I love summer! If you don’t know that about me by now, you certainly will after this summer is over. I love the relaxed schedule and longer days…not to mention the increased opportunity for reading time. I always take a book with me wherever I go, but I seem to have more time to actually read it in the summer! It’s always easier to get absorbed in a great book when I go to bed and stay up later reading, knowing I don’t have to get up extra early to take the kids to school.

I’ve read some great books recently, and thought it would be a good time to share some good reads with you in case you have extra reading time too! Of course, you can always find my most up to date reads on Goodreads. Make sure to follow me over there for instant reading recs. Until then, here are 5 books I’ve read and loved a lot lately and hope you will too!…

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Since I took some time off at the end of 2012, I’m a little bit behind in sharing some of my most recently read books. This Connect Through Reading post contains so many good ones… I hope you find some books that will peak your interest!

I’m starting with a book that pushed to the top of my favorite books of 2012 list (which I’ll share soon!). Heft, by Liz Moore is a read you’ll connect with and you won’t want to let go when the book is over. Heft is about a 550 pound man, an alcoholic single mom and her son, a young house cleaner and a cast of additional characters that all weave together in a story of overcoming fear and obstacles, finding family and learning to love life. I closed the book on the final page and then immediately began scouring the internet wanting to know more about the author and not wanting to say goodbye to these characters. They had quickly become people I cared deeply about. Heft by Liz Moore is definitely a 5 star read!

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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn is a book I normally wouldn’t probably pick up, except it was by the same author as Gone Girl, which I really liked. Sharp Objects was shocking and dark, like Gone Girl, but took on a subject that I still haven’t quite figured out if I want to read about as the mom of 3 girls… young teenage girls spiraling down the path of drug use, hatefulness and sex. The relationships in this book are so twisted and beyond unhealthy, but Flynn crafts a story that despite all the reasons it made me uncomfortable, kept me wanting to turn the page and read more. I gave Sharp Objects 3 stars on Goodreads.

Once I finished Sharp Objects, I knew I needed something less dark, so I turned to a memoir by Theresa Weir titled The Orchard. I picked this book up on a whim at Target. Memoirs are one of my favorite genres, and I can happily say The Orchard did not disappoint.

Friends, this book will change the way you look at farming and the food you eat. Not in a shocking “Supersize Me” kind of way, but in a real, eye opening, kind of light. The Orchard is an honest and open look at how farms (particularly, orchards) were run in the 60’s and 70’s, and at what price there was to pay to get the “perfect” piece of fruit. You’ll think about organic farming in a whole new light and shudder at the glimpse of coverups and lengths farmers have gone through over the years to give us the food we eat today. This is a touching, raw and sometimes sad memoir of family life on the farm and the growing dangers surrounding what we feed to our families. I gave The Orchard by Theresa Weir, 4 stars on Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this next book… Shelter Me by Juliette Fay. This was a debut by this author and I’m anxious to read more as she does a great job with storytelling.

Shelter Me is about a young woman (Janie) with two children who became suddenly widowed when her husband was killed in a bike accident. Fay takes readers along the journey of how Janie endures her first year without her husband. The cast of characters seem so real, with tormented family dynamics, complicated relationships and all. Shelter Me made me laugh, ache, long, and cry… there were times when my heart actually hurt for the main character. I gave Shelter Me, by Juliette Fay, 4 stars on Goodreads.

How Lucky You Are, by Kristyn Kusek Lewis, was a “fluff read” compared to the other books I read this go around. Don’t get me wrong, it had depth and interesting characters, but the storyline was a fairly typical “chick lit” one surrounding three best friends and their various, completely diverse lives. You know how many times you’ve said to someone “You don’t know how lucky you are!”? Well, How Lucky You Are is about just that… three best friends who perceive each others lives to be easier and less complicated when in reality, they each have their own drama going on behind the scenes. I would recommend How Lucky You Are by Kristyn Kusek Lewis to anyone looking for a quick, easy and entertaining read. I gave How Lucky You Are 3 stars on Goodreads.

Up next for me is…

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw. I am actually almost half way through with this one and am finding it to be very interesting!

Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten

And, at the glowing recommendation of my trusted friend Kate, I’ve moved The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman up in my To Be Read pile.

Now it’s your turn! What are you reading these days? Make sure to tell me and remember, you can always keep up with what’s on my bookshelf over on Goodreads as well as see what my latest read is in my sidebar. For past Connect Through Reading Posts, check out my Book Review category. Can’t wait to hear your current recommendations!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Connect Through Reading 2012 – 4 Book Reviews appeared first on Dine and Dish.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss was a big surprise to me because I really did not love it. I feel like maybe I lost something important I should have caught in this book, as so many people have raved about it.  I think the premise of the book is a beautiful one, and the writing was lovely, but I was lost the whole time and had to force myself to keep reading so I could try and figure out why this book was so loved. Maybe I’m not deep enough… or maybe I have too many distractions going on in my life to be able to focus solely on the plot of the book, but at this time I did not love it. I will say this reminds me of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Ordinary Sadness of Lemon Cake because those were two books everyone loved and I really didn’t.

If you want a book that will make you laugh your head off, Bossypants by Tina Fey is the book for you. I actually listened to Bossypants via audio book instead of reading and highly recommend that experience as Tina Fey is the narrator, which makes the book even more fun. I’m not typically a “laugh out loud” person, but I found myself laughing uncontrollably at parts. If you are a mom, a woman, a human being… any or all of those… you will love listening to Tina tell her stories of rising to the top, impersonating Sarah Palin, being a mom, growing up, and more. I gave this one 4 Stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

I have read a few of Elin Hilderbrand’s other books and know I can always turn to her for some good “chick lit”, complex love and relationships kind of reads. The Island fits her style perfectly. The Island is a story about a mom, 2 sisters, and aunt, the men they’ve loved and lost, their support of each other, and their journey to move on with their lives – all while spending some time on a remote island off of Nantucket. I gave this one 3 stars on Goodreads. It wasn’t knock your socks off great, but it was a good, solid book definitley worth reading if you like Hilderbrand’s style.

As the mom of three girls, Dare Me by Megan Abbott, terrifies me. Dare Me is a haunting book about a group of high school cheerleaders and their twisted, tormented, crazy, messed up relationships with each other and their own bodies. Once you start reading it, you hope that the types of relationships these girls are having with their teachers as well as each other is not even close to accurate for how teens are today. Of course, it’s a fiction book, but even with that the story could not be saved for me. I gave this one 2 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

I’ll start off by saying I love books by Diane Chamberlain. Her cover images always pull me in and her writing style just fits with what I love. Her book, The Midwife’s Confession, is no exception. When midwife, Noelle, suddenly commits suicide, her two best friends set out to uncover what they might have missed in Noelle’s life that could have indicated she was suffering. As they begin digging, they discover that Noelle has a surprising past she kept to herself, full of shocking secrets she’s held onto for many years. Little by little, the two friends discover that Noelle was not the person they knew. She was haunted deep down by a secret she was too afraid to confess. I gave The Midwife’s Confession 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

That’s it for now. Up next on my list to be read are:

By the same author as Gone Girl, I’ve heard Gillian Flynn’s earlier novel Sharp Objects is even better! Since I really enjoyed Gone Girl, I can’t wait to read this book.

The Orchard: a Memoir by Theresa Weir is a book I picked up on a whim at Target. I haven’t heard anything about it, but I always love reading memoir’s so I’m excited to see what this one is all about.

That’s it for now. Make sure to tell me what books you’ve read lately as well as your opinions on any of the ones I shared above. For some of my prior Connect Through Reading posts including more recommendations, click here.

Remember, let’s follow each other on Goodreads so we can continue to share book recommendations with each other! Happy reading!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Connect Through Reading 2012 – 5 Book Reviews appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I listened to the audiobook of The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin while driving home from Spring Break. I can’t believe it has taken me this long to share this book with you, as I truly enjoyed it. This is a fiction book based on an actual person (Lavinia Bump), written as an autobiography.

Lavinia was a dwarf born in the 1800’s and she eventually was employed by P.T. Barnum (yes – the Barnum of the circus). This book is hard to summarize as the story is deep and takes the reader on quite the journey through her life, but it is fascinating to learn about what life might have been like for a circus sideshow performer back then. I found myself angry at Lavinia at times (she is a hard character to love during parts of the book) as well as laughing and crying as the story unfolded. It’s a great summer read, earning 5 Stars from me.

Grab your tissues for this one… Bloom by Kelle Hampton is a wonderful memoir about finding joy in whatever cards you are dealt. Kelle and her husband were surprised to find out upon the birth of their 2nd daughter, Nella, that she had Down Syndrome. If you follow Kelle’s blog, Enjoying the Small Things, you’ve become accustomed to Kelle’s raw honesty. In Bloom, Kelle takes us through her thoughts and emotions after Nella was born and allows us a glimpse into the life changing transformation of her family as they come to terms with what a future with a special needs child might be like.

Kelle’s writing flows deeply from the heart and grips you with such emotion, you can’t help but be drawn in to the special gift their family has been given. Full of stunning photography (again, exactly what you would expect from Kelle), Bloom is a must read for anyone struggling to count the blessings God has handed them. This is another 5 star favorite.

The Kingdom of Childhood, a debut novel by Rebecca Coleman, is a gripping story about a 16 year old high school student, a middle aged teacher and their journey to an extra marital affair that will change their lives forever. As disturbing as the premise of the book was, Rebecca Coleman has a gift of telling a complex story that would be very difficult to share in a way that keeps the reader riveted. I found myself completely disgusted as well as empathetic with both of the main characters and was anxious to see how the story ended. The Kingdom of Childhood would have received a 4 star rating from me, however I felt like we were lead along a very complex tale only to have the book end somewhat abruptly. For that, I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. I would still recommend this book as a good summer read and I can’t wait to see what Rebecca Coleman writes next. I think she is a very talented author and I hope we will be seeing more great things from her.

I am currently finishing up Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld and I’m looking forward to starting Defending Jacob by William Landay immediately afterwards.

I have plans to do a lot of reading this summer! Please share any books you’ve read lately that you’ve enjoyed in the comments section. I enjoy getting recommendations from  you all. Thanks and happy reading!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Connect Through Reading 2012 – 3 Book Update appeared first on Dine and Dish.