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Summer Reading Wrap-Up: 34 Books in Three Months

Summer Reading Wrap-Up: 34 Books in Three Months post image

I realized about two weeks ago that I haven’t done a monthly reading wrap-up since May — a combination of vacations and other commitments, I think. I love doing these because I like taking at least a few minutes to look back on what I’ve been reading. It’s easy to forget sometimes!

I’ve read so many wonderful books this summer, I almost can’t believe it. I think the reason I read so many books is because when I read something great it inspires me to read more and more and more. Does that happen to anyone else? It’s great when that happens.

June

I read a respectable nine books in June. I struggled a little bit late in the month as I was prepping for vacation and feeling pretty stressed, but still finished a couple of books that I adored right at the end. My favorite of the month was, hands down, Ten Letters by Eli Saslow.

  1. Hanel, Rachel: We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down (memoir)
  2. Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (YA fiction)
  3. Van Booy, Simon: The Illusion of Separateness (fiction)
  4. Rybczynsk, Witold: Last Harvest (nonfiction)
  5. Horn, Stacy: Imperfect Harmony (memoir)
  6. Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (YA fiction)
  7. Collins, Paul: Duel With the Devil (narrative nonfiction)
  8. Glei, Jocelyn: Manage Your Day-to-Day (nonfiction)
  9. Saslow, Eli: Ten Letters (narrative nonfiction)

July

I was on vacation for about the first 10 days of the month, so I got a lot of reading done. After that, my focus turned to a few “required” books — book tours, paid reviews, and Bloggers Recommend choices — but I still finished an impressive (for me) 12 books. My favorites were probably two audio books, Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. They were fantastic YA fantasy.

  1. Barry, Max: Lexicon (fiction)
  2. Bardugo, Leigh: Shadow and Bone (YA fiction)
  3. Sonnenberg, Susannah: She Matters (memoir)
  4. Atkinson, Kate: Life After Life (fiction)
  5. Coffey, Wayne: The Boys of Winter (narrative nonfiction)
  6. Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (YA fiction)
  7. Sicha, Choire: Very Recent History (narrative nonfiction)
  8. Kachka, Boris: Hothouse (nonfiction)
  9. Le Page, Jody and Bell White, Sylvia: Sister (nonfiction)
  10. Brosh, Allie: Hyperbole and a Half (essays)
  11. Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (YA fiction)
  12. Bardugo, Leigh: Siege and Storm (YA fiction)

August

My 13 books in August were helped, a bit, by finishing up a couple books that had been languishing unfinished — Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed and the audio book of Insurgent by Veronica Roth — and a couple of comic books related to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I also went on a fiction binge at the end of the month, flying through Night Film by Marisha Pessl and all of Margaret Atwood’s Maddaddam trilogy. I don’t think I can pick a favorite from the month — nearly every book was amazing, and I can’t wait to write some reviews for them.

  1. Pang, Alex Soojung-Kim: The Distraction Addiction (nonfiction)
  2. Yang, Gene Luen: Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise (YA fiction)
  3. Yang, Gene Luen: Avatar the Last Airbender: The Search (YA fiction)
  4. Bishop, Patrick: The Hunt for Hitler’s Warship (nonfiction)
  5. St. Germain, Justin: Son of a Gun (memoir)
  6. Jackson, Nate: Slow Getting Up (memoir)
  7. Butler, Katy: Knocking on Heaven’s Door (nonfiction)
  8. Kizza, Tom: Pilgrim’s Wilderness (nonfiction)
  9. Strayed, Cheryl: Tiny Beautiful Things (essays)
  10. Pessl, Marisha: Night Film (fiction)
  11. Atwood, Margaret: Oryx and Crake (fiction)
  12. Atwood, Margaret: Year of the Flood (fiction)
  13. Roth, Veronica: Insurgent (YA fiction)

I spent Labor Day weekend with my family, first going to the State Fair with my sister then heading up to our family’s cabin for a few days. It was a perfect end of summer weekend, and I feel more at peace with the fact that fall is right around the corner. I haven’t really looked ahead to September, but a quick glance at my calendar promises a busy, busy month — I’ll try to get caught up with sharing some of that in next Sunday’s “Currently” post. Happy first day of school!

PHOTO CREDIT: ROB WARDE VIA FLICKR

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • bermudaonion (Kathy) September 3, 2013, 8:30 am

    Wow, you had a great summer of reading!

  • Care September 3, 2013, 9:31 am

    You got both O&C AND YotF read? Maybe I’ll read Year of Flood next… I’m trying to decide if I should abandon what I’ve currently got going or sit down and try to read til done. I’m bored about want to start something new and compelling. Happy recap! You’ve had an amazing summer, looks like.

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:44 am

      O&C was a reread, but year, I read them back-to-back, followed by an ARC of Maddaddam (I just didn’t include that because, technically, I finished it in September). I basically put everything else aside to read those books 🙂

  • Andi @ Estella's Revenge September 3, 2013, 9:54 am

    What a great bunch of summer reading! It is fun to look back at all the books. I had an excellent summer of reading myself and only hope I can carry it through!

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:44 am

      I’m hoping the good books will continue because this summer really was amazing.

  • Shannon @ River City Reading September 3, 2013, 5:11 pm

    You had such an awesome mix of books this summer. I’m really looking forward to some of your August reviews!

  • State Fair sounds fun! Everyone’s been going to State Fairs and I don’t think I’ve ever been to a State Fair in all my life. Next year I should plan ahead so I can make it to one and like, eat cotton candy and look at livestock (or whatever).

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:45 am

      I haven’t gone to the State Fair in a long, long time. But my sister had an extra ticket and I was going to be in town anyway, so she convinced me. It was a lot of fun!

  • Kelly from Readlately.com September 3, 2013, 10:02 pm

    Wow, so impressed!
    I haven’t read any Margaret Atwood and am thinking I should start with Hand Maid’s Tale – though I’m so tempted to jump to the trilogy because everyone’s going nuts over Maddaddam. What do you think?
    I bought “Ten Letters” on your Book Riot recommendation (one of “the best books we read in…” posts) but haven’t gotten to it yet!
    Oh and still haven’t spent that $10 gift certificate. Maybe because I know once I do it’ll be gone! 🙂

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:47 am

      That’s tricky. I loved The Handmaid’s Tale, but this trilogy as a whole is really incredible. O&C, the first, is pretty strange the first time you read it and takes a bit to get into the flow. I think The Handmaid’s Tale combines her interest in writing about gender and writing about dystopia, whereas the Maddaddam books are more classic sci-fi/dystopia, if that helps. My personal favorite Atwood (a favorite not shared by many, I think) is The Blind Assassin.

  • tanya September 4, 2013, 3:45 am

    Holy reading Batman! I can’t believe people who read as much as you do! I’m happy with 8 books a month and consider 10 a victory. Begs the question, do you not have a life? Though clearly you seem to. You’re an inspiration.

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:47 am

      Lol. I usually read about eight books a month, so this was definitely atypical for me. I think it helped that several were YA or comics, and that I was on vacation in July. I’m sure September will be much slower.

  • Rebecca @ Love at First Book September 4, 2013, 7:41 am

    I can’t wait to read The Year of the Flood. I read O&C a little while ago, and Atwood is one of my favs.

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:48 am

      She’s so great, one of my favorites too.

  • Emma @ Words And Peace September 4, 2013, 9:50 pm

    that’s a darn good reading summer! my summer total is only 23, but there are some great books!
    I REALLY REALLY want to read your June #3.
    here’s my August wrap-up, and my reading plans for September: http://wordsandpeace.com/2013/09/04/2013-august-wrap-up/

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:48 am

      Van Booy is such a beautiful writer. I think you will like him.

  • Charlie September 5, 2013, 2:13 pm

    That’s an amazing number of books, well done! Regarding feeling inspired after a great book – all the time. If a book was great I’ll pick up another straight away. Though it always feels more disappointing if that next book isn’t good than it might have otherwise.

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:48 am

      Yes, definitely. I’m feeling a little bit of that at the moment — I read a few good books in a row and now don’t quite know what to read next!

  • Allison @ The Book Wheel September 7, 2013, 1:21 am

    34 BOOKS! That’s amazing! What a great summer of reading for you 🙂

  • Jessica @ Quirky Bookworm September 8, 2013, 12:01 am

    I’m jealous! Alas, my silly pregnancy-addled brain can apparently only handle Candy Crush these days; it’s rather pitiful how little I’ve read.

    Off to investigate the Leigh Bardugo books though – I hadn’t heard of them!

    • Kim September 8, 2013, 10:49 am

      Bardugo’s books were so great — wonderful on audio. That may work for pregnancy brain?

  • Athira September 8, 2013, 10:07 am

    34 books is an amazing number! It’s wonderful to read a lot and I also find that if I read a great book, it makes me want to read more books.