Summer Reads

I am going to be honest – I am not very enthused about writing a review of books that I read. (Now, ask me to write about food! That is a different story!)

As much as  love reading and can never live without books, I tend to want to move on to the next novel right away  after I finish one. Then there are books that evoke a deep sense of primal emotions within me. These are the ones that make  me feel the need to write to channel the passion that these great works have awoken in me. My last great reads but now distant memories are Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier) and The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald).  The characters lingered on way until after I finished the book and even appeared in my dreams. 

These two books I am about to talk about in  a very abbreviated way are just no-brainer and light reads. These are fluffy chicklits to while away the warm summer season that is  now wrapping up and about to come to an end. 

So, here are 2 summer reads that I enjoyed and would like to share: 

One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank

One Paris Summer is a coming of age YA book about a girl whose parents just recently divorced. The mom stayed in the US while the dad moved to Paris and re-married. The girl and her brother were forced to live with their dad and their new French stepfamily all throughout the summer.  The girl was also a pianist who aspired to get a music  scholarship at a university in Paris. 

What I liked about this book:  Paris!  Croissant, macarons and pastries! Falling in love with a French boy. Exploring the catacombs. Eiffel Tower, of course, etc. How she directed her pain through music by playing the piano. There is also an evil French stepsister. I feel that there was a resolution in the end that was not really so predictable. (Okay,  maybe it was but it was woven in a way that provided resolution.)

Elly in Bloom by Colleen Oakes

I read Elly In Bloom in the spring but this is a book about summer as well. Elly is a plus-sized woman who re-built her life after finding her artist husband in bed with another woman. She left everything including her job and her home with not as much as a goodbye.  She ran away and drove without any particular destination. She found herself at a coffee shop at in an unfamiliar new town in the South and met  a woman who became her new best friend. She re-established her life by pursuing her passion in flowers. She became a florist and catered to bridezillas.

What I liked about this book:  I love that she did not try to change her physical appearance by losing tons of weight and becoming a super-model (which is how lots of chicklits love to end their happy ending.  “Bleh!”) Not this one though. The main girl is strong, brave and confident. I like the idea of running away and totally re-inventing yourself. I love that there were men who were goo-goo/gaga over her. I love that this book is also about a beautiful story between a mom and her daughter, friendships and finding love at unexpected places. And closure – a beautiful one. 

There you go. Two summer reads. I can write more. (Huh! So I can write a book review after all! Not that this is considered much of a review!)  

Happy reading and please let me know what you think if you ever read or already read these books.

What are your favorite summer reads?