June 2022: What I’ve Been Reading

Hello! Well, I feel like I blinked, and it’s already Wednesday. Same with the month of June…How did it go by so quickly?

Today, I’m sharing the books I read this month.

While I did have more time to read, I also made a dent in my summer tv show list thanks to being quarantined in my room, and I have also spent some time actually crossing things off my “to do” list.

I think I will have even more time to read in July which makes me excited!

This month I read…

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Summer Love:

Summary:

When four strangers rent bargain-basement rooms in an old hotel near the beach, they embark on the summer of their lives. First there’s Ariel Spencer, who has big dreams of becoming a writer and is looking for inspiration in Nantucket’s high society. Her new friend Sheila Murphy is a good Catholic girl from Ohio whose desire for adventure is often shadowed by her apprehension. Then there’s small-town Missourian Wyatt Smith, who’s immediately taken with Ariel. The last of the four, Nick Volkov, is looking to make a name for himself and have a blast along the way. Despite their differences, the four bond over trips to the beach, Wednesday-night dinners, and everything that Nantucket has to offer. But venturing out on their own for the first time, with all its adventure and risks, could change the course of their lives.

Twenty-six years after that amazing summer, Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt, and Nick reunite at the hotel where they first met. Now it’s called The Lighthouse and Nick owns the entire operation with his wife and daughter. Ariel and Wyatt, married for decades, arrive with their son, and Sheila’s back too, with her daughter by her side. Life hasn’t exactly worked out the way they had all hoped. Ariel’s dreams have since faded and been pushed aside, but she’s determined to rediscover the passion she once had. Nick has the money and reputation of a successful businessman, but is it everything he had hoped for? And Sheila has never been able to shake the secret she’s kept since that summer. Being back together again will mean confronting the past and finding themselves. Meanwhile, the next generation discovers Nantucket: Their children explore the island together, experiencing love and heartbreak and forging lifelong bonds, just as their parents did all those years ago. It’s sure to be one unforgettable reunion.

This delightful novel from beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer explores the potential of dreams and the beauty of friendship.

Quick Thoughts:

I could not have loved this book more. It is the quintessential summer book. I really enjoyed the characters and their history with one another. The chapters alternated between “this summer” and “that summer,” which I really enjoyed. This book was actually on the shorter side, and it left me wanting a bit more.

Rating:

The Summer Job:

Summary:

What if you could be someone else? Just for the summer…

Birdy has made a mistake. Everyone imagines running away from their life at some point. But Birdy has actually done it. And the life she’s run into is her best friend Heather’s. The only problem is, she hasn’t told Heather.

The summer job at the highland Scottish hotel that her world class wine-expert friend ditched turns out to be a lot more than Birdy bargained for. Can she survive a summer pretending to be her best friend? And can Birdy stop herself from falling for the first man she’s ever actually liked, but who thinks she’s someone else?

One good friend’s very bad decision is at the heart of this laugh-out-loud love story and unexpected tale of a woman finally finding herself in the strangest of places.

Quick Thoughts:

This was a cute read. My mom actually read it too…and even listened to some of the chapters while driving to visit us. She said she liked the audio because of the characters’ accents. I loved the premise of the book that Birdy acted as Heather for the job. There were actually a couple of twists with the characters that I wasn’t necessarily expecting. This is a great, fun, and quick summer read.

Rating:

Harry: Life, Loss, and Love:

Summary:

From his earliest public appearances as a mischievous redheaded toddler, Prince Harry has captured the hearts of royal enthusiasts around the world. In Harry, Britain’s leading expert on the young royals offers an in-depth look at the wayward prince turned national treasure. Nicholl sheds new light on growing up royal, Harry’s relationship with his mother, his troubled youth and early adulthood, and how his military service in Afghanistan inspired him to create his legacy, the Invictus Games.

Harry: Life, Loss, and Love features interviews with friends, those who have worked with the prince, and former Palace aides. Nicholl explores Harry’s relationship with his family, in particular, the Queen, his father, stepmother, and brother, and reveals his secret “second family” in Botswana. She uncovers new information about his former girlfriends and chronicles his romance and engagement to American actress Meghan Markle.

Harry is a compelling portrait of one of the most popular members of the royal family, and reveals the inside story of the most intriguing royal romance in a decade.

Quick Thoughts:

When I went to pick up a book at the library, I took a few minutes to wander the aisles. I love the Royal family, so when I saw this book about Harry on the display, I decided to read it. The book had a quick pace. Nicholl gave lots of info, but it wasn’t a complete deep dive into all the things. I actually realized how much I kind of already knew about Harry, but this filled in some of the blanks. Of course, this was written before Harry and Meghan moved to the US, so I’d love an update on the family dynamics now!

This same author (who I do recognized from tv interviews) has a book about Kate that I’ve picked up as well.

Rating:

Also, this month:

When I looked at my June list and saw that I “only” read three books, I kept thinking that couldn’t be correct. Well, then I remembered that I started a book (now I can’t even remember the name), and quit after about 100 pages.

I’m also halfway through this book, and I’m loving it. I will share more about it in July.

Summer Reading Update:

• Read: Summer Love, The Summer Job, The Summer Getaway
• Kindle: I have One Italian Summer downloaded on my Kindle, and I hope to get to it soon.
• On the wait list: Under the Southern Sky, The Hotel Nantucket, The Boardwalk Bookshop, Out of the Clear Blue Sky

I’m also excited to read Emily Giffin’s new book Meant to Be. It seems to be one of the books many people are reading this summer. While I don’t often purchase books, I went ahead and ordered it from Amazon.

What are books have you read this month?