Looking for a few interesting, educational, and fun summer reads?

Here are my top Summer picks for books and Audible titles, featuring everything from home decor and gardening to crafts, quilting, inspirational reads, book club favorites, and easy reads for your next vacation!

Home Decor

Feels Like Home

I follow Marian on Instagram and was curious about her book and her story. This book is filled with beautiful photography, including flatlays and styled rooms. It is eye candy for any one who loves design and vintage finds!

House + Love + Home

This book caught my eye while I was perusing the home decor shelves at the library. When I read the intro to the book, I learned that Jenny Marrs was the host of an HGTV show called Fixer to Fabulous. I have not seen the show but her book was fun to flip through and has several interesting room stylings that are minimalist and cozy.

Gardening

Garden Inspirations

I opened this book and swooned! It has gorgeous imagery and gardening ideas that are Jaw Dropping! The book is full of beautiful floral arrangements in interesting vessels and garden details that you can incorporate into your own garden. It also includes stories about 10 famous women gardeners.

This book makes me want to turn our field into a green retreat with arbors, cement statues, secret passageways, and boxwood rooms!

The Money-Saving Gardener

I discovered this book through Instagram. Anya Lautenbach has informative tutorials for propagating plants and budget friendly planting. I’ve followed many of her ideas for propagation this summer and it has really paid off! Free plants for the win!

Crafting and Quilting

Quiltfolk Issue 30

I’ve mentioned Quiltfolk magazine in previous blog posts. It’s always a inspiring with interesting stories about people who love quilting! Great for bedtime reading or with a cup of coffee in the morning!

Inspirational

Bella Grace Issue 39

This is a gorgeous series of magazines. Each issue has beautiful imagery and lots of “lists” to ponder. I like taking this one with me on long car trips and reading the lists to my husband while he is driving. The lists are great conversation starters and he is my captive audience!

Audible for Travel

Jayber Crow

This is a wonderful story about a barber in small town America. He tells the story of his life while describing the people of his community and how change happened during his life time. I found it calming and also insightful on many levels.

Book Club Picks

The Silent Patient

A phycological thriller with an unusual plot and a surprise ending! It is a bit haunting so be prepared! Good vs Evil…strong minds and broken spirits…find out who will prevail.

The next two books are hard to read given the world and US political climate. They are very powerful if you read them back to back so be prepared to be uncomfortable.

Oath and Honor

No matter where you are on the American political spectrum you should read this book. It is an account of the investigation of the attack at the Capital Building on Jan 6th. I learned a lot about our constitution and the laws governing our election process. It also highlights the bravery of the people who testified, specifically a 26 year old women, and the capital police who protected the people in the building. They are truly inspiring.

Liz Chaney and I are not aligned on our political ideals but I admire her fearlessness in writing this book and standing up to political pressure.

Prophet Song

“This is a wonderfully written book about a women who tries to process the changes happening in her home country as it falls into a totalitarian state.” She tries to save her family after her husband is arrested. It gives an insight into the abuse of government power and what it would be like to flee your home to avoid persecution.

This book won The Booker Prize for 2023. You can listen to an author interview here.

After reading the last three books in this list it was time for some lighter, easy read, vacation style options!

Vacation Reads

The Language of Flowers

When I first started reading this book I thought..nope! The story is going to be too sad and I have read enough of those recently. But…as I read a few more pages I was hooked. The main character, Victoria Jones loves flowers and their meanings. She finds that she has a gift for helping people with their problems by the type of flower she selects for them. She does this while working through her past as a foster child and reconnects with people she loves.

The Lost Vintage

My husband and I have been carrying this book around for a few years. It has been our “travel” read and should have it’s own frequently flyer number. It has been to several countries and on many picnics. If you like reading to your partner…this is a good one! It is an intriguing story about wine, misunderstood family history, love lost and found again. The book carries you through two narratives at the same time…one from the past and one current. Discover how they come together!

I would love to know what you are reading and if you have read any of the books listed above. Leave your suggestions and comments below!