My Summer Reading List

When I was in school, the last thing I wanted to do was tackle my summer reading list. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved to ready, but my books of choice rarely appeared on my assigned summer reading list.

As an adult, I only wish I had more time to read for pleasure. I'm determined to read more this summer and I've got a great list of books to start off with.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan 

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

This is pretty much a fictional account of the Duchess of Cambridge's (the former Catherine Middleton) relationship with Prince William. As an avid royal watcher, I can't wait to crack this open.

The Rocks by Peter Nichols

Set against dramatic Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves, The Rocks opens with a confrontation and a secret: What was the mysterious, catastrophic event that drove two honeymooners apart so suddenly and absolutely in 1948 that they never spoke again despite living on the same island for sixty more years? And how did their history shape the Romeo and Juliet–like romance of their (unrelated) children decades later? 

Romeo and Juliet-like romance? And a Mediterranean resort? I'm in!

Always Pack a Party Dress by Amanda Brooks

An authentic voice in the world of style and how-to books, Amanda Brooks, with her unique and enviable yet accessible style, has inspired thousands of women – of all ages – to find their own personal look and explore their identity through the clothes they love to wear.

I just finished reading this and loved it. A must read for fashion industry followers.

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume 

In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events that Blume experienced in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and exciting and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, she paints a vivid portrait of a particular time and place—Nat King Cole singing “Unforgettable,” Elizabeth Taylor haircuts, young (and not-so-young) love, explosive friendships, A-bomb hysteria, rumors of Communist threat. And a young journalist who makes his name reporting tragedy. Through it all, one generation reminds another that life goes on.

As a teenager, I devoured books like Summer Sisters, Wifey and Smart Women, so I'm excited to read Blume's first adult novel in 17 years.

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over the moon. She has a flawless Asscher-cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiancé willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won't be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel into a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. 

I love a  good beach ready, especially when it's sprinkled with plenty of luxury details and fashion references.

My Paris Dream by Kate Betts

Kate Betts’s captivating memoir brings to life the enchantment of France—from the nightclubs of 1980s Paris where she learned to dance Le Rock, to the lavender fields of Provence and the grand spectacle of the Cour Carrée—and magically re-creates that moment in life when a young woman discovers who she’s meant to be.

Yes, very similar to my pick from Amanda Brooks but this fashion-focused memoir is all about Paris, which, frankly, I can't get enough of.

Happy Reading!!