My Summer Reading List is an annual post that I put together through the contributions of family, friends, and colleagues. I started doing my Summer Reading List in 2016 and have continued it to the present as so many people look forward to it. Feel free to click on the year if you want to read past Summer Reading Posts. 2016, 2017 and 2018.
This year we have a mix of books that will give you lots of choices as you head to the Beach, the Lake, or your Backyard.
Take time to review the list and choose a few books that catch your eye. If you have recommendations or want to comment on a book on the list, please put a note in the comment section. Here are this year’s suggestions.
Anne Cobb, is a long time case manage colleague. She recommended a book that she enjoyed reading called, “The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer by Charles Graeber. It was highly commended on in the Washington Post. On a humorous note, the author also wrote a book called The Good Nurse, where she bumps off the patients. Who knew?
My brother, Joe Hassell, shared this: “I always liked mythology, and Joey (my son) gave me the book Circe by Madeline Miller. It’s a beautifully written adventure told from the perspective of the goddess Circe. https://www.amazon.com/CIRCE…/dp/0316556343/ref=sr_1_3…
Emily McCrater, a Quota friend, recommended: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. She also suggested, There The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Both were great reads!
Julie Irons, a friend from Facebook, shared two books: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. Both are set around WWII.
Susan Galpin, a friend, an avid reader. Susan shared two books. The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman. The second book was Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. She shares, “I could not put this book down. It is a great read, no matter the season.
Connie Yu, a friend from the Case Management Community, wrote: I am currently on a personal finance kick. I believe everyone should read The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins and Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robbins.
Another friend from the Case Management Community, Lena Charles Tabriz shared: I recently read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I am now working on the second book in the series. It’s a good book/series of books because it combines several genres: drama, historical fiction, sci-fi, romance…and has a strong female lead. Check it out!
Anne-Lynn Denker, a fellow nurse and Facebook friend, shared a few books that she read this year: They were: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult and Night Road by Kristin Hannah.
Deb Ault, a leader in the area of case/care management and Patient Advocacy, suggested a few books that she has on her bed stand: Not Rocket Surgery: An Employer’s Guide to Controlling the Health Care Supply Chain by Mike Hill. Breaking through The Status Quo: How Innovative Companies Are Changing. The Benefits Game To Help Their Employees And Boost Their Bottom Line by Nelson L. Griswold. Health-Wealth: 9 Steps to Financial Recovery by Josh Luke. The Opioid Crisis Wake-Up Call: Health Care Is Stealing the American Dream. Here’s How We Take It Back by David Chase.
My sister in law, Trisha Llewellyn shares her tops books this year. They are: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover, Nightingale: A Novel by Kristine Hannah, The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck, The Woman in the Window by J Finn, and Normal People by Sally Rooney
Case Manager Friend and colleague Laura Ostrowski recommendation this year is Becoming by Michele Obama.
Next, we hear from three friends/nursing colleagues that I had the honor of spending time with recently on a trip to Washington, DC, advocating for the National Nurse Act. At the end of the day, we had time to relax, recap, and get to know one another over Margaritas, wine, and some great Mexican appetizers before we headed home to our respective cities. I asked each for their recommendations for this year’s Summer Reading List. Here they are:
Teri Mills is a good friend and the most organized, dedicated, and compassionate person I have ever met. She is the President of the National Nursing Network and has/ and continuous to worked tirelessly to get House Bill (HR-1597) a hearing as the first step in the process. I will be reaching out to all of you to ask for your help on this project. We have a magic number of co-sponsors needed to get a hearing on this bill. The most effective way to do this is to visit your member of the House of Representative and the Senate when they are on Summer Recess in August. To learn more, visit the National Nursing Network website at http://nationalnurse.org. To relax, Teri likes to read. Here are her top picks for the 2019 Summer Reading list. The Lost Girls of Paris Pam Jenoff. A fictional account of female spies sent to France during World War 2. The story is told from two perspectives – a young woman living in New York who finds a lost suitcase containing photographs of different women and sets out to find the truth about them and the women who are bravely fighting to save Britain. This bestseller is definitely a page-turner and perfect for book club discussions. Next is The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. A psychological thriller and a page-turner. A woman is convicted of murdering her husband and does not speak again. Her psychologist is determined that he can breakthrough her silence and finally reveal what happened on that dreaded day. The ending was absolutely unpredictable. Her last recommendation is Maid by Stephanie Land. This first-person narrative describes in detail what it is like to live in poverty as a single mom in today’s America. You will finish this book having a better understanding of what it is like to live poor. The Maid should be required reading for our policymakers in Congress.
Becky Bowers-Lanier is another friend/nurse colleague from The National Nursing Network. She shared that her reading has been pitiful this year. It seems like the summer is getting away from me, and I haven’t had an opportunity to really delve into my summer reading. I loved Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. I am also trying to finish The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris. Next up is The Mueller Report, which I’ve already started.
The last contribution from this trio comes from Cathy Lodico is another friend/colleague from the National Nursing Network. Here are a few books she shared: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This was written beautifully and kept you turning the pages to see what happened next. Revolutionary by Alex Meyers This is an incredible story of revolutionary wartime and the strength and determination of a young woman. Prague Sonata by Bradford Morrow, I just started this and wished I could sit at the Beach and just read until I am done!
Mindy Haber is a Special Needs Teacher and my friend from Water Aerobics. Mindy shared some fabulous books that she has read this past school year! The Great Alone By Kristin Hannah. I loved it because it took place in Alaska! The Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah. I liked this story because it was about a little girl who didn’t know how to speak and lived in the wilderness by herself. It’s about how a struggling child psychologist helped this troubled girl. All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. This book takes place in France during the war. The author explains how a visually impaired preteen survives by herself during bomb attracts and how a young man who is on the enemy side helps her live. Next is My Sister’s Secret by Tracy Buchanan. This book is about sisters, love, and tragedy. It’s also about scuba diving under cities that have been flooded years ago. She also suggests Educated A Memoir by Tara Westover. I loved this one because it’s how a girl survives in a man’s world and abusive father and gets an education. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. This is on my list because it’s about Middletown Ohio and how the people struggle to live. It looks at the Hillbilly lifestyle and how a boy grows and learns to be the best person he can be given his circumstances of a dysfunctional family. It’s about dealing with drug abuse in the family from a child’s perspective. Last, I’m currently reading Inheritance by Dani Shapiro. It’s incredible so far! It’s about DNA/inheritance testing, and it’s not always what you expect!
My Water Aerobics buddy Lynn Rutherford shared two lists. Lynn told me she likes to read and rotates from easy ready to more serious reading. Let’s take a look at her recommendations.
First up is what she calls her “Fluff, Easy Reading, But Well Written Favorites of The Year”:
The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster. This is ‘a coming’ to together of family and neighbors in Brooklyn.
The Monk Downstairs by Tim Farrington. A former monk moves into a single mother’s basement apartment and the romance begins.
Less by Andrew Sean Gear. A gay male, coming out of a broken relationship, takes a trip around the world and comes home full circle.
The Unlikely Pilgrim of Harold Fry by Rachael Joyce. An older man’s coming of age because of a letter and a very long hike.
Her second list is what she calls “My Learn Something Favorites For The Year” Books
Without Reservation by Alise Steinbach. Alice Steinbeck is a 50ish woman who takes leave from her job and travels around the world.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Very informative and very long….I saw thee play also! it was great.
The Overstory by Richard Powers. Ecology i.e. save the trees. It is long but interesting with a story. (A Pulitzer Prize winner)
The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure. Takes place during World War II An architect designs unique hiding places for Jews. (I think it is based on true facts)
Thanks to all who contributed to the 2019 Summer Reading List. I hope YOU find a few books to add to your summer! If you have a book that took you away and allowed you to escape for a few hours or taught you something you did not know, add it to the comment sections and so I can add to the list.
Happy Summer!
