Summer. My favorite and least favorite time of the year. Favorite because I get a much deserved break from school. Least favorite because I hate the heat. Sweating and being hot in 100% humidity ranks up there as one of my least favorite things of all time, yet I still keep calling south Alabama home. Not for lack of trying to move, though. This time of year, I always ask Paul if we can please have a summer home in Maine. (He always says no.) Here in winter and spring, in Maine in summer and fall… Can you imagine? Those are my lottery winning dreams, though. Teachers don’t make enough for summer houses in Maine.
While I may be begrudgingly back to school in the hottest month of the year, I am reveling in a summer well spent. This series will recap all of the things worth sharing so that you can add them to your lists of things to read, watch, eat, do, visit, etc. Today we’ll start with some of my favorites from my main forms of entertainment in the summer: reading a watching. Here we go…
What I Read this Summer
June Books
Atmosphere- Taylor Jenkins Reid Storytelling at it’s finest. Set in the 1980s. Space exploration. Women in STEM.
It’s a Love Story- Annabel Monaghan Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity: she has to stay with him in his parents’ house! Really cute.
Broken Country- Clare Leslie Hall Best book of the summer…maybe the year. It is a genre-bender and worth every second of the time it takes you to read it. It was stunning.
One Golden Summer- Carley Fortune Favorite Romance of the summer. I had so much fun reading it. Set in Canada on a lake.
A Happier Life- Kristy Woodson Harvey This one’s ending was a tad much for me, but I like how Harvey writes about the south. It was a cute book.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women- Marie Bostwick Another favorite of the year. Four women in the 60s form a book club and it changes their lives. If you have a book club, you have to read it with them.
July Books
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue- V. E. Schwab This was the last book I read for the summer, and it was the perfect kickstart to fall reading. A woman makes a deal with the devil that makes her forgettable to everyone she meets. Then she meets a guy in a bookstore and he remembers her. Dun dun duuuuuuuun.
Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God is Holding You Close- Lysa TerKeurst When Bernie died, I was gifted this devotional, and it was one of the sweetest things.
These Summer Storms- Sarah MacLean When a billionaire unexpectedly passes away, his four children return to their private island for the funeral. They don’t expect to be met with rules for a game that they must play in order to unlock their inheritance.
The Return of Ellie Black- Emiko Jean Need to get out of a reading slump? Pick this one up. It’s a story about a returned kidnapped girl who is carrying more secrets than she can handle.
Emma- Jane Austen In honor of Ms. Austen’s 250th birthday, my book club decided to read Emma. Emma is a spoiled, selfish girl who fancies herself a matchmaker. Things don’t go according to her plan and she ends up being the one in a potential relationship.
Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put- Annie B. Jones Annie is the owner of an independent bookstore in Thomasville, GA that has a podcast I’ve been listening to for years. I knew I had to pick up her book about staying in a small, southern town even when she had big city dreams.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls- Grady Hendrix A perfect book for summer or fall. It’s set during an Alabama summer, and the descriptions of the humidity are on point. When certain girls find themselves in the family way but without a husband, they may find themselves wards of a home for wayward girls. When a witch disguised as a librarian gives a few girls some books that could help them with their morning sickness and other grievances, the girls are intrigued. Once they get in over their heads, they are on their own to protect each other from a lifetime trapped in the dark arts.
My Friends- Frederik Backman Another top five of the year books. A group of friends grow up troubled and carry their trauma into adulthood only to help out the next generation of troubled youth. Friendship is a powerful entity that could very well save lives. Read this book now!!
Don’t Open Your Eyes- Liv Constantine This thriller was just okay for me. If you like a fast paced plot and a bit of a thrill, you might like this one. I think she’s written better books, so I liked this but didn’t love it.
Is She Really Going Out with Him?- Sophie Cousens An adorable romcom about a single mom who lets her kids pick her dates and what they’ll do on the dates. All in the name of journalism and saving the magazine she works at. It was loads of fun and very funny.
What I Watched this Summer
The Hunting Wives (Netflix) Highly entertaining but bat shit crazy. As much as I hated the finale, I really hope we get a second season.
Leanne (Netflix)Wholesome entertainment. Hilarious and heartfelt. Think Reba but different.
Sirens (Netflix) Rich people behaving badly. Beautiful interiors, pretty outfits. Drama and deceit and I liked it!
The Four Seasons (Netflix) Hysterical. Four couples get together quarterly over the course of one year. Season two can’t come fast enough.
Ransom Canyon (Netflix) A little bit Yellowstone, though it could never, really. I liked it, though.
And Just Like That Season 3 (HBO Max) Hate watched for most of it. Why can’t they get it right? Oh well, it’s over now. I’ll be sad not to have Carrie Bradshaw on my TV anymore.
Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix) This was predictably stupid, but I giggled and felt nostalgia for the original. It was cool to see his wife and kids in the film with him.
Running Point (Netflix) Took me a bit to get into this one. Not bad but not great. A woman becomes the owner of an NBA team and has to navigate the job.
Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman (Netflix) Hilarious standup comedy. Women will love it, but I suspect men will find it humorous too.
A Family Affair (Netflix) This was really dumb. It’s the Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron one.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix) Binged so fast. I’ve been watching since they first started Making the Team on CMT. Couldn’t miss this season.
Another Simple Favor (Amazon Prime Video) Another dumb movie but the scenery was gorgeous. You do have to watch the first one to understand this one. However, I enjoyed the first one.
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Amazon Prime Video) (Currently watching) Really not enjoying this one as much as I had hoped. The college stuff in the early episodes was painful to watch. Watch Tell Me Lies for good college portrayals. And Jeremiah? Really? #TeamConrad
OOPS!
After making those graphics, I forgot that I watched two more things:
Sunset Boulevard (TCM) I was mesmerized by this performance from the Tony Awards and knew I had to see the film since I can’t see the Broadway show. It was good and gave me good context for when I listen to the cast album.
1923 Season 2 (Paramount+) Wow, what a show! It was extremely sad but very good. I just love Taylor Sheridan’s storytelling. If you’re a Yellowstone fan and haven’t watched the prequels, you need to get on that.
As you can tell, I’m well entertained in the summer. If you want my full reviews on the books, head to my Instagram and check them all out there. I hope you find a book to read or a show to watch from this list. Let me know if any of them were your summer favorites.
