Summer is the perfect time to catch up on some reading and dig into those books that have been sitting on our shelves, right? You can hole up on your couch or head out to the beach and just spend the entire day reading—completely guilt free! So, in celebration of our chance to flip through hundreds and hundreds of pages in the next couple months, here’s my 2019 summer reading list to kick things off!
If any of these books intrigue you (or if you’ve already read one), or if you have another book that you absolutely love, let me know in the comments or on Facebook! I’ll be posting what you share on social next week!
Now, let’s all get to reading! 🙂
1. Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
This is a follow up to the NYT bestseller Girl, Wash Your Face. I love it because it’s a fun, witty, empowering motivational book that urges us women to stop apologizing for our desires, goals, and aspirations. More than that, she presents strategies for pursuing our visions and building our confidence.
2. The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St Clair
The Secret Lives of Color tells the unusual stories of 75 fascinating shades, dyes, and hues. There’s a brown shade that changed the way battles were fought, a very particular hue that defined Picasso’s blue period, and ideas like “scarlet women” and “imperial purple”—you’ll be surprised by what a prominent role color plays into human culture and history. It’s so fascinating!
My 2019 Summer Reading Book List
3. Let’s Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan
My latest food obsession has been with ramen. I’m super lucky to be living in San Diego and surrounded by a ton of amazing places! As much as I appreciate eating ramen, I also appreciate this super creative and fun cookbook idea! Not only is it beautifully illustrated, it also includes actual recipes you can try at home.
4. It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke
This fictional piece creatively alternates chapters between Veronica “Ronni” Johnson, licensed practical nurse and aspiring writer, and Violet, a woman living in an assisted living home. When Violet passes, she leaves Ronni a generous gift, as long as she writes a book about her life within one year. It’s warm, sad, funny, uplifting, and playful enough for a great summer read.
My 2019 Summer Reading Book List
5. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
This is an unforgettable memoir about a young girl who goes on a quest for an education. Born to survivalist family in the mountains of Idaho, Tara was never given a proper education. When she sees that her brother was able to get into college, she leaves her family, steps into a real classroom for the first time at age 17, and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. Oprah Magazine calls it a “coming-of-age memoir” and I think it really shows the beauty and importance of education.
6. Rules for Visiting: A Novel by Jessica Francis Kane
Rules for Visiting is all about a woman’s journey to reconnect with friends. May Attaway realizes she’s become more and more secluded—surrounded by plants and oblivious to the outside world—but once she’s granted a long leave from work, she decides to reconnect with four of her once-close friends, going beyond the digital, seemingly-perfect smokescreen of social media and into their very real, sometimes messy, lives.
7. Bohemian Modern by Emily Henson
I’m a bit of a bohemian at heart and I love pulling together beautiful inspirational home decor ideas. This book brings those two joys together perfectly, exploring all the elements that make a home eclectic and colorful.
Get Artsy With a Cute Summer Tote Bag!
Yolanda Fe Designs
By the way, if you need a tote to carry all your books around with you this summer, check out these gorgeous ones by Yolanda Fe Designs! Yolanda is a good friend of mine—we go way back!—and I’m so excited that she’s now painting and sharing her artworks in such a cute, fashionable way. It’s a stylish way to help support an artist, and perfect for toting your summer reads to the beach, park, or BBQ.
I share this reading list (updated each year, of course) on my blog and in my newsletter just once a year, and load it with the books I’m reading or fell in love with over the past few months. The rest of the year, I’m sharing valuable lessons on how to teach art and prepare art lessons in the Montessori classroom. So, if you haven’t already, make sure you sign-up for my Newsletter! That way you won’t miss a post and you’ll be able to teach art without any stress.
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