what I read this summer (and what you should be reading too!)

I'm a binge reader, through and through. If I have a big project coming up, I don't even let myself pick up a book, because I'm the ignore-everyone, read-all-night type of person. I like all genres, but fiction is the one that really has my heart. I like my stories with real-life problems, what could be real-life characters, learning real-life lessons. Here are a few of my favorite fiction reads this summer.

Wonder - R. J. Palacio

This is a middle grade novel, so it's a really quick and easy read. It's about a kid born with facial deformities, and about his experience at public school for the first time. I love that they focus on the positives (and not just the few bullies), and that they tell backstories from other character's points of view. I'm definitely reading this to my class this year! Such a positive message.

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte - Syrie James

The author of this book spent years researching journals and other primary documents of Charlotte Bronte, and then she pieced everything together in novel form. Obviously some parts were embellished, but I felt like it was fairly accurate. I loved learning about life at the time, and how events that happened to Charlotte formed key events in Jane Eyre.

The House at Tyneford - Natasha Solomons

What a gorgeous book. It's about a Jewish young lady in WWII who has to go and be a servant in a manor in England. It's kind of like Downtown Abbey, but more historically accurate. I loved learning about life back then, and the rules between the "upstairs" people and the "downstairs" people. Disclaimer: it's a war story. There was a lot more death than I had prepared myself for, and it's incredibly heartwrenching. I ended up with tears streaming down my face in the end because of the sheer beauty of the book. But as long as you gear yourself up for tragedy, you'll love this one.

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

This was a re-read. What can I say, this is one of my favorites. I love how it's all one big allegory for the Great Depression - people run around, live lavishly, and do whatever they want with no consequences until suddenly, everything comes to a violent and desperate end.

The Time in Between - Maria Duenas

I really liked this book, about a girl named Sira who is left penniless and abandoned, and builds a haute couture clothing shop out of nothing. It's fast-paced and I loved the romance in it. The only thing I didn't like was it kind of felt like two different books - suddenly in the last half of the book she becomes a spy, and it felt disconnected from the first half. I loved learning about the Spanish revolution and WWII through this book though.

Edenbrooke - Julianne Donaldson

What can I say, I love a light-hearted regency romance every now and then. It was simple and sweet and incredibly addictive. This and the Sarah M. Eden books are my go-to escape for a few hours books.

What else should I read this summer?

I'm always dying for good book recommendations.

And if you want to see more books I've read this summer

find me on Goodreads HERE.