Home Uncategorized 10 Great Summer Reads ($50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway)

10 Great Summer Reads ($50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway)

by Jamie

 

Twice a year I post  a list of book recommendations. I know some of you fine people out there are book nerds, just like me. We reading nerds have to stick together, right!  Click here for the list from last Summer, and here for the list from last Winter. Check out the comment sections of both of these posts for more book recommendations.

I am also giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card to one of you lucky readers. To enter the giveaway just leave me a comment below telling me what one of your favorite books is. Giveaway will be open until Sunday June 30th at midnight. Winner will be announced and contacted on Monday July 1st. Good luck!

On to this summers list!

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton is one of the best books I have read this year. I loved the writing style, which is both elegant and captivating. Kate Morton tells the most amazing stories! Throughout the whole book I kept trying to guess the ending…never could I have dreamed it would finish as it did. I loved it, best Kate Morton book so far.


The Baker’s Daughter is a story about a family living in Germany during WWII and the sacrifices they make to survive. It covers a lot of issues I haven’t read about before. Though it is sad, it’s very well written and the heroine is so endearing.


Poisonwood Bible is a story of an American minister and his family who move to the African Congo to during the 1960s and 70s. The story is told through the eyes of each of the children and the mother, which gives it a wide variety of perspective. It was so interesting to see how each of the characters developed and behaved, though many of their experiences were the same. It is a compelling look into human nature.

BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS  by Shannon Hale is a Young Adult book about a princess who gets locked in a tower with only one servant and supplies. It’s about loyalty, and a little bit about love. 🙂 It’s a quick, clean read, as is the case with all of Hale’s books. She’s a great author for teenage girls. (And for Mom’s who have teenage girls and like a quick, clean read now and then).


The Light Between Oceans is one of those books I cried my ever lovin’ face off while I read it. Not the WHOLE time (thank you for your concern), but certainly at the end. It’s about a young married couple who live alone on a small island and take care of a lighthouse. It’s about marriage, sacrifice and motherly love. It is beautifully written and very compelling.

The Giver  is a book that I’m sure many of you (and your children!) have heard of. While it’s written for a young audience, I found it to be both thought-provoking and captivating. It’s about a boy living in a post apocalyptic world, and the choices he faces in a world very different from our own.

A Monster Calls is a sad tale of boy whose mother is dying of cancer. It’s about life, death and letting go.

The Bungalow is a love story that takes place on the tropical island of Bora-Bora during WWII. It’s a quick read, with a bit of history woven into the romance. Great book to take to the beach. 🙂

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust is a life changing book. It’s a true story written by a woman who lived through the Rwandan Holocaust. It’s about forgiveness and love.

Escape is a true story written by Carolyn Jessop, a woman who escaped a life of forced polygamy. I was stunned, truly to learn of the terrible conditions that girls and women are forced to live with in these cult-like, fundamentalist communities. It is very eye opening.

 

 

 

Leave a Reply to Leslie Cancel Reply

358 comments

Ruth Luthi June 24, 2013 - 1:40 pm

I have enjoyed “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon

Reply
Siobhan June 24, 2013 - 1:42 pm

1984 is one of my favorites.

Reply
Joy C June 24, 2013 - 1:45 pm

I love all of James Patterson’s books.

Reply
Whitney June 24, 2013 - 1:45 pm

Snow flower and the Secret Fan is one of my all-time favorites.

Reply
Brenda Stephens June 24, 2013 - 1:46 pm

I love the John Grisham book “Racketeer”. Great read!

Reply
Julie June 24, 2013 - 1:47 pm

Two of my favorite books I’ve read this year is are the The Secret Garden by Kate Morton (love her writing style) and The Secret Daughter by Shilpi Gowda. I love your list and can’t wait to try some of them. We are constantly looking for new books to read at our house. We are definitely frequent flyers at our library and I love it!! 🙂

Reply
Elizabeth Polish June 24, 2013 - 1:53 pm

I’ve been reading the Percy Jackson and the Heroes books by Rick Riordan. I’ve really enjoyed them. A lot of adventure! Love your list, will have to try a few!

Reply
Desiree June 24, 2013 - 1:58 pm

The Fifty Shades of Grey series is pretty good. thanks for the chance to win!

Reply
sandi r June 24, 2013 - 2:02 pm

I found the book A Blessing Of Toads at a recent garage sale. It is an adorable gardening book by Sharon Lovejoy… Hope to read some on your list. SANDI.

Reply
Katie P. June 24, 2013 - 2:05 pm

My favorite book is “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodie Picoult. I have loved any book I have read by her. Would love to win this giveaway!!

Reply
Lori June 24, 2013 - 2:07 pm

Loved the Maze Runner series, by James Dashner. Just finished that. Also just read The House at Riverton by Kate Morton and can’t wait to read more of her books! 🙂

Reply
Cheryl S June 24, 2013 - 2:18 pm

I finally read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Absolutely amazing.

Reply
Diana Butcher June 24, 2013 - 2:21 pm

Just love Kate Morton’s books. Once you finish one you can hardly wait for the next one. Amazing writer with an amazingly creative mind.

Reply
Diana Butcher June 24, 2013 - 2:24 pm

All time favorite book is Gone With the Wind. Enchanting heroine. Great adventure. Incredible history.

Reply
Danna June 24, 2013 - 2:27 pm

I love to read! One of my favorite summer reads is The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter.

Reply
Kelli June 24, 2013 - 2:40 pm

I love so many books I can’t narrow it down to a few. Right now I’m reading the culinary mysteries by Josi Kilpack and I love the books and the recipes.

Reply
ankerah05 June 24, 2013 - 2:43 pm

I have been rereading all of the Laura Ingalls books with my kids lately and loving them!

Reply
Joy June 24, 2013 - 2:45 pm

My all time favorite book is “The Shack” I cried, I laughed, I felt the book was written just for me – for what our family was going through at that time. I have read it 2 times since then.

Reply
Jessica June 24, 2013 - 2:52 pm

“The Eight” by Katherine Neville- I am re-reading it now so I can catch up before reading the follow up!

Reply
Natalee June 24, 2013 - 2:54 pm

My favorite books are the wives of David series by Jill Eileen Smith. Good stuff!!

Reply
Annie June 24, 2013 - 2:57 pm

I love The Secret Life of Bee’s! Overcoming the odds of a damaged family life with the help of love and strength touched me deeply!

Reply
Deenas June 24, 2013 - 3:02 pm

Thanks for a great giveaway! My favorite book has to be The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

Reply
Erin R. June 24, 2013 - 3:03 pm

Great list. I loved The Poisonwood Bible and I’ve added Escape and The Baker’s Daughter to my library list.

I’ve just started on the Odd Thomas series and it is charming.

Reply
Brooklyn June 24, 2013 - 3:12 pm

I really like the book The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. She is also the author of The Book of A Thousand Days. Love your blog too!

Reply
Shannon June 24, 2013 - 3:13 pm

I just finished reading “The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had” by Kristin Levine–great story set in 1917 in Alabama about friendship, loyalty, prejudice

My favorite adult book is “Enchanted April” by Elizabeth von Arnim. Every time I read it, I want to be a better person and a better friend.

Reply
Pat Jensen June 24, 2013 - 3:23 pm

My favorite this summer so far, has been “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness. It’s a grown up version of the Twilight books 🙂

Reply
Donna June 24, 2013 - 3:29 pm

One of my all time favorites is “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak.

Reply
Jessica Steele June 24, 2013 - 3:31 pm

I love Dan Brown’s books!

Reply
Kesha June 24, 2013 - 3:41 pm

I am currently reading “The Help”. It is good so far!

Reply
Lois February 8, 2014 - 2:31 pm

I could read a book about this without finding such real-world appohacres!

Reply
Melissa Weidendorf June 24, 2013 - 3:42 pm

It’s so hard to pick just one book as my favorite as there are so many I read over and over again. I know it’s cliché but I love the Hunger Games series and even the Twilight series. Dan Brown, John Grisham, and Nora Roberts are some of my favorite authors.

Reply
Lea Ann June 24, 2013 - 3:43 pm

I have read Escape and The Light Between Oceans also. I read Escape about 4 years ago and some of it I still remember and it sticks with me. I also cried reading nearly the whole book of Light Between Oceans. I have a hard time choosing what my favorite book it….I love Little Women and the whole series written by Louisa May Alcott. But, I also love John Grisham and right now I am reading the Millennium series and am 100 pages from finishing the last book and I love them too. Rosamund Lupton’s two books are excellent as well, I read them both last summer. So….I guess you could say I have given you several of my favorites!!!

Reply
Lisa Evanoff June 24, 2013 - 3:54 pm

I liked the book “Mrs. Tuesdays Departure”

Reply
Jessie C. June 24, 2013 - 4:10 pm

I like “Life After Life”

Reply
Kris Thorson June 24, 2013 - 4:31 pm

I love the Mitford series by Jan Karon and The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom–two of my all time favorites!

Reply
Tasha June 24, 2013 - 4:47 pm

Edenbrook is my all time favorite but a good one that I’ve read recently is Reality Check. If you like watching the Bachelor or Bachelorette you would like this book 🙂

Reply
Ashlee June 24, 2013 - 4:52 pm

I read Uncle Tom’s Cabin about once a year.

Reply
Alisha Weaver June 24, 2013 - 4:56 pm

I love The Giver, I haven’t read it for years though. I just finished the first 5 books of The Game of Thrones series. They are very interesting and, although risky’ at times, a good read.

Reply
Carolyn B. June 24, 2013 - 4:59 pm

I recently re-read “The Help”. Such a GREAT book!

Reply
Deanna F June 24, 2013 - 5:00 pm

Any book by James Patterson is my favorite 🙂

Reply
Heather S June 24, 2013 - 5:03 pm

I thoroughly enjoyed The Scent of Rain and Lightning. It was hands down wonderful!

Reply
Melissa M. June 24, 2013 - 5:11 pm

I really love Gone with the Wind.

Reply
Sheri L June 24, 2013 - 5:13 pm

My favorites will always be the Harry Potter series. And I love anything by H. B. Moore

Reply
Julie June 24, 2013 - 5:15 pm

My favorite book ever is “To Kill a Mockingbird.” More recently I’ve completely enjoyed “The Help.”

Reply
Erin C June 24, 2013 - 5:15 pm

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. A quick read, but one I didn’t want to end.

Reply
ewhatley June 24, 2013 - 5:18 pm

I love thrillers and always enjoy DeMille, Patterson, Lehane, Lee Child and too many other authors to list. Also like a little weird stuff so one of my fave books is Duma Key by Stephen King.

Reply
sharon Brown June 24, 2013 - 5:23 pm

I enjoy John Sandford’s books. Especially the Prey series.

Reply
Jen June 24, 2013 - 5:24 pm

We must have similar tastes in reading. I’ve read several of your suggestions but Left to Tell was my favorite!

Reply
Pam Harris June 24, 2013 - 5:50 pm

The Seventeen Second Miracle By Jason F. Wright

Reply
Michele West June 24, 2013 - 5:52 pm

I love to read! I love anything by Nora Roberts and I’m in the middle of Benedict Hall by Cate Campbell. It’s great so far!

Reply
Cheryl June 24, 2013 - 6:03 pm

One of my favorite books is Follow the River by Alexander Thom.

Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Adblock Detected

Please support us by disabling your AdBlocker extension from your browsers for our website.