Summer Reading List

June 27, 2018 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 2 comments

Summertime means vacation for many, and even though I don’t have any long trips planned for this summer, one of the best ways I relax and unwind is curling up with a good book.

Instead of being stuck with what to read next, I always spend some time in June compiling a Summer Reading List. Whether I take a train or airplane, some of my best reading usually happens in transit – and I like to have a variety of books in mind to keep me entertained.

READ MORE: Summer Reading List 2017

READ MORE: Summer Reading List 2019

This new Summer Reading List is as eclectic as my travel style, so you’ll find it packed with both fiction and non-fiction, covering my randomly-determined categories of Easy Reading, Memoir, On a More Serious Note, Self Improvement, & Thriller.

Here’s what made it onto my 2018 ‘Summer Reading List’:

EASY READING

Circe

by Madeline Miller

This Greek goddess who is the daughter of Helios breaks out into her own and after being banished by Zeus has some of the more memorable encounters in Greek mythology with the Minotaur, Icarus, and Odysseus. Billed as part-fantasy, part-drama, this will definitely offer an escape to another world.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

The Kiss Quotient

by Helen Hoang

As a former math teacher (and lifetime math enthusiast!) how could I not already love a book that has quotient in the title?!? The main character uses math to organize her life and decides to hire a professional escort to get her acclimated to everything dating-related. Totally logical, right? I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy this one. Plus, there’s already another book in this series planned for next year.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

When Life Gives You Lululemons

by Lauren Weisberger

The title might be a bit too cute even for me, but after a second book that most people didn’t read, this is the third novel of The Devil Wears Prada series, with former unfavored assistant Emily taking her latest Hollywood image consultant skills to ritzy Connecticut. Sounds like this one is going to be one entertaining read for summer.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

MEMOIR

All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft

by Geraldine DeRuiter

Written by fellow blogger Geraldine DeRuite, this memoir is by someone who describes herself as inherently unsuited to travel . . . but does it anyway. I can’t wait to experience all her misadventures in her several years of traveling the globe and all the ways she gets lost – literally and metaphorically – along the way.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Educated: A Memoir

by Tara Westover

Westover, born to survivalist parents, was nearly 18 years old before she ever attended school or saw a doctor. She was so motivated in her quest for education that it eventually resulted in her earning a PhD from Cambridge University. I can’t wait to experience this most unusual journey vicariously through her eyes.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Priestdaddy: A Memoir

by Patricia Lockwood

Patricia’s father, already married with children, gets unusual approval to become a Catholic priest. And that seems to be the most normal part of her upbringing! The memoir looks back on her childhood and her experience as an adult moving back in with her parents, and all her hilarious observations along the way.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Without You There is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea’s Elite

by Suki Kim

This book is from 2014, but feels incredibly relevant this summer as one of the only available first-hand accounts of what it is like inside North Korea. Kim is an investigative journalist who posed as a missionary to get a position teaching English at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology to the country’s elite. Her novel has been controversial enough that the author addressed the ethics of her being embedded there on her personal website, but regardless of how you feel about her methods, it is one of the few independent accounts available of life on the inside.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE

American Kingpin

by Nick Bilton

Set around the Dark Web, the underbelly of the internet, a single person created a marketplace for all sort of illicit transactions in 2011. By the time law enforcement finally hears about it, it is a $1 billion unidentified enterprise nearly impossible to take down. The story of the manhunt may sound more like a thriller, but I imagine the possibilities of the evil of the internet will have me thinking some serious thoughts along the way.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

An American Marriage

by Tayari Jones

Once this book got picked as a selection for Oprah’s Book Club, you knew there were some serious ramifications to this story. An American Marriage touches on America’s criminal justice system and wrongful incarceration, and the havoc it can wreak on personal relationships. This one is definitely near the top of my Summer Reading List.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Girls Burn Brighter

by Shobha Rao

On the surface it’s about two teenage friends who become separated and then struggle to find one another again, but along the way the story shifts from India to America and explores issues like extreme poverty and human trafficking. It ultimately seems to be about the friendship between the women though, which is what I find so compelling.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of the El Faro

by Rachel Slade

After watching a movie that involves an airplane crash while traveling on an airplane (2012’s Flight, in case you’re curious) I have no hesitation reading this highly anticipated book about a giant container ship that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle. Even if I end up reading it while I’m on a boat! More than anything, this strikes me as both a mystery solved and an unsettling look into the modern shipping industry.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

The Power

by Naomi Alderman

Named The Power because this book envisions a world in which women hold the power, but it seems to be grounded enough in reality that it reveals a lot we don’t necessarily want to see about power dynamics. Apparently terrifying at points when it takes situations to their logical conclusion in this alternate universe, the intersection of power and gender roles is bound to be interesting.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Three Daughters of Eve

by Elif Shafak

This bestselling author who writes in both Turkish and English spins a tale set in Istanbul, where the main character has to reconcile memories from her time abroad at Oxford University with the modern terror attacks taking place in Turkey. Turkey has always been at the crossroads of continents, but this story also seems to explore the far scarier conflict between modernity and tradition, and the violence that results when they clash.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Turtles All the Way Down

by John Green

The teenage main character chases a lavish reward by a billionaire, but the journey serves to unmask someone struggling vividly with mental illness and their attempts to cope. This story sounds like one that will draw me in and I just won’t be able to look away, even as she unravels.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, and Anna Rosling Rönnlund

When Bill Gates puts a book on his 2018 list of 5 books worth reading this summer, you pay attention, especially when he calls Factfulness “one of the best books I’ve ever read.” The book addresses misconceptions people hold about global trends and how we’re not as bad off as we thought. I am already thinking of it as the 21^st century version of “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” and hope Rosling changes my outlook for the better.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

THRILLER

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century

by Kirk W. Johnson

It’s the only non-fiction one in this category, but this one sounds like a real page-turning thriller. Unusual in that it tells the story of a heist that involved no violence, the American author happens to hear about the rare bird specimens that went missing in England two years prior and then becomes obsessed with the topic, doing his own investigating to find out more about this most unusual theft.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

The President is Missing

by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

Who cares what it’s about, former American President Bill Clinton and bestselling author James Patterson wrote a book together! Well, the title kind of gives the premise away anyway, but this a thriller that unfolds over three days that I can’t wait to read.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

The Wife Between Us

by Greer Hendricks

This seems to me to be in the same vein as Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, a suspense novel about love and marriage. From the reviews I’ve seen people seem to feel strongly about this one, and I get the feeling I’m going to breeze right through reading it to form an opinion of my own.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

The Woman in the Window

by A.J. Finn

A recluse in New York City sees something as she looks out her window that causes the whole spiral of the book. I haven’t read many of the details because I’d prefer to be surprised, but this might be the most-hyped book on this list – I’ve had it on hold at the library since March and am only just now in June approaching the top of the list to borrow it to read.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

The Word Is Murder

by Anthony Horowitz

I just read and loved Magpie Murders by the same author and his latest novel came out just a few weeks ago. The action seems to kick off when I woman is strangled just hours after arranging her own funeral. My previous read involved some quaint British mystery-solving in the style of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple or Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, and I can’t wait to see where this one leads.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

Two Girls Down

by Louisa Luna

Two young sisters disappear in a parking lot and their mother hires a bounty hunter and former cop to find them. I’m not sure where this will all lead, but it certainly sounds like an interesting premise that will keep me turning pages to see how it all turns out.

Check out versions and prices HERE.

READ MORE: Summer Reading List 2017

READ MORE: Summer Reading List 2019

Where are you headed this summer? Do you know what books you’ll be reading yet? Any great books that didn’t make my list? I love book recommendations, let me know what your favorite summer reads are!

And in case you missed it, my 2017 “Summer Reading List” is HERE.

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Summer Reading List: Books to Read on Vacation

June 30, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

Like many of you, I typically take a vacation of a week or longer during the summertime, and one of the best ways I relax and unwind is curling up with a good book.

I love easy reads on vacation, but if I’m gone longer than a weekend I want to have some more serious books too, and a mix of fiction and non-fiction to choose from. That way as I finish each book, I have a lot of options of things to read next and can follow my mood in the moment (as I try to do on any good vacation).

READ MORE: Summer Reading List 2018

READ MORE: Summer Reading List 2019

I’ve divided my picks into categories of Easy Reading, Memoir, On a More Serious Note, Self Improvement, & Thriller.

Here’s what made it onto my 2017 ‘Summer Reading List’:

EASY READING

Neanderthal Marries Human

by Penny Reid

I was first recommended this light-hearted author by someone in my book club as writing an easy read, smartly done. I read and enjoyed the first book Neanderthal Seeks Human when I was in Belize last month, and have been waiting for an equally relaxing trip to be lounging around and read what happens next.

Rich People Problems

by Kevin Kwan

This is the third and latest book in Kwan’s series about the ultra-rich of Singapore. I first got into the series when I visited Singapore for the first time last November, and it gave such a great insight into life there that it made my list of 6 Books to Inspire Travel in 2017. I’m sure I’ll devour his latest book too during my summer reading binge on vacation.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette

by Maria Semple

As far as I can tell, this book seems to be a cross between a comedy and a thriller, so I’ve stuck it here in ‘Easy Reading.’ About an eclectic mother-architect who disappears, and all of the creative ways her daughter tries to track her down. I’m not sure exactly what to expect, but it certainly sounds entertaining.

MEMOIR

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

by Lindy West

I’ve had a library hold on this one for over 6 months (since December of last year – yes, I looked it up), but the timing of it becoming available is lining up perfectly for me to be able to read it on vacation this summer. West’s attitude seems to be to find humor and fun on this crazy journey we call life, and she sounds so hilarious that I want to be along for the ride.

Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany

by Bill Buford

What kind of stories would you have to tell if you were a home cook that decided to go work for Mario Batali for a year? Bill Buford found out and tells all, providing entertainment along the way. Other than being funny, this also hits on two of my greatest loves: food & Italy. I can’t wait to savor this one!

ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE

Everything, Everything

by Nicola Yoon

About a girl who is allergic to the world and hasn’t left her house in nearly two decades. The book seems to pick up when a boy moves in next door and she’s sure she’ll fall in love with him. Due to the girl’s condition, I think there are more serious aspects to this one, although this might be the lightest read of my serious ones. I’ll have to read them all to find out for sure!

It Can’t Happen Here

by Sinclair Lewis

Nobel Prize winner Sinclair Lewis is possibly most well known for his novel Babbitt, however this novel written during the Great Depression about how fascism can take over has found a new audience in modern times. It sounds like a classic that still rings true today, and I’ve been loving some of the older books I’ve read that still have wisdom for the current day.

Mrs. Fletcher

by Tom Perrotta

About a mid-forties divorced woman with a son recently off to college, I think this one is a combination of wacky entertaining and deep insights into love and relationships as the characters make mistakes along the way. Another of the lighter, serious reads.

Standard Deviation

by Katherine Heiny

This one is not world politics serious, and is supposed to have many funny moments, but it seems to examine the nature of love and family in a deep way so I’ve mentally placed it as one of my summer reading books that may require deep thought. A man seems to be happily married with a son, and then the first wife comes back into the picture, causing him to reexamine his choices.

Exit West

by Mohsin Hamid

This is a love story set in a tumultuous, unnamed country about to have a civil war. As violence escalates, the couple decide to leave and the novel tracks their journey. Another one of those summer reading books that I’m expecting will be engaging, but also make me think about the issues it raises.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

by Mark Manson

I read one of blogger Mark Mason’s posts that went viral on 7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose (which I highly recommend!) and his unique perspective had me hooked. So of course when I found out he wrote a book, I was intrigued. When I found out he wrote a book about how to focus your effort in life to be happier, I immediately added this book to my summer reading list. Manson is wonderfully honest, but has a turn-your-world-upside-down style that I want to fully absorb on vacation, away from the hectic pace of everyday life.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

by Marie Kondo

Fine, so I might like to hold onto objects for longer than most people. Some might even call me a hoarder. But for me things = memories, whether it’s a Broadway ticket stub from the 90s or a map of Mainz, Germany that I picked up on my wanderings there a few years ago. Of course, there is the other perspective, coming from the acclaimed founder of her own method for organizing. I’m calling it now that I won’t take all of the recommendations she makes, but I am curious to see what I might be able to incorporate into my life to make it better.

THRILLER

Camino Island

by John Grisham

About a heist at a Princeton University library and a rare book dealer in Florida, you can already start to see how the drama unfolds. Even though this is not a book about lawyers, it does seem to be a thriller like most of Grisham’s novels, so easy summer reading.

Good as Gone

by Amy Gentry

Portraying every parent’s worst nightmare, a teenager is kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night. Then, years later, someone claiming to be the missing daughter reappears. I feel like I’ve seen a similar scenario on a TV show once, but I love a good thriller to race through cover to cover when I’m on vacation and have the time.

Where are you headed this summer? Do you know what books you’ll be reading yet? Any great summer books that didn’t make my list? I love book recommendations, let me know what your favorite summer reads are!

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6 Books to Inspire Travel in 2017

January 2, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

In case you haven’t already figured it out – I’m an avid reader. I especially like to read books set in countries where I’m living and traveling, and sometimes books I’ve selected for other reasons end up inspiring me to visit the places where they’re set.

To kick off the new year, here are my pics for the top books to inspire travel, and get you excited for your next adventure:

Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan

I started this book right before my trip to Singapore at the end of last year, and was so hooked that I immediately read Kwan’s follow-up novel (the third book of the trilogy is expected to be released in May 2017). A bit of a guilty pleasure or beach read kind of book, there is also a great sense of what it’s like in Singapore. Although many of the characters come from very well-to-do families, there are a lot of drool-worthy descriptions of Singaporean food and the street hawkers that make eating in this tiny island nature such an adventure – you’ll want to eat your way through Singapore, too.

Down Under / In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson

After reading one of Bryson’s most popular books, A Short History of Nearly Everything, I was hooked on his sense of humor and how craftily he uses levity to present facts in a memorable way. When I moved to Australia in 2012, Bryson’s book on his travels in Australia (titled differently depending on where in the world you live) was the first book I read upon my arrival. Not only are his descriptions absolutely hilarious, they are also spot on in portraying this island nation and continent. And although it was over a year later that I finally had the chance to visit some of the parts of Australia that Bryson describes, his imagery is so vivid that I still clearly remembered his passages and how exactly they corresponded to the reality on the ground. One of my all-time top books to inspire travel!

The Great Railway Bazaar
by Paul Theroux

This book chronicles the author’s trip by train from London across Asia and back. I read it during my trip to Sri Lanka a year ago – for the small part of the book that is set there – and ended up completely engrossed start to finish. Descriptions cover human nature and the train journey itself, as well as the various destinations on the train journey. For places like Vietnam where I’ve traveled before, I smiled knowingly as I read the passages, and for the countries I haven’t visited, I got a unique view of the culture through Theroux’s descriptions. Covering so much ground, surely one of the stops on this train journey will pique your interest. And in the meantime, the book will keep you highly entertained.

My Brilliant Friend: Neapolitan Novels, Book One
by Elena Ferrante

Naples is not always a destination for visitors to Italy, but this first book of Ferrante’s four-part series about two friends shows why it should be. The sometimes harsh reality of the city living in the shadow of a volcano also means that there is a vivacity to Naples – and southern Italy in general – that is just not quite the same up north. It is also a great window into the mentality of a southern Italian, and how challenging it can be to break the mold of where you were raised. Not only will you want to go to Naples, you’ll have a much better understanding of the city when you do. It’s one of those books to inspire travel you might not have expected, but will land you in an incredible destination!

Wild
by Cheryl Strayed

Raw and honest, the descriptions in this book are so vivid that I was quite surprised to find out that it had been written many years after the journey took place. In the wake of personal problems, Strayed decides to hike the Pacific Coast Trail solo. Not only was this book inspirational for me as a frequent solo female traveler, but it also illustrates how time spent outdoors can be transformative. If it’s been awhile since you’ve trekked through nature, you’ll want to get back out there after this read.

Yes Man
by Danny Wallace

Although there are some specific travel destinations that come up in this book, I took the most from its central idea – that people these days say “no” quite a bit, whether to an invitation to go out for drinks after work or a proposition for a far-flung vacation. And you open yourself up to so much more adventure and unexpected experiences by simply saying “yes” more. There will always be reasons not to take that next trip or embark on a new adventure, but you gain so much more by going anyway. I doubt most people will go to the extremes that Wallace did, but the underlying reminder is a strong one.

What would you pick as the top books to inspire travel? Which one has affected you most?

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Reading poolside at the Andaz Scottsdale Arizona Books to Read on Vacation - Summer Reading List

Books to Read on Vacation: Summer Reading List 2019

July 7, 2019 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 30 comments

Now that summer is here, one of the essential questions I am always thinking about is . . . what books to read on vacation!

Sure, I have a bunch of items that I take with me on pretty much every trip, and they are mostly clothing and accessories. But no airline flight or beach relaxation for me is complete without a good book to keep me company.

Or better yet, a fully loaded e-reader to have a compact way of taking as many summer reading books as I want!

READ MORE: 16 Packing Essentials for Every Kind of Trip

When I travel, I always like to read at least one book that is set in my destination. And since vacation is a time to relax, I also like reading some lighter reads – from romance to thrillers to laugh-out-loud memoirs. Maybe even take the distance from home and a clear mind to devour something interesting that is non-fiction.

Reading my Kindle at the Andaz Scottsdale Arizona Books to Read on Vacation - Summer Reading List 2019 — Reading my Kindle at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows in Arizona

The list below has a little bit of something for everyone, and is organized into categories, so you can jump ahead to whatever sections speak to you!

Here are my top picks for summer reading this year:

Books to Read on Vacation: Romance

Red, White & Royal Blue

by Casey McQuiston

This one sounds absolutely adorable. The son of the US president has a confrontation with the Prince of Wales, and then the fake friendship they portray (for damage control in the media) turns into love. If you like politics, or royals, or just enjoy reading about two people falling for each other despite difficult circumstances, this is the book to bring with you to the beach.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

The Bride Test

by Helen Hoang

I had so much fun last summer reading the first book in this series, The Kiss Quotient, that I’m excited to have a follow-up novel to read so quickly. The main character in this book was a side character in the previous book, although the story line seems to be similar with unrequited love and family meddling woven together into a single story.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

by Kelly Harms

The plot is simple enough – a single mom escapes to the big city (without her kids) for the summer and finds a love interest that turns her world upside down and makes her reconsider her life choices. Even though it’s a pretty basic premise, good beach reads are always in order for summer – and this is one of my picks because of how hilarious the writing is supposed to be!

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Books to Read on Vacation: Thriller

Her Daughter’s Mother

by Daniela Petrova

I am drawn to this book partly because its premise is interesting – what happens when an infertile woman accidentally meets (and intentionally befriends!) the woman who is her anonymous egg donor to have a baby. Also, I am admittedly drawn to read something with a title character named Lana – just like me! While the initial details of the book make it sound like a human interest story, the thriller aspect comes into play when the egg donor goes missing and Lana might have been the last person to see her before the mysterious disappearance.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

My Lovely Wife

by Samantha Downing

A typical suburban couple with kids gets bored and then somehow decides the secret to keeping their marriage exciting is getting away with murder. Literally. I admittedly know very little about the book since I don’t want to ruin the suspense and surprise of reading it. But it sounds like a fun page-turner not unlike the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith that will definitely entertain.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

The River

by Peter Heller

Set in the great outdoors of northern Canada, the peace of the natural surroundings are disturbed when two college friends overhear an argument between a man and a woman and then later see . . . only the man, paddling alone on the river. Again, I’ve prevented myself from reading anything that might spoil the story for me, but it sounds like this one gets pretty real, since descriptions talk about desperate wilderness survival. Don’t read this one on a camping trip!

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

The Silent Patient

by Alex Michaelides

When comparisons are made to Agatha Christie, one of my favorite mystery authors, I know this book is for me. A high-powered, seemingly successful marriage ends when the main character shoots and kills her husband one night the moment she sees him. And then goes completely silent. The book details the criminal psychologist who works with this silent patient to try and unravel the mystery of why.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Books to Read on Vacation: Historical Fiction

Death is Hard Work

by Khaled Khalifa

Although Syria is not featured prominently in the news most days, rebel activity and humanitarian issues continue. So picture the scene set by this Syrian author, imagining a man whose final wish is to be buried in the tumultuous Aleppo region in the family plot. Once the surviving children decide to honor their father’s last request, the story unfolds. I don’t know that I’ve read any books set in Syria, and am looking forward to learning a bit about it through this fictional story.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Inland

by Téa Obreht

This book won’t even come out until August 2019, but after devouring the author’s previous novel The Tiger’s Wife, I couldn’t leave this pick off my summer reading list, as I hope to read it while it’s still summer. Obrecht’s novels are part-historical, part-magical in her gorgeous storytelling style, with details unfolding in a way that completely captivates me. I’m also eager to read a historical novel set in Arizona Territory in the late 1800s after my recent Scottsdale trip.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

The Old Drift

by Namwali Serpell

I am drawn to what sounds like a James Michener style fictional tale spanning three families and several generations in Zambia, and based on a historical autobiography of Percy M. Clark called The Autobiography of An Old Drifter. It’s quite an ambitious scope for a debut novel, and I can’t wait to be transported to another place and time following along.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Vintage 1954

by Antoine Laurain

Like Inland above, this novel is part historical fiction and part fantasy. Drinking a bottle of Beaujolais wine from 1954 transports a bunch of modern day apartment dwellers to Paris of the 1950s, where they soak up the culture of that period while trying to find a way back to 2017. While technically historical, this is exactly the kind of wine-fueled exploration and light reading that is ideal for summer getaways.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

In case you missed them, check out my previous Travel Savvy Gal (TSG) Summer Reading Lists for *even more* summer reading inspiration:

TSG Summer Reading List 2017

TSG Summer Reading List 2018

Books to Read on Vacation: (More) Fiction

Daisy Jones & The Six

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This sounds to me like the book version of a cross between the cult classic movie This is Spinal Tap and Almost Famous. Set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the book is about a journalist seeing the inside workings of a hugely successful band of the era, and I love this idea for what a different type of novel this is. Reid is also the author of the popular The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so if you liked that, this summer reading book may be for you!

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Home Remedies

by Xuan Juliana Wang

This debut short story collection explores issues of Chinese youth, in China and America, touching on other serious and cultural themes as well. I always find summertime to be great for short stories, because you can breeze through an entire single narrative in one afternoon.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Queenie

by Candice Carty-Williams

If British humor – or should I say humour – is your thing, this summer read might be up your alley. Centered around a Jamaican British woman who breaks up with her long-time white boyfriend, there are more complex issues of race at play as you follow her string of bad decisions in the wake of the breakup. It sounds like somewhere between total fluff and a serious read.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

The Editor

by Steven Rowley

This one is vaguely historical fiction, but only because Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis features prominently, and is mostly a regular tale with a famous character inserted. Other than Mrs. Onassis serving as one of the two main characters, this book really sounds like it is about the relationship between her as “The Editor” at publishing house and a budding author who is struggling to finish a manuscript about his dysfunctional family. Of course boundaries are blurred, and the editor and writer relationship becomes the story. I want to read this both for the historical aspect and the focus on books – which I obviously love!

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Books to Read on Vacation: Memoir

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

by Tembi Locke

I’ve been back living in the United States almost as long as I lived in Milan, but I am still feeling like a former expat adjusting and continue to miss Italy. So of course I was drawn to this memoir by the mention of Sicily in the title alone, not to mention the story beginning when the author experiences love at first sight encountering a professional chef on a street in Florence. Of course, nothing is ever simple when an Italian family is involved, and I can’t wait to follow along for this story.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love

by Dani Shapiro

I am not one to do any of the genetic tests out there, but plenty of others are. Even just in my circle of friends, I have heard stories of surprise relatives or unexpected paternity. I know just enough to know that this is a not uncommon phenomenon and there are even support groups on the internet for people who are struggling with these unearthed family secrets. What I didn’t realize is that there is a also a book detailing one person’s surprise discovery about her father and how she reconciles it with the person she thought she was.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Books to Read on Vacation: Non-Fiction

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

by Caroline Criado Pérez

I am fascinated by the premise of this one, talking about the inherent design bias of fields as vastly different as medicine and the automotive industry. I’m interested in reading it because it doesn’t sound like just a litany of complaints by women, but instead is a reasoned, intellectual look at the assumptions we take for granted in the everyday world.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War

by Leymah Gbowee and Carol Mithers

Although this account was published in 2011, I only just heard of this book of how women in Liberia of different religious backgrounds banded together to lead a war-torn nation to peace. I love a feel-good story as part of my summer reading, and it’s even better when it’s true.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

by David Epstein

As a blogger, I keep hearing how important it is to have a focused niche where you are *the expert.* Which is all well and good for many people out there, but I really feel equally enamored about so many aspects of travel – adventure, culture, food, wine, expat life – and so I write about them all! I am hoping this book gives me a bit of validation, and am curious to see the flip side of Malcolm Gladwell’s argument in Outliers that 10,000 of hours of focused practice will lead you to mastery and success.

Check book and e-book availability HERE.

In case you missed them, check out my previous Travel Savvy Gal (TSG) Summer Reading Lists for *even more* summer reading inspiration:

TSG Summer Reading List 2017

TSG Summer Reading List 2018

Phew, that was a lot!

Obviously when I started looking into books to read on vacation this summer, I found quite a lot of amazing options to dive into. I can’t wait for summer travel – and summer reading – and hope you’ve found some great reading inspiration for the coming months as well.

Happy travels! And happy reading!

Lana

Any books on this list that you’re already reading and loving? What other books to read on vacation would you recommend for my summer reading? Let me know your summer reading recommendations below!

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