The Quirky Bookworm

Happy Spring! I am so glad the sun is shining, and we FINALLY have warmer weather. We are now getting ready for summer vacations and arranging schedules with activities, so our sweet children won’t drive us to tears by asking every five minutes, “What is there to do? What is there to eat? Can we go somewhere?” While I can’t help with summer scheduling, what I CAN help with is summer reading lists for the whole family.

One idea is to check your local library for summer reading programs by visiting their website or calling. Librarians are there to answer your questions, so never be afraid to ask! Sometimes public libraries will have reading programs where your child is able to earn prizes based on the amount they have read over the summer.

Visit Imagination Soup, a blog created by Melissa Taylor, a former elementary school teacher, literacy trainer and award-winning writer. Book lists are arranged by age and genre.

Book Reviews

I have been hearing about Jenny Lawson for the past several years now via friends, college students, TV, etc. and so, I was very fortunate and thankful to receive a free copy of Lawson’s most recent book release, Broken (in the best possible way), through NetGalley. Many of you may know Jenny as The Bloggess.

Title: Broken (in the best possible way)
Author: Jenny Lawson
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Page Length: 304
I didn’t know what to expect when reading Broken. Would I like her sense of humor? Would it be too harsh? Not only was I surprised by how much I loved her, but also surprised at how much I learned about her life and her struggle with anxiety. Lawson’s anxiety is so intense that there are many times where she is unable to leave her home. She hides in bed unable to face the world around her. She writes of hosting her book signing in NYC, and unable to leave the hotel after her engagement due to being overwhelmed. She watched people go by outside the window. Lawson writes “Becoming my own friend is hard and a struggle, but it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself,” (Lawson, 2021, Broken).
I found her writing to be relatable for those that struggle with anxiety and depression, which I myself do. I know what it is like to want to hide away and not leave a room, to practically pass out before needing to speak before a large group of people and the anxiety of having to talk to a stranger on the phone. This is a must read if you struggle yourself with anxiety and/or depression or know a loved a loved one who does. Purchase a copy here. Want to hear more about Jenny Lawson? Click here to read her blog and for additional book titles.

Title: How May I Offend You Today: Rants and Revelations from a Not-So-Proper Southern Lady
Author: Susannah B. Lewis
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 2020
Page Length: 224

Oh Susannah, you’ve done it again! I love her writing and have been following her FB page for years. She talks so openly and honestly about her life. Her writings do include Biblical passages and she is honest about her faith, but not from a judgmental, preachy way that is off putting. I started following her shortly after having Ella. I saw a funny video on FB and clicked over to her page. I really liked how she not only saw humor in everyday life and situations, but also at her ability to laugh at herself. In her most recent book release, How May I Offend You Today, she writes about how we take ourselves too seriously at times. Reading her books is like chatting with a close friend. Click here to visit Susannah Lewis’ website.

TQB Booklist: Summer 2021

The Hostage by Clare Mackintosh will be available June 22, 2021. Click here to purchase.

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins will be available August 31, 2021. Click here to pre-order and read a summary.

Such A Quiet Place by Megan Miranda will be available July 13, 2021. Click here to purchase.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica will be available May 18, 2021. Click here to purchase.

Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena will be available July 27, 2021. Click here to purchase.

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones will be available August 17, 2021. Click here to purchase.

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires) will be available July 13, 2021. Click here to purchase.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon is out now and is an Amazon Editor’s Choice for Best Mystery, Thriller and Suspense! Click here to purchase.

The Therapist by B.A. Paris will be available July 13, 2021. Click here to purchase.

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing will be available July 20, 2021. Click here to order.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is available now and an Amazon’s Editor Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller and Suspense! Click here to order.

The Turnout by Megan Abbott will be available August 3, 2021. Click here to order.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (The Silent Patient) will be available June 15, 2021. Click here to order.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens will be available August 3, 2021. Click here to order.

The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine will be available July 6, 2021. Click here to order.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid will be available June 1, 2021. Click here to order.

Classic Authors for Summer

Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger (The Devil Wears Prada) will be available May 18, 2021. Click here to order.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner will be available May 11, 2021. Click here to order.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews will be available May 4, 2021. Click here to order.

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand will be available June 1, 2021. Click here to order.

Family Reunion by Nancy Thayer will be available May 4, 2021. Click here to order.

The Summer of Lost and Found (The Beach House Book 7) by Mary Alice Monroe will be available May 11, 2021. Click here to pre-order and read a summary.

The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery will be available May 25, 2021. Click here to pre-order and read a summary.

No Way Out by Fern Michaels. Click here to order.

Meant to Be by Jude Deveraux. Click here to order.

The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne. Click here to order.

Blush by Jamie Brenner will be available June 22, 2021. Click here to order.

The Break-Up Book Club by Wendy Wax will be available May 18, 2021. Click here to order.

Books for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian. Click here to order.

Learning to Speak Southern by Lindsey Rogers Cook is available June 1, 2021. Click here to order.

All The Little Hopes is Leah Weiss’s second novel, which debuts July 27, 2021. Click here to order.

Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera is available now and was featured on Oprah’s Summer Reading List for 2019. Click here to order.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger was published in May 2020. Click here to purchase.