summer reads

I don't get a whole lot of reading done -- I'm not, at least, while I'm finishing up this thesis -- but for vacation, I loaded up my nook with a lot of good reads and I thought I'd pass along my recommendations, in case you're looking for something new to pick up.

I ended up having the first two books on my list to read while we were on vacation, but ended up plowing through them the week before I left (instead of, you know, studying).

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
This one is actually non-fiction, which I typically don't read, but I found it fascinating.  Basically it's the story of the U.S. Ambassador to Germany in the 1930s, the relationships he built, and the problems he experienced.  (It probably didn't help that his 20 or 30-something year old daughter was a little more than friends with senior Nazis.)  Bottom line:  You should probably be a history geek to enjoy this one.

The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene
Claire is an American socialite who basically gets mad and on a whim, goes to France to find a former lover....but it's the late 1930s/early 1940s and she was clueless about the Vichy regime and the Nazis.  Claire gets involved with the Resistance movement, takes in some Jewish girls, works in a flower shop -- not necessarily in that order.  I loved this one.

Quitter by Jon Acuff
I read Stuff Christians Like by Acuff last year and I thought it was hilarious and spot on.  Acuff now works for Dave Ramsey's team and wrote a book about keeping a job he didn't like for so long just so he could prep for his dream job, which is where he's at now.  I don't know as I thought this was going to be my aha! moment in regards to me figuring out what my dream job is, but it definitely gave me a lot of food for thought.  I also recommend this one, especially if you're looking for a new job, you're transitioning into your new job, or you're trying to figure things out.

I also squeezed in the latest Sookie Stackhouse book while I sat on the beach, but that was just mind candy and nothing more.

I started Major Pettigrew's Last Stand on vacation but didn't finish before starting my thesis.  If I end up liking it, I'll review it later.

Happy reading!