Hope you are having a good summer. I love sharing my annual summer reading list. This year marks 10 years of publishing this list. My first summer reading list was posted on July 1st, 2016. I have written this list with the help of friends, family and colleagues. Here is the link to that first post. https://nursesadvocates.com/summer-reading-2016
I hope you will print it off and save it for a cold night in February when you are searching for a new read!
First off are recommendations from two of my girlfriends from grade school…there are four of us and we keep in touch regularly. Last year, we started to have gourmet brunches/dinners. I hope to host one in 2026!
Kathy P is first up. She shares that she recently read The Dutch House and Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. I enjoy her writing style.
She shares that she is part of a library book club, so we are at the mercy of the Bucks County libraries (and there are many, many individual book clubs) in our reading options. Sometimes we have to wait a year for a popular book!
Recently read Dead Wake by Erik Larson about the last crossing of Lusitania. I found it of interest because it involved Cunard – a company that I worked for years ago.
Still Life by Louise Penny was good reading.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz was very good.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick was really thought provoking.
That’s it for my recent reading. Look up the reviews and see if any of these are of interest to you.
Next is Liz W, another one of my childhood friends. Liz is an avid reader and shares her favorites each year. Here are her recommendations
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi…it’s the big hit these days. It’s very good.
So is The Correspondent Virgina Evans – I read both. I enjoyed them.
I just finished an OLD book – Run by Ann Patchett – I love her. Five stars!
Now I’m reading non-fiction – The Code Breaker by Walter Issacson about Jennifer Douda who discovered CRISPR Gene Therapy. She won a Nobel Prize in chemistry. – those in healthcare would like this one for sure.
John of John by Douglas Stuart is next on my list.
I also just read More than Enough by Anna Quindlen – I love her writing. This was good but not one of her best. A few of her books that I liked are One True Thing and Black and Blue.
These are all on the waiting list at my library. These will probably take me through the Summer!!!
The Whistler by Ann Patchett…. She is up there in the top three of my favorite contemporary authors.
The Things We Never Say – Elizabeth Strout
The Calamity Club – Kathryn Stockett (She wrote The Help)
Several friends from my Facebook Community also weighed this year.
Elaine B was the first one to respond to this year’s call for books for my 2026 Summer Reading list. Her. Here recommendation was We the Woman by Noral O’Donnell.
Next is Beth B from Maryland. She suggested, the Bright Years by Sarah Damoff and
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall. Both were so good!!
Also, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Kathy S is a friend from my pool where I do water exercise classes. She suggested – The Poisonwood Bible. A Baptist minister takes his family to the Congo for an exchange program for year. They have 4 girls. Each family member writes a chapter during their stay. Mom also writes. It was hard to put down! Just learning what the local tribe thought of them and the father’s mission to baptize all the children was interesting
Maryellen G, another long-time friend and colleague, shared that she just read The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Loved it! Because of the request for a synopsis what I will say is it put me off at first because it is all letters and emails, but such rich life experiences unfolded.
Sister-in-law, Trisha D suggested the Correspondent.
Dianne S suggested – Horse by Geraldine Brooks and Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.
Laura O, a longtime friend and colleague, shared: The Other Wes Moore One name, Two Fates by Wes Moore. Two kids’ names Wes Moore shared more than a name. Both grew up fatherless. One grew up to be a Rhodes scholar and a governor, the other became a convicted murderer.
Last but not least, my brother-in-law John D gave me a great idea was to look up all the books your favorite authors wrote over the years. He did this with several of his favorites. What he found interesting was that many of their early books were their best. Try it out with one or two of your favorites.
Here are my recommendations for this year in a few different areas:
Radio: One of my favorite things to do on Saturday mornings is to wake up at 8am and listen to NPR (WLRN 91.3 in South Florida) Weekend Edition Saturday hosted by Scott Simon. He has a great show with many topics and guests from various areas. I always learn something. Here is the link. https://www.wlrn.org/show/weekend-edition-saturday. It might be at a different time in your area so check your public reading schedule.
The show that follows Weekend Edition Saturday is the is the New York Radio Hour with David Remnick. Again, different guests share insights and learnings on various topics. Today, as I put my summer reading list together, the guest was Alicia Keys. It was a great interview about her new show “Hell’s Kitchen” which is a story about her experience growing up in New York. I saw the show recently at the Fort Lauderdale Performing Arts and it was excellent. If it comes to your area – make sure you see it. Here is the link to the interview https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alicia-keyss-new-york-musical-goes-on-national-tour/id1050430296?i=1000775371980
Television: My favorite TV Series this year was The Pitt on HBO/MAX. It is a medical show about a 12-hour shift in an inner-city Emergency Department in Pittsburgh. It is intense and sometimes overwhelming. If you are a fan and want to join in on a discussion of each episode join me and other fans in the PULSE – Center for Patient Safety, Education and Advocacy Summer Series to discuss season two. The series starts July 6th and will cover two episodes a week. I participated last year and it was excellent to hear the views of others who watched the show. Here is the link to learn more and register https://www.pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org/summerseries
I also like HACKS. Hacks is a dark comedy-drama on HBO/MAX that explores the unlikely, often turbulent mentorship between Deborah Vance, a legendary and fading Las Vegas comedian, and Ava Daniels, an ambitious but “canceled” 25-year-old comedy writer. Reluctantly paired to revamp Deborah’s stale material, the two clash over comedy styles and generational divides while forging a deep emotional bond. The series started in 2021. I love how the two generational actresses interact with each other. It is funny, interesting and maddening at times.
On regular TV; I love FBI. Original series as well as the repeat shows on ION. These are interesting and bring you into how the FBI work and ‘always catch the criminals!
Books: My favorite book this year was Theo of Golden. My friend ML from the pool gave it to me just before I left on vacation. It was so good and brought out many lessons that we all can learn. I also love James Patters books, Michael Bennet Series, the Women’s Murder Club series and the Alex Cross Series. Also love Danielle Steel, Luanne Rice and Nicholas Sparks. I love this summer reading list
Substack: I am also into listening to Substack podcasts. My favorites are historian Heather Cox Richardson, longtime favorite from NPR -Diane Rehm’s, Dr. Archelle Georgiou, Letters from Leo (the POPE), Joe Paduda (workers compensation expert, David Dibble (long time LinkedIn friend), David Dibble, Eliza Warren, Nurse Redefined and Suleika Jaouad a fellow cancer survivor who I met years ago as one of the keynote speakers at the Case Management Society of America.
Hope you find something to read, listen to or watch from this years 2026 Summer Reading List. Thank you for following me! Have a great summer.
