(Above picture, “Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck, published by Penguin Books.)

Heading into the summertime, I thought it would be helpful to compile a reading list of some of my favorite books that I have read in recent years.  I found all of these to be worth the time. At least one of them is in my all-time top 10 list. I kept the descriptions of the stories short as you can find more details at Goodreads or other internet sites if you see one that sounds interesting. I hope you enjoy my recommended reading list for summer.

My Source for Used Books

I like to read the actual paperback books, not the ebook or audio.  Audio books can be intriguing when the author is the voice reading the book.  I may turn to ebooks someday when I need a larger font to be able to read. I like to buy my used books at betterworldbooks.com.  They have great prices on used books and delivery is free.  This is not an advertisement.  Just a recommendation on where to find good prices on used books. They are very big on recycling books from one reader to the next.

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

One of my favorites.  This book (fiction) is about a young boy growing up in a Hasidic Jewish community in NYC.  At a young age he discovers he has immense talent in drawing and painting.  Others in the community notice.  However, life as an artist is not an acceptable path for a career in this community.  Does this young boy have the courage to go against the grain and pursue life as an artist?  It’s a rocky road.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Another good one. I like this book (fiction) because it centers around a community. This community is in Pennsylvania and is primarily a combination of Black, Jewish and European immigrants. It is about the intersection of the various cultures in that small town. Takes place in the 1920s and 1930s. A compelling read.

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Will Cather

This is a fictional account of two Roman Catholic clergy sent from Cincinnati to New Mexico to establish a diocese. It takes place in the mid 19th century, and they are going to uncharted territory.  If you think you summer road trip is a long drive, it takes them a year to get there.  Although it is fictional, it does include some actual historical persons. This book has a travel theme, and I happened to read it on an extended trip. 

Trust by Hernan Diaz

This book won a Pulitzer Price for fiction in 2023. The big takeaway for me from this book is that a sequence of events in one’s life can be perceived vastly different from one person to another. The main character is a wealthy financier on Wall Street. It takes place at the time of the Roaring Twenties through the stock market crash of 1929.  A fascinating and defining time in history.

The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux

If you live a big city like me, you may have wanted to “get away” at times. The father, the main character of the book, takes this to an extreme.  He and his family head south to the jungles of Central America.  It’s a fast-moving story, full of suspense.

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

This is a personal account of Steinbecks travels around the country. I did some research to determine if it was non-fiction or fiction. Based on what I found, it is semi-fictional, a term I was not familiar with. It has elements of non-fiction with some fiction mixed in. He travels in his pick-up truck converted to a camper. This book is clearly in my top ten of all time.  By the way, Charley is his dog. Great book to take along on your travels this summer. This is one of my favorites on my recommended reading list for summer.

A River Runs Through It

Another one of my favorites.  It is one of the few books I have read that I still have the copy of years later after reading. The book is a semi-autobiographical novel of two brothers. It takes place as they are growing up in the early 1900s in the mountains of Montana.  The story is centered around fly fishing which seems to merge with religion in the book. The imagery of the location is painted clearly in the writing. I had to look up the meaning of a semi-autobiographical novel. It is a book of the author’s own life experiences with fictional components.

The Paradox of Choice – Why Less is More

This non-fiction book explores the idea that too many choices can be worse than too little with many examples.  There are some practical lessons in this book.  The ideas put forth in this book are the very reason I like Trader Joe’s and its minimal choices for different food categories.  It is humorous and informative at the same time.

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy

The Turner House is where a family with thirteen children grew up.  They are all grown and gone.  The fall of the East side of Detroit has caused the homes value to drop to one-tenth of its mortgage balance.  The family must decide what to do with this house with so many memories.  An excellent read.

That is my recommended reading list for summer. If you find this blog useful, please contact me to receive notices for future blog posts.

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