River is the story of a Greek woman with five daughters. It basically ends up being 6 stories because each woman gets her own section. This book falls into the romance category (or what I assume is the romance category given that I rarely venture beyond Nicholas Sparks.) The story is both beautiful and tragic. If you're looking to cry over the course of several days, this is your book.

Flipped - Wendelin Van Braanen

First, if you're a middle school teacher, you have to read this book right now so that you can recommend it to all of your students. They will love it. You will never see it left on your shelf for more than 5 seconds. 

If you don't teach middle school, you should still read it anyway. In the first chapter, Bryce tells about the day he moved a new town and meet the obnoxious, pushy girl next door. In the second chapter, Julie tells about the day a new family moved in next door and she fell in love with a set of beautiful blue eyes. We can all see where this is headed. Without the changing perspectives, this book would just be ordinary. But, thanks to the skill of the author, once you start reading, you have to keep reading to hear the other side of the story. Even if you think you don't like to read, you won't be able to help yourself with this one.

Solo - Kwame Alexander

Y'all, I was not prepared for this book (or really for the audio version of this book because I listened to it while driving.) Kwame Alexander's name is everywhere is YA/Children's lit right now. After reading this book, which isn't even the one he won a Newbery for, I see why. 

The main character is Blade, and he's the son of a fading rock star. Blade's life is luxurious, but his family is falling apart. Sometimes stories involving teen angst are just too angsty to handle, but this story had the right balance. You'll want to follow this character through all the emotional upsets that occur. Also, you'll probably want to add more of Alexander's books to your to-read list because one isn't enough.

Listen, Slowly - Thanhha Lai

After reading Inside Out and Back Again, also by Lai, I knew that I needed to read this one. Mai is a California girl who just wants to spend her summer on the beach looking cute in front of a guy she likes (don't we all.) Instead, her parents want her to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother to find out what happened to her grandfather during the Vietnam War. Mai feels out of place among relates she has never met and a culture that she doesn't feel is hers. It's a moving story about love, belonging, and family that you absolutely need to read.