Retro Stripe Bikini + Summer Reading List

Every summer, I create a reading list.  I LOVE to read, but I don’t often feel like I have the time to read.  This summer though, I’m committed to finishing at least a handful of books and I have a better chance than ever of following through.  See what’s made the cut.

Stripe Bikini: Top, Bottom | Cardigan/Cover-up | Bracelets | Sunglasses

Happy Friday!  As I’ve mentioned to you all, I’ve been on the go a bit lately.  Just so that you don’t think I’ve just been hanging by the pool and lounging on the beach everyday (you didn’t think that, did you?), that’s only been like a teeny tiny bit of my travels.  I’ve mostly just been visiting with friends and family.  I have TRIED to make time to read any chance I get though.  I have lots of books in my queue.  I’m a book hoarder – I get it from my mom.  But I’ve been trying to keep it focused so I can actually finish some books.

Before I dive in, let me share a brief disclaimer.  I’m not the most eloquent with words.  I used to find it much easier to write (you know, when it was required), but I’ve fallen into this super casual writing style for the blog and in the process have forgotten how to construct interesting and meaningful sentences.  So I’m going to just tell you about my experience with the books and leave the descriptions and reviews to the pros.

1. Tracks by Robyn Davidson

I originally came onto this book after I watched the movie on Netflix (super good, by the way).  It has some of my most favorite things as themes (camels and deserts). This book is Robyn Davidson’s memoir of her solo trek of 1,700 miles across Australia, on camelback.  I thoroughly enjoyed the film and couldn’t resist reading the book.  Normally I like to read the book first, then watch the film but it didn’t work out this time and I was actually kind of glad about it.  The book tells many more tales and dives much deeper than the film, naturally, so I enjoyed that I had some imagery to put with the story as I was reading.  Sometimes it’s disappointing when you read a book then watch the film and it looks so different than what you had imagined.  This way, I didn’t have that experience.  I connected with Davidson very deeply even though she wrote this book decades ago.  If you like books like Eat, Pray, Love and Wild, you’ll likely enjoy this.

2. All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I resisted this one for a while.  I saw it on the stands at Target and Barnes and Nobles and it kept coming up on my Goodreads and Audible, but I just didn’t think I’d like it.  Then, in preparation for my solo drive to Florida, I decided to give the audiobook a shot.  When I started my drive, it took my just a minute to get into the book, then I was hooked.  By the time I stopped for lunch, I was in.  I spent half an hour sitting alone in Chick-Fil-A reading everything I could about the book.  The book is set around World War II and follows a young, blind-girl whose father is the locksmith at the Museum of Natural History in Paris and an orphan named Werner and his sister.  The story is beautiful and it is beautifully written, but not overly embellished.  JR Moehringer, author of The Tender Bar, put it this way “Anthony Doerr sees the world as a scientist, but feels it as a poet.”  When I read that quote, I thought to myself “that’s it! That’s why I like this book.”

3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I started this book when I went to Denver to visit my grandparents with my sisters but I wasn’t able to finish it.  I switched to the audiobook, and it was just taking me a LONG time.  I listened to it on my drive back from Florida and remembered how much I loved it.  It’s a post-apocalyptic tale that spans decades and switches back and forth between many characters.  I have this terrible habit of guessing the ending of books and movies before I get there.  I had an idea where this book was going but there were still pieces that surprised me throughout.  Of all the books on this list, I think this one kept me the most engaged.

What are you reading this summer?  I’m taking recommendations!