Summer seems to be the only season I take the time to read books for pleasure. I’m pretty selective about what I pick up, since I only have those few weeks to get my annual page count read, so I only read what’s tried and true – and highly recommended by people I respect. I thought I’d share with you some of the books I’ve enjoyed the most in the past few summers. Most are not new releases, since I generally find them at garage sales. Some are VERY old classics. Enjoy!

NON-FICTION

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, by Elizabeth Gilbert – I’m in the process of reading this right now. It’s a brilliant read about a woman’s search for self as she travels for a year across Italy, India and Indonesia.

French Women Don’t Get Fat – Awesome discussion about the French culture, which explains why the title is absolutely true. Rather than offering a “recipe” for weight-loss, the author describes the French philosophy to life, which celebrates food – but everything in moderation. Clearly I need to reread this book every year;)

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch – By now, everyone knows this book. It’s another one I should read annually, as a reminder about what’s important in life.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (Oprah’s Book Club, Selection 61), by Eckart Tolle – Interesting, spiritual discussion about how to approach life — living in the “present”.

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – the prequel to A New Earth.

FICTION

The Time Traveler’s Wife – Awesome, beautifully written, science fiction for the “romantic realist”. I’ve heard this story will be released as a movie in 2009. I hope the movie does it justice (hard to imagine!)

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter – Another beautiful story set partially in the 60’s, which is such an interesting backdrop. It’s about love, lies, and a child with Down’s Syndrome.

The Da Vinci Code — I love the mystery and the code-breaking, as well as the discussions necessarily generated about religion. I may read Angels and Demons this summer, as well.

All Things Grisham;)

CLASSICS

Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes – Heartwrenching and unique story about a low-IQ man who undergoes experimental treatment to increase his intelligence.

A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics), by Charles Dickens – How I never read this one in high school or college, I don’t know. It’s an amazing story, after you acclimate to the 1800’s language. The two cities are London and Paris, set during the French Revolution. Similar themes to my other favorite modern novels. Fantastic.

The House of the Seven Gables (Enriched Classics), by Nathaniel Hawthorne – I purchased this book in Salem, MA, when we visited the House of Seven Gables a few years ago. Also written in the mid-1800’s, this book is even harder to get through than A Tale of Two Cities, but it’s a masterful, mysterious tale. I also have the Scarlet Letter, and hope to reread it this summer.

Paradise Lost (Penguin Classics), by Milton - I have reserved this at the library, and hope to muddle through the poem to find the parallels to the TV series LOST. This classic may be a very difficult read, though.

What are your favorite summer reads?