Summer Book Review

My monthly book review took a few months off because I didn't read a whole lot of new stuff this summer; for the most part, I just kind of enjoyed things I've enjoyed before. I did read a few new things, though, so here's the short list for the whole summer.

Extra Virgin, by Annie Hawes. This is a story about two sisters who decide to go live on the Italian Riviera, and the title refers to olive oil, not what you were all first thinking. The characters are charming, the descriptions of the food and the countryside are spectacular, and it convinced me that I need to go live in Italy for a while (not that I needed much convincing). A perfect summer book.

Persuasion, by Jane Austen. Yes, can you believe it? This was the first time I've read Persuasion, and I loved it (of course). There's a little battle going on between it and Pride and Prejudice to see which will come out as my favorite Jane Austen novel. No need to fight, really, they're both quite wonderful. I get lost in the language, and I realize that in spite of everything, I'm still a romantic at heart.

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. I've been waiting for this one for a year, ever since I read the first two books in the Hunger Games trilogy. So I took a walk to Barnes & Noble for lunch on Tuesday and then tried really hard to keep my mind on my work until I could come home and read all night. And read all night I did—and then I stayed up even later just thinking about what I'd just experienced. I love books that can do that to me. It's emotional, exhausting (if you're like me and completely lose yourself in the book), and a very worthy end to a fantastic, well-written, unsettling story. Now somebody else needs to hurry up and finish it, because I have things I need to discuss!