I’m really excited to see Cathy at 746 is once again hosting the 20 Books of Summer. I didn’t participate last year but I’m in the mood for a reading challenge and think this will be tons of fun.
I’m going for the 10 Books of Summer and my focus will be on my shelf sitters. I used to keep track of the date I added a book to my shelf but now I rely on books that are towards the back of my double-stacked shelves! ha…
Here is my pile of possibilities:
The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani; translated by Sam Taylor. I remember this one was quite a popular read several years ago.
Mendocino and Other Stories by Ann Packer. A book I’m pretty sure I bought after I read her bestselling novel, the Dive from Clausen’s Pier.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Wolves, woods and cold climate. I think that’s perfect for the upcoming hot months!
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything by this author and I have several of her books on my stacks.
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. The story of two sisters growing up under the care of a grandmother and aunts.
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin. I’ve been meaning to read this forever. I’ve heard it’s wonderful.
Innocence by Penelope Fitzgerald. A novel about a young woman’s love affair set in Italy after WWII.
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim. A vulnerable young woman, a dashing widower and an isolated country home.
Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Set in India in the 1920s and about the life of a woman trying to buck social constraints. I am almost positive I bought this book for a book group read selection back in the 90s!
Syllabus by Lynda Barry. I’ve enjoyed several of her books and think this will be a great book to spark creativity.
I’ve got quite the variety of books and yes, most are relatively short books so I hope to make a dent of my piles. Are you joining in the summer reading challenge? Have you read any of these books? Let me know if there’s one I should move to the top of the pile!
Thanks for taking part! Great list – I adored Housekeeping, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for taking part.
Yes, Syllabus is delightful, I think. Housekeeping is by the wonderful Marilynne Robinson, and it’s good, too. Enjoy your ten books!
Shiver sounds good to me, as does Innocence. Happy summer reading! 😀
Cathy746Books – Thank you for hosting and glad to hear that you loved Housekeeping! It’s going to be a great summer!
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz – I’m really looking forward to Syllabus because I’m really missing more creative play in my life so I think this will be perfect. I’ve not read anything by Marilynne Robinson so I’m excited about this book. It may just be the first one I start with!
Lark – I remember when Shiver was the book of the moment around blogland. I hope both are great reads. Hope you enjoy your summer reads too!
I haven’t read Mendocino and Other Stories, but I did enjoy Dive From Clausen’s Pier and, more recently, The Children’s Crusade. It’s been ages since I read Housekeeping, so I don’t remember much about that one.
I brought 6 books with me on our trip to Canada, but haven’t made much time to read. Too much fun sightseeing during the day, and relaxing or catching up on my computer in the evenings.
Hope you have a lovely week, Iliana. Good luck with your summer reading.
What a great idea–selecting books that have been on your shelves the longest! I wish you the best with the challenge. I haven’t read any of the titles on your list, but I have heard good things about several of them. I look forward to following your progress and seeing what you think about what you read!
I like your list! I have read The Weight of Water, Housekeeping, and the Perfect Nanny. All good. I should read Heat and Dust too. It sounds good. The Perfect Nanny is chilling and impressively written. I hope you enjoy your reads.
Lesley – I hope you do get some reading time on your travels although with all the beautiful scenery you are seeing, I don’t blame you for just enjoying that! Hopefully you’ll also find some cute bookshops along the way!
Literary Feline – Those poor books have been waiting forever! haha.. I haven’t started one yet but hopefully this weekend I’ll finally get to one.
Susan – I may save the Perfect Nanny for Women in Translation month. So glad to hear you enjoyed those books. I’m thinking of probably starting with Housekeeping and I probably need to start soon so I don’t fall behind!
Good luck with the reading challenge I haven’t read any of these but The Weight of Water caught my eye because of the mystery.
I’ve only read Shiver and I loved it! Have fun with the reading challenge and happy reading! 🙂