Splendor in the Grass

I came.

I went.

I return.

To really have FUN, FUN, FUN! this summer, I had to momentarily suspend any and all expectations I had of myself. One of them, this blog. So in true laissez faire fashion, I walked away…and didn't look back…until last week. With summer winding down, I am anticipating the last few "structure free" weeks of what has remarkably been the easiest summer of my life. And while I intend to fully recap the highlights of our 2009 summer, I still have a few more days…and I plan to rock them out. Big.

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However, I have one exception: my summer reading list. I have lavishly spent my afternoons poolside or curled up in a chair somewhere READING to my utter delight. And I must say, with a little help from my friends, I have spent hours, even days, consuming one delicious tale after another. So, if it is your desire to read a few good stories before the leaves fall, here are my suggestions (in NO particular order):

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

What I can say about one, I feel about them all…these stories, characters, and lives will stay with you long after the book finds a home on a shelf.

If you'd like to read what your friends are reading, check out goodreads. Find me, and we'll be friends!