My high school summer reading lists were carefully chosen and printed by the school on small booklets with card stock covers. Since I love to read, I happily met the reading requirements within the first week or two of summer vacation. As a writing procrastinator, the related book reports were a different story, ignored until my mother pushed me into writing them the day before school began.
I enjoy fiction with a sense of place and time, plenty of humor, and strong minded characters. This summer, I have been enjoying authors who have been on my favorites list for many years. Here are this summer’s book reports, handed in early for a change.
[1. Vintage Wedding Photo from CoolVintage 2. Challah Oil Painting from MartinCline 3. Silver Hand Stamped Ring from TheBeadGirl 4. Girl Watercolor Painting from ANKarabin]
Faye Moskowitz writes of her life: growing up in small-town Michigan with her immigrant family, marrying, then moving to Washington, DC, to find a new vocation – teacher and writer. And the Bridge is Love has recently been reissued by The Feminist Press.
[1. "Orchard in the Summer" Signed Print by AaronThompsonPhoto 2. "Trouble on my Mind" Embroidery by WaterPenny 3. "The Serpent of Good Fortune" Print by TriciaScottStudio 4. Mother Maybelle Vintage Photo from KimVintage]
Lee Smith has written some of my favorite novels. Set in the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains, they are vivid tales of musicians, professors, mountain folk, and young women finding their way to a different life. This summer, I am reading Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger, a compilation of Smith’s old and new short stories.
[1. "Creeping Terror" Original Drawing by HeartPumpArts 2. Needle Felted Foot by TheGreedyCrocodile 3. Hermes Protection Key Chain by GurlyGirl 4. Miniature Ancient Roman Vessel by Kivaford 5. Ancient Rome Wine Coasters from BuckarooBear]
Not only has Lindsey Davis created Falco, a wisecracking detective in first century Rome, she has given him an intelligent and brave girlfriend, Helena. This series has slyly given me a much greater understanding of a time and culture that had never particularly interested me. Their families and the Emperor are the impetus for adventures all over the Roman Empire.
[1. Vintage Georgette Heyer Book from TheLuckyFox 2. Black Leather Wristband by VdeuxAccessories 3. Antique French Plate Set from VintageFrenchLinens 4. Vintage Figurine from Franz66]
Georgette Heyer! No summer is complete without rereading a favorite or two of her many witty and lighthearted “Regency Romances.” Her descriptions of clothes alone would almost be enough to merit a read, but her insightful writing and silly romps take me on a frothy vacation of the mind. These are not cornball bodice rippers but perfect bonbons that never leave you feeling as if you have over-indulged.
What books are you reading this summer?
Cate Fitt, a.k.a. knitfitt, has been a member of Etsy since 2007 and is an experienced critic, curator and juror. She earned her MFA in fiber in 1978, later receiving an artist’s fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Through the years, she’s been a maker of one-of-a-kind hand-painted clothing, pottery, jewelry, and linocut and monotype prints. She lives in a little house close to the James River with two whippets named Moose and Peach.
47 comments
Sign in to add your ownQuincy from QsDaydream says:
Wonderful suggestions! Thank you for sharing! :)
291 days ago
Christa from WinsomeGreen says:
Cate, you're a girl after my own heart with those Lee Smith novels, set in the mountains. I can't wait to pick up Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger. (Love me some short-stories, anyway!) xo
291 days ago
Lillian Bolster from LilBeeDesigns says:
The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling East of Eden by John Stienbeck Oh Jerusalem by Laurie R. King (two of the books are book club selections)
291 days ago
Vera and Victor Vague from VeraVague says:
i just re-finished the Little House series :) it was perfect timing.
291 days ago
Amanda Gynther from CafePrimrose says:
Interesting choices.
291 days ago
Jess from volkerwandering says:
Such neat items!
291 days ago
Hillary De Moineaux from VoleedeMoineaux says:
I like this!
291 days ago
Donna Kohler from TreadleLady says:
I recently read A Moveable Feast by Hemingway and see it's very much like the 20s in Midnight in Paris. I'm obsessed with that movie! More Hemingway is waiting to be read.
291 days ago
LivingVintage from LivingVintage says:
Interesting picks! Summer reading lists seem an unnecessary punishment to me.
291 days ago
tereskaanna says:
i am re-reading barbara kingsolver's book, prodigal summer. a feast for the mind and the senses!!! amazing writing focused on feminine strength and characters waking the fine line between societal norms and self-fulfillment. AMAZING!
291 days ago
Vickie Moore from WingedWorld says:
Thanks for the wonderful mini book reports and recommendations for summer reading! I've been indulging in some Babar classic children's books, and I have Jhumpa Lahiri's story collection “Unaccustomed Earth” on my nightstand. Her novel “The Namesake” is one of my favorites. “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” would be another of my summer recommendations.
291 days ago
Elaine Mari from ElaineMari says:
I'm reading "Lee Krasner: a Biography" this summer during my lunch breaks in the back yard and on the beach. I have been on a artists' biography kick. I love to read, especially about women who are painters, during my studio day. It gives me a lift and inspiration to keep on painting.
291 days ago
Sabina82 says:
I am currently reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Next up: To Say Nothing of the Dog, Blackout, and All Clear all by Connie Willis, The Passage by Justin Cronin, and The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Eventually I'll finish the Song of Ice and Fire books too...but I like to take time off in between reading those epically-long novels and indulge in something a little different.
291 days ago
Christa Cunningham from WintergreenDesign says:
Interesting choices... Sabina82... I just finished "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie"... I LOVE LOVE LOVE Alan Bradley : ) My next read is Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
291 days ago
Sabina82 says:
I'm about halfway through. Flavia is a new hero of mine. :)
291 days ago
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat says:
I've started re-reading the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett... it's going to be a giggly summer!
291 days ago
iammieCLAYshop from iammieCLAYshop says:
Love the story and picks!
291 days ago
Kristina Smiley from CreativeEndeavorsKS says:
Georgette Heyer's books are excellent reads for romantic historians like me. I have a couple of her books on my Kindle and read them often.
291 days ago
Jenny B from BasilandBones says:
Cute article! I just finished A Million Suns by Beth Revis (I like the story but the characters miss the mark for me), and now C.S Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet. And as a teenager, Summer reading was tossed out; it became All Year reading :)
291 days ago
Johanna N. from thefrontera says:
Super like!
291 days ago
thriftstore from thriftstore says:
Love this!
291 days ago
Casey Sharpe from caseysharpe says:
I managed to do a two sides of the same coin reading list this year: I picked up Lev Grossman's The Magicians and The Magician King, and then followed it up by rereading the Chronicles of Narnia (which I hadn't read since I was a small child and had them read to me!) The two series were a great match, since Grossman's two books are such an homage to Narnia.
291 days ago
Wei from HoneyThistle says:
I'm placing a hold on some Falco books asap, they sound intriguing & I've always loved a good mystery. I finished Roald Dahl's Going Solo recently and loved it :)
291 days ago
tereskaanna says:
a golden age is another amazing read. set during the bangladesh war for independence, it follows the family of a strong and determined woman. AMAZING first novel.
291 days ago
Caramelly Bee from CaramellyBurn says:
I love this! :))
291 days ago
Amber from BambuEarth says:
One of my favorite books of all time is Where the Red Fern Grows. Thanks for reminding me of great historical pieces of literature. ♥♥♥
291 days ago
Rowina Panchu from SweetCandyStuffs says:
LOVE IT!!
291 days ago
Liz from Liliyu says:
Lovely. Maybe a few mentions of some of the novelists on etsy too? http://www.etsy.com/category/books_and_zines/book
291 days ago
Matejka Max from NattyMatty says:
Great!
291 days ago
Dione from LittleAppleNY says:
Thank you for the suggestions. I just finished David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas." I can't recommend it highly enough---it's a beautifully-written masterpiece.
291 days ago
christinek302 says:
Anything by Jhumpa Lahiri is a worthy read - she's my favorite. I'm almost finished with and liking very much Sue Miller's The Lake Shore Limited - intriguing. Hemingway fans might like the historical fiction novel about his first wife: The Paris Wife. It really captures the era in which he lived. And my book club is set to read Swamplandia. I'm going to check out many of the recommeded reads listed here. One of my favorite books of all time is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay. It's long, but fabulous. I finished it about a year ago and still miss the characters.
291 days ago
Victoria Baker from LittleWrenPottery says:
I haven't picked a book out for summer reading yet! I like reading Sci-Fi and Fantasy, its nice to find the time to read longer books over the summer holidays : )
291 days ago
Heather Lee from BooksForBreakfast says:
I recently purchased a collection of antique leather-bound Dickens and summer reading has been all about Uriah Heep, Micawber, Oliver, and Pickwick.
291 days ago
baconsquarefarm from baconsquarefarm says:
Wonderful to see all the book readers in here, I personally am not hooked on reading but our daughter has the reading gene and this makes me happy, you can travel all over the world in a book and what you learn from them last's a life time. Happy Summer Reading everyone. :)
291 days ago
TheBloomingHare from TheBloomingHare says:
I really enjoy reading! I tend to lean more towards the classics. Among my favorite authors are: Charles Dickens Lewis Carroll J.M. Barrie John Keats It's nice to see so many fellow readers! Hope everyone gets a chance to read a new favorite this summer!
291 days ago
Kari McNew from KariCreates says:
Kate, Your pictures would make any book report more interesting. = )
291 days ago
worksofwhimsy from worksofwhimsy says:
I just bought 2 items that are featured in this post! That's the first time I've ever done that. This summer I've read The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown and a few junky mysteries that will go unmentioned.
290 days ago
Talia Stone from TaliaStone says:
I love Georgette Heyer too, but I picked something a little more serious for my summer reading and loved it. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.
290 days ago
accentonvintage from accentonvintage says:
I just finished Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible about the Congo in the 60's and I'm now reading Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion, a love story in the 20s-30s Toronto..
290 days ago
DecadesOfVintage from DecadesOfVintage says:
Fabulous piece. O love your pairing of fabulous etsy items with books.
290 days ago
Emily Lunsford says:
i've read "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson and "Out of the Silent Planet" by CS Lewis so far this summer. Both excellent reads, I highly recommend the 'Major' if you are an anglophile like me!
289 days ago
ZOUi from XZOUIX says:
summer reading, autumn reading, winter reading, spring reading, bus reading, train reading, waitin' at dentist reading, school reading, pub reading, ANY PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE READING :) i just love reading and this is such a great article, thank u for posting it guys! :::-) i just finished reading old catcher in the rye (haha,yeah:) and now there are two other books lyin' on my bedside table- ♥ Thoreau's Walden & Town and the City by Kerouac ♥ :)
289 days ago
Carol Olson says:
beautiful! takes me back to my summers of reading. Oh I need to get back to that....
289 days ago
breadandroses2 from breadandroses2 says:
The photo of Mother Maybelle Carter and a young June Carter Cash is fantastic! Iconic.
289 days ago
Lynnette from jewelry56 says:
Thank you for this info. What is your favorite Regency Romance novel? I will read it first.
288 days ago
Graebelle Campbell from SunKissedSisters says:
Thanks for sharing. We are always looking for something new to read!
286 days ago
Katelyn Phipps from katelynphippsphoto says:
Good selections :)
286 days ago