Living in a Book World

Am I the only one that puts themselves into a cast of characters in a book? When I fall in LOVE with a book, I put myself into the setting, maybe as a player in the book or as a character.

I LOVED Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton.  I read this about 10 years ago, but I still think about it and envision a certain neighborhood in my town as where the book would have taken place if it was HERE at the time. 

Summer makes me nostalgic for the book and I honestly think I may need to re-read it this summer, but I'm afraid it will break the spell the book has on me.

But as I walk through this neighborhood looking at the well-kept lawns of the older homes, situated on shaded lots near the local park I just imagine what this neighborhood was like in the 1960s and wonder about the women who probably walked their little ones down to this park and the friendships they forged.  The secrets they kept even from the closest of friends as they watched their babies waddle around and get dirty in the sad. The lives behind those beautiful homes --- who had a drinking problem, a wandering husband, a secret of some sort.  It probably wasn't perfect and ideal, but I'm the voyeur who wants to tour the old homes and think of the people who lived there before.

throw back photo of a visit to said park that puts me into my dream world

Please tell me I'm not alone in this weirdness.

Summer TBR List

Ahhh, Summer! We had 80-90 degree weather all weekend long and so now I'm firmly in the WOOHOO it's Summer state of mind.  

I thought I'd share what is on my radar for reading this summer.  It's my current stack from the library/what I'm keeping my eye out for at the library.

Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon - Recommended to me by Lisa and I just had finished The Wife, The Maid and The Mistress by the same author, which was super good! Hits my favorite topics, history and fiction! It's about the people on the final flight of the Hindenburg!

The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen - My friend Allie, suggested Darktown by this author and when I went to the library I found two other books by him.  I finished The Many Deaths of the Firefly brothers which was really good.  It was set in the 1930s about brothers who robbed banks.  So I'm excited to check out more by this author!

Still Life by Louise Penny - Lisa also introduced me to the Armand Gamache series.  And I have not read them in order, so this is the first one and I'll be trying to hit up as many as my library has this summer.

Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson - Because it's summer and I love Joshilyn's books! Excited to try this one.

A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean - Because what is summer without a little romance? :)

We're Going to Need More Wine  by Gabrielle Union - I've heard great recommendations on various podcasts so I felt summer is a great time to check this one out.

American Lion by Jon Meacham - I've been reading books about presidents and/or their wives recently and this looked like a good one!

I'm also hoping to finally read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, Love and Ruin by Paula McLain, and probably more mystery/thrillers.

What is on your Summer Reading List? What should I add to mine?