Pool Reads

I’m a pretty avid reader and have been since I was about 11 years old. My mother and I used to travel from Connecticut into New York City on the Metro North train for auditions and modeling work. It was a 45 minute train ride and I would immerse myself in a good book to pass the time. When I was a tween I was a devoted fan of The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins series. I also loved to pick up the current Archie Comic book from my favorite magazine stand in Grand Central station. I was pretty obsessed with Archie and the gang in those days. Though I may have outgrown my childhood book preferences I never outgrew my passion for reading.

One of my all time favorite things to do is to spend an entire afternoon in Barnes & Noble. I travel from floor to floor perusing everything from new fiction to self help to the young adult section. Ok I may not have completely outgrown my early reading preferences but I’m pretty sure the selection for teenagers is a lot more sophisticated than in my day. Now I sound like I’m 110 years old. Anyway, I never leave the store without at least a dozen new books to read and am always chomping on the bit to get home and dive into one. So for any of you out there who love a good story as much as I do, here’s what I was reading this summer by the pool, or on the couch, or in bed, or wherever I can find some peace and quiet!

I've read all four of these and can highly recommend them all.

A Touch of Stardust is a really engaging and revealing story about the making of Gone with the Wind, Carole Lombard and her love affair with Clark Gable. For anyone, like me, who is fascinated by old Hollywood and wishes they could have been a part of the scene back then, this is a great absorbing read.

Tiny Little Things is another riveting tale set in another era. I don’t know about you but I love immersing myself in the past, especially when it has a hint of glamour to it. This ones got secrets, intrigue and betrayal all wrapped up in one juicy tale. It’s the perfect summer read in my book, get it? Get what I did there?

Three Wishes is from one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all her other books and they are equally as wonderful as this one. I couldn’t choose a favorite of the three sisters at the center of this tale. Each one has an equally hilarious and compelling story. I was left feeling a little bereft once I finished the book, like I was parting ways with three fantastically fun and interesting new girlfriends.

Two If By Sea is a sweeping, you need plenty of alone time and NO distractions, kind of novel. The characters are so richly and intimately drawn that I could truly feel their essence as I read about them. The story incorporates several themes but I really loved the magical aspect of it and the emotional connections between the characters.

These are on my read next list.

This group of books really runs the gamut of themes. I’ve got a little mystery, some chick lit, and a couple of lifestyle books that caught my eye. I can’t wait to dive into these reads and will let you know my thoughts once I’ve plowed through them all! Here are the links in case you’re intrigued and want to check them out before I get to them.

Eight Hundred Grapes

Maybe in Another Life

About Grace

Sweetbitter

Don’t You Cry

Pretty Happy

It’s All Easy

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17 Comments

  • Lynda

    Oooh i too love old hollywood. Thanks or the suggestions . My1st has to be A touch of stardust. We just move from Ssn Diego county to Lake Elsinore i was just readng how Clark Gable use to come fishing in the lake. My 3 daughter s. And now my 5yr granddaughter. We all love. To read. Thanks for sharing

    September 5, 2016 at 12:18 am Reply
  • Linda M

    I seriously love that pool float that your on would be the perfect spot to read a great book on please share here you got it

    September 5, 2016 at 1:21 am Reply
  • Nan

    Thank you for the book recommendations. I love to read and I am always looking for good new authors to read.

    September 5, 2016 at 1:28 am Reply
  • StaceyLeigh

    Have you read any of Lindsay Kelk’s books? I love her “What a Girl Wants” series! I devoured them by the pool last summer. 🙂 Fun lazy day reading as well!

    September 5, 2016 at 3:33 am Reply
  • Erin

    “Maybe in Another Life” was one of my topersonal reads this summer. I completely fell in love with the author’s style, and as a huge fan of “Sliding Doors”, I love the plot line. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

    September 5, 2016 at 12:32 pm Reply
  • Leanne foreman

    Love these ideas for pool reads! Try the Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher Mchale. Very good!!
    http://amzn.to/2cVxQBF

    September 5, 2016 at 2:07 pm Reply
  • Kat Antonio

    Awesome book recommendations! Growing up I was (still am) a huge Harry Potter series fan as well Sweet Valley. Now that I’m older I’m into young adult and financial books. 🙂

    http://geekykat.com/

    September 5, 2016 at 2:39 pm Reply
  • Krista

    I hope you love Eight Hundred Grapes as much as I did! Thanks for the reading suggestions- I’m a librarian always on the hunt gor a fun new read.
    Currently reading: All the light we canot see by Anthony Doerr (not so fun, but a fascinating tale of two teens during WWII)

    September 5, 2016 at 3:10 pm Reply
  • Cristina

    Gracias desde España!!!!!!!
    Leeré uno de ellos.

    September 5, 2016 at 4:40 pm Reply
  • Dina savoroski

    My favorite book of all time is, INTO THE WILD by Jon Krakaur. They made a movie of it but it didn’t touch me in my soul the way the book did. I was so moved by this true story, I sold my home, gave all my belongings away and almost moved to Alaska. I bought several copies on Amazon and passed them out to all my friends and begged them to read the story. I sometimes felt like the female version of the main person. In my days of lonliness and trying hard to “find myself” I sought the comfort in anything by Sara Ban Breachnat (spelled wrong I’m sure). I would have been a lost soul without reading her books. Now I’m into anything related to animals….esp. pit bulls. 🙂

    September 6, 2016 at 12:21 am Reply
  • Lonita Bennett

    OK…now I think we are related!!! My daughter Michelle and I LOVE to spend time in Barnes and Noble and we come out of there with bags for both of us!! We love to read…about anything!!! I also love to read cookbooks – they are great reading as you know – and we are both waiting for yours!!! Love your blog…keep reading, knitting and baking and be Blessed!!!

    September 6, 2016 at 2:45 am Reply
  • Sarah Arroyo

    Spending my teenage years with my Godmother at Barnes and Noble, drinking coffee and reading books across from one another are some of my favorite memories. It’s really easy to just get lost in books for hours. Thanks for the suggestions!

    September 6, 2016 at 11:19 am Reply
  • Tiffany Wheat

    I tried to send you a message through the contact button and it either did not send or sent about a hundred times. I’m sorry if you got it a hundred times.

    September 6, 2016 at 11:18 pm Reply
  • Linda Guiffreda- Baker

    Don’t you think book reading–turning real pages is becoming a lost art?? Loved your suggestions Katherine,but have to encourage everyone to read the late Maeve Binchey’s books–Most are set in her beloved Ireland and around where she grew up–outside of Dublin–her novel “Circle of Friends” became a wonderful movie starring Minnie Driver–now her books ARE the yellow frosting on the cake!!!

    September 12, 2016 at 4:51 am Reply
  • Anja Pierce

    You should definitely check out a book recently released this last August by Colleen Hoover “Its Ends With Us”. The story is beautifully written, and really makes you sit back and absorb what is happening to your own head, heart and soul. It’s gorgeous. And the authors story is also truly amazing. She recently started a non-profit organization solely based off of donated books, autographed by the authors, turned into a subscription box slash book store. The Bookworm Box is closing in on doing nearly $800,000 in donations! It’s insane. Check it out, you won’t regret it, and will thank the world when you discover she has other books out for you to read for the first time.

    September 20, 2016 at 11:19 pm Reply
  • gena g on Long Island

    “When I was a tween I was a devoted fan of The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins series. I also loved to pick up the current Archie Comic book from my favorite magazine stand in Grand Central station. I was pretty obsessed with Archie and the gang in those days.”

    DITTO! Same same same. I loved dreaming about joining each unique group of friends or imagining which character I could be. You’re my tween books soulmate.

    November 21, 2016 at 5:30 am Reply
  • Susan W

    Love to read….thanks for the book recommendations. I’m reading The Language of Flowers right now,which I think is quite good. Just finished The Light Between Oceans which was also very good. I read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I have another one downloaded to my Kindle but can’t recall the name right now. Always looking for good books!

    January 18, 2017 at 8:55 pm Reply
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