What I Read This Summer

Labor Day has come and gone and that pretty much marks the end of summer. Unless you're Eli, and then summer doesn't technically end till September 21st, so we have a few more weeks to make it to the Cadillac Ranch (the last thing on our summer fun list).

But, really, summer is over...and with it goes most of my free reading time. Since my schedule is looser in the summer, I tend to do more reading then. And I read some good books this summer. I figured that since I'm always looking for good books to read, I thought I'd share my list and what I thought of them.

Pretty Good Books I Read This Summer

WAR BRIDES by Helen Bryan. I liked this book. I'm a sucker for historical fiction and this one was pretty good. It ended a little abruptly, but I liked the intertwining stories.

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern. Beautiful setting. Nice story. Good, but not great.

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth. After reading The Hunger Games, I kept hearing this book pop up in those same conversations. It wasn't quite as good at The Hunger Games, but I still liked it. It probably would've been in the Really Good Book category except that those recommending it failed to mention that the third book isn't due out till the fall of 2013. How frustrating!

INSURGENT by Veronica Roth. Second book in the series. A little slower than the first (most second books of a trilogy are), but it picked up towards the end. 

THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak. I know a lot of people really love this book, but I didn't. It was ok. I'm all about a dark book, but there just wasn't much redeeming value to this one.  It just didn't resonant with me.

FLOWERTOWN by S.G. Reading. This was a fun, fast read. It kind of reminded me of Michael Crichton's early books, although it didn't take near as long to set up the story.

STRAYS LIKE US by Richard Peck. I read this book after I had read a different book by this author that I really liked. He has a very authentic voice to his writing and I liked the outcast view of things.

Really Good Books I Read This Summer

A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO by Richard Peck. This was the first book I read by Richard Peck this summer and it was amazing. Heartwarming and endearing, it told a lovely story about the best parts of family. This was almost the best book I read this summer.

A YEAR DOWN YONDER by Richard Peck. This was sort of a sequel to "A Long Way From Chicago", but not really. Same characters, but it happens a few years later, and I didn't think it was quite as developed as the first one.

THE ALLOY OF LAW: A MISTBORN NOVEL by Brian Sanderson. I've read THE MISTBORN TRILOGY and really liked it. I had a harder time getting into this book since it's kind of like a western meets "Lord of the Rings", but the second half read really fast. I don't know if it's a series or not, but I think it might be since it left several unanswered questions.

GONE GIRL: A NOVEL by Gillian Flynn. This was the surprise book of the summer. I only read it on the word of a friend who only recommends good books, but I wasn't very excited about it. It was so good!  I couldn't put it down! It, too, was almost the best book of the summer. 

The Very Best Book I Read This Summer

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green. This book is phenomenal. Utterly beautiful and haunting. I like my heroines to be dark or  broken or crazy and a story about a teenaged, terminal cancer patient is right up my alley. But even that cannot prepare you for the amazingness that is this book. I read it in about a day and half. I devoured it. And now I feel the need to go back and re-read it slowly and savor  it again.


So there's my list. I keep thinking there's one I forgot, but I can't put my finger on it. Now I don't have any more books. Did you do any summer reading? Any of the same books I read? Any books you would recommend?