Summer Reading

One of the great pleasures of summer is devouring a good book; sometimes a light read perfect for the beach or park or perhaps the dog days have inspired you to re-read one of the classics.
Joining a book club in a retirement community or through a local community centre or library can be a great way to make social connections while giving your grey matter a little exercise.  Discussion following reading a book can offer new perspectives and insight and can enhance the enjoyment of reading.

Visit Amazon Canada at www.amazon.ca  where lists of Beach Reads and Best Sellers offer great ideas for summer reading.

Here are a few book suggestions to get started:

• The Girl of the Train by Paula Hawkins tops the Mystery, Thriller & Suspense genre list.  DreamWork’s Studios has acquired the rights to adapt the book into a film.
• Judy Blume’s  In the Unlikely Event is a new “coming of age” release that makes for a good cottage rainy-day read.
• A God in Ruins, set in post-war Britain, by Kate Atkinson is the companion to bestseller Life After Life,  and gets 5 stars.
• Harper Lee’s much-anticipated newly discovered Go Set A Watchman releases June 14.  Originally written in the 1950’s and assumed to be lost, the manuscript surfaced late last year.  The book was the first submission to publishers before To Kill A Mockingbird and has gained much media attention.
• For bit of guilty pleasure, try Danielle Steel’s new novel Country or Stephen King’s Finder’s Keepers.

Many cottage communities have a “borrowing library”.  Area residents use a drop-box to donate used books that can be borrowed and returned on the honour system.  This is a great summer project to start with the grand kids.  For more information about neighborhood libraries, visit littlefreelibrary.org.