I picked up Heat and Light by Jennifer Haigh at my favorite library (Kill Devil Hills, NC) even though I promised myself I would clear off my home bookshelf this summer. It’s hard to resist a new book when it is sitting right on the shelf begging you to check it out. I had added this to my “to read” list because of Haigh’s other books and even though the premise (Big Energy’s feeding frenzy) wasn’t too appealing, I thought I would give it a try anyway. It was only OK for me. Kept me reading, but I felt there were too many loose ends and not enough story to really enjoy.

I’ve had The Big House by George Howe Colt on my shelf for a long time. It was a selection chosen by a St. Patrick’s staff member a few years ago at the book fair. And, while I wish I had read it earlier, it was a perfect summer choice. At its simplest, it’s about a house and the family who is unable to afford its upkeep even though they have owned it for 100 years. But, it’s also about relationships and history and land. It was a wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. An added bonus was that it was written by Anne Fadiman (who I adore)’s husband who is a cousin of one of Dan’s friends. Dan’s friend, Russell, was featured somewhat prominently in the family story.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend was another impulse pick up from the NC library. I had read about it at some point and thought there was no reason not to grab it. You fall right into the story from the first page. And, while it lagged a little about 200 pages in, I’m glad I didn’t throw in the towel – I ended up staying up late to finish it. It’s a cute story about Sara, from Sweden, who has been penpals (writing primarily about favorite books) with Amy, from Iowa, for two years. Amy convinces Sara to come to visit her tiny town, but when Sara arrives, she finds that Amy has died just days earlier. Sara stays in town anyway and learns just how interesting small town life can be. This is a simple, yet charming story and a nice summer read.

I have had A Girl Named Zippy on my shelf forever. I’m glad I picked it up. It was a simple memoir about a girl growing up in small town Indiana with some laugh-out-loud funny parts. I was constantly interrupted while reading it, and it was still enjoyable.

Looking for a fun, light, and quick summer read? The Assistants is it. Tina is an assistant to the CEO of a media conglomerate. While she’s good at her job, the pay is terrible, and her student loans continue to make it challenging for her to remain financially solvent. When a mistake with the expense reports gives Tina the chance to pay off her entire student loan debt, she hesitates and then takes the plunge. Subsequently, she is blackmailed and ends up with a problem on her hands and worries that she will go to jail. Simultaneously, she falls in love with a lawyer at work. The story is a fun and entertaining one, and is well worth putting on your summer reading list.

Unfortunately for A. J. Waines, that Girl on a Train came out about the same time as Girl on THE Train. Girl on a Train was a good read, though a bit longer/slower than necessary. Anna meets Elly briefly on a train and is convinced that she didn’t commit suicide, though no one agrees with her. Anna seeks to set the record straight and confronts her own demons as she goes. While I enjoyed this book, it was slower than it needed to be and didn’t have the same drama as The Girl on the Train did.

A few more in the beach bag…

What She Left Behind was a depressing, yet delightful read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even as I winced while reading. Clara is sent to an insane asylum for falling in love with someone her parents don’t approve of. Alternate chapters are the story of Izzy who is in foster care because her mother killed her father. Izzy looks to find out about Clara and winds out learning about herself. Her relationship with her foster parents is a bit too shallow and the story ties up  a little too neatly, but it was a great start to my summer reading!

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith is told in three voices over three centuries. While I liked the story, and how it wove the three voices together (painter, forger, owner), it was quite slow and I didn’t much look forward to picking it up each day. It was more of a chore to find out what happened in the end.