Summer Reading List

Natalie's preschool graduation ceremony is today, which means that summer is just around the corner! T works a lot, so we don't go on family vacations (like, ever). But that doesn't mean I can't occasionally carve out a few blissful minutes for myself here and there. I'm hoping T won't object to me heading down the block to lounge poolside with a good book once in awhile.

What's on my list to read this summer?

• Mary Kay Andrews' Summer Rental

I reviewed Andrews' work before, and I'll plan on dishing with you all once Summer Rental hits the shelves in June.

If you haven't read anything by MKA before, I highly recommend her books. She combines colorful characters and a delightful sense of humor, with a love of design, thrifting, and junking to weave stories that will leave you wanting more. My faves are Hissy Fit and The Fixer Upper. Get yourself to the bookstore if you haven't read them yet! (She also has a blog!)

• Karen Ehman's A Life That Says Welcome

The tagline for this book is "Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others." It sounds like a great follow up to Sandy Coughlin's The Reluctant Entertainer, which I finished over the winter. It's been a long road for me to learn not to compare my home to those of my friends and to remember that hospitality is not about me--it's about my guests. I am still working on my attitude! I've had this book in my stash for awhile, and I'm determined to read it!

• Liz Curtis Higgs' Mine is the Night

I love historical fiction, and this is a sequel to Here Burns My Candle, an exciting retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth...set in 18th century Scotland. I sometimes feel like Christian fiction is too wishy washy, with the same characters and the same plot resolutions, but Higgs is a talented writer who gives her characters flaws.

• The pile of magazines sitting next to my big blue chair

This includes my issues of Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and Family Circle. I love magazines, but I rarely make time to read them, and it's even more seldom that I take a moment or two to rip out my favorite pages to file for later. This task alone could keep me busy this summer.

I'm sure there are quite a few more I could add to my list because I'm a very fast reader (finished the latest Sookie Stackhouse in a day), but my literary goals are to go through those magazines and read a few of my top picks.

{What's on your summer reading list?}