Summer isn’t over yet!!!
My children have begun to bemoan how few weeks remain in their summertime heaven. I am plagued by similar sensations when I consider my summer project to-do list and the lesson planning and book ordering remaining to enable next school year, as my idealistic visions of wresting a few peaceful summer days dissolve before my the demands of life.
Nevertheless, I always find a few minutes here and there to read, and books can always offer an escape and – at the least – the illusion of rest as I live vicariously through the adventures or vacations of beloved characters. This is the perfect time for fun, easy reads too; before I can approach my ever growing stack of classic titles or more academic books, my mind needs to break and breathe – one has to stretch reading muscles before a climb, just as we warm up our legs before a hike!
Bearing all these thoughts in mind, here are some of my favorite fun and easy recommendations for friends!
Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day
By Winifred Watson
Have you ever seen the delightful romantic comedy bearing this name and starring Amy Adams? This is a uproariously funny yet charming escape into a proper society dismantled and reformed by a fun-loving young socialite and her newfound companion, a scrupulous spinster who is desperate to hold down a job. Fun caricatures scattered throughout the book enhance the comedic episodes and, while virtue of characters is bent at points, it arises at the end to accompany the fun. This favorite read of mine sparked an obsession with vintage classics!
Miss Buncle’s Book
By D. E. Stevenson
Imagine you are reading a novel, and then – you’re there in the pages! I don’t mean to imply that the author has laid bare your soul through a theme or a character – Sigrid Undset is my go-to for that type of ruthless literary treatment – but that you’re actually there, as a character in the story! Then, as you continue to read, you realize that all these characters are your neighbors! Of course, nothing else could ensue but a search for the culprit who has brilliant cut-down and built up every figure in your English village. Welcome to Mis Buncle’s Book, another vintage joy that will have you in stitches and pondering which character is your true literary foil.
The Other Bennet Sister
By Janice Hadlow
If you’re in pursuit of a sweet, endearing story without the shenanigans of a mirthful romp, this novel is perfect. Perhaps, if you’re an avid Austen fan, you’ve observed that the one Bennet sister left out of an ending at the end of Pride and Prejudice is Mary, the awkward and scrupulous middle one. Janice Hadlow has provided us with a lovely sequel to give Mary her defense and a story. Unlike other spin-offs I’ve read, this novel seems to keep the spirit and prose of Austen’s writing as well as consistency with her established characters. After reading this for the first time, I immediately sought to purchase my own title so I could re-read it at leisure!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
By Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
I admit – I have an aversion to trying out books appearing on celebrity booklists. Yet, this short epistolary novel was certainly worth my time! Similarly to the classic 84 Charing Cross Road, this book is set in post-war Britain. Within its pages, Juliet Ashton is writing to her editor as she travels and searches for new writing ideas while viciously beset with writer’s block. A random note from a farmer who now possesses a used book she had donated pulls her to Guernsey, an idyllic island recovering from Nazi occupation where she finds new friends, love, and inspiration. Juliet’s wit and light sarcasm brighten each letter.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis
By Patti Callahan
After a decades-long love affair with historical fiction, I must accuse this genre of too easily inclining authors to indulge in cliches and tropes. Plot is regularly sacrificed to historical dictations while the facts, in turn, are skewered by unrealistic characters. Historical persons appear as flat caricatures or romanticized embellishments to a single historical event ballooned to a massive size, apparently representative of an entire era.
Nevertheless, my addiction will carry on because every now and then, I stumble on a treasure like Becoming Mrs. Lewis. Having reviewed Joy Davidson’s poetry in A Naked Tree in the past, I was immediately drawn by this title and the inclusion of actual quotes and snippets of her letters and poetry within the novel only deepened by interest and admiration for this woman. This story attempts to portray not only her relationship with C. S. Lewis, but also to glimpse her soul as it is moved by art, love, and conversion. Would I could sit down with her for a chat! – this novel is the closest you can get to a proper introduction, and will only move you to return to her poetry once more.
Happy Reading!
