Best Reads of Summer 2011

When I am not stitching, chasing the puppy or sitting in my garden chanting "grow, grow, grow", I am usually curled up with my Kindle and a glass of red wine, unwinding with a good book.

I devour books.  Always have and hopefully always will.  I can't remember how I traveled before my Kindle, but I am pretty sure it was with a sore back and a carry-on full of 15 paperback books!  (Note: While I do love my Kindle, I also enjoy giving books as gifts and would urge you to use your local family-owned bookstore!!).

I'll admit that my taste in books runs the spectrum of mindlessly amusing to thought-provoking.  In the spirit of summer, please find my personal top ten books of Summer 2011 listed below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you are reading now and what I've missed on my list!

Summer Reading 2011 (in no particular order):

Carrots 'n' Cake, Tina Haupert (Finished May 2011)
Thoughts: Great book and reasonable approach to healthy eating and working out.  Liked the personal approach and stories.

The Ocean Between Us, Susan Wiggs (Finished May 2011)

Thoughts: This was a beach read and was perfect for that purpose.  Kept me engaged with a good plot, but not so overly complicated that I couldn't enjoy 'happy hour' at the same time...

Smokin' Seventeen: A Stephanie Plum Novel, Janet Evanovich (Finished June 2011)
Thoughts: Laugh-out-loud funny.  I don't know how she does it after 17 books, but the stories are funny, outrageous and then some!  A great beach read, or even better after a long day at work~ I'd recommend starting with the first and working your way through the entire series!

Silver Girl: A Novel, Elin Hilderbrand (Finished June 2011)
Thoughts: An interesting storyline, written from the perspective of the wife (and wife's friend) of a fallen businessman in a massive Ponzi scheme (Madoff spin-off, anyone?).  Well written, interesting, but more of a vacation read...

Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese (Finished June 2011)
Thoughts: This was a deep and thought-provoking book.  It took me a while to read it, both with the complicated medical terms and the intricate plot.  Deserving of the international accolades.


In the queue:
Something Borrowed, Emily Giffin
One Summer, David Baldacci
The Paris Wife, Paula McLain
South of Broad: A Novel, Pat Conroy
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larson

I hope that you've found some time to relax in your favorite spot with a good book and escape for a few hours this holiday weekend!