Summer book recommendations
Imagine sitting under a shady tree, sipping a cold lemonade while engrossed in a favorite novel. That’s a perfect Summer afternoon in my eyes; relaxing while savoring a good book. I have some great summer book recommendations for you, and they includes craft, fiction and non-fiction titles that I’m loving this summer.
Summer book recommendations
I really enjoy flipping through the pages of a good craft book or cook book. And I love settling into a good fiction book. Mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi and romance are often found on my list. However, the genre that I most end up reading (okay, buying) are non-fiction books. Self-help, organization, health and personal growth are among my favorites. There’s a place for everything on my bookshelf.
Craft book
I recently picked up Cozy Stitches by Celeste Johnston which has “12 calm & creative embroidery projects for absolute beginners and beyond”. Celeste encourages you to slow down and experience the therapeutic benefits of stitching. She includes all the information you need to get started, and I love that there’s a Cozy Quilt Sampler to help you get acquainted with the 15 embroidery stitches used in the book projects.
One of my favorite projects in the book is Simple Countryside Bouquet. That one will be just for me.
I’m already near the end of my first project, You Are Enough. This is a small and simple embroidery piece that I’ll give to someone close to me who could use a “gentle note to self”. An added bonus is that my oldest daughter in Texas knows the author (who lives in Austin.) Small world!
Quilting Book
The perfect book to inspire your summer quilting is Summer Memories by Susan Ache (currently 30% off at Fat Quarter Shop). This book is loaded with quilts and cross stitch projects that will make your summer happy just by looking at the pages.
I have my heart set on the Summer Picnic Quilt – I love those cute basket blocks! I have plenty of those dusty blue and red scraps in my scrap bins that would be perfect for this.
If you’re a fan of cross stitch, this book has that too. You’ll find projects ranging from medium to small for all things patriotic.
Fiction Books
A Court of Thorns & Roses
I love getting lost in the pages of someone else’s imagination. My daughter recommended A Court of Thorns & Roses which is the first book in a five-part series by Sarah Maas. It’s a fantasy romance novel that has a Beauty and the Beast vibe. On one side of an invisible wall, there are mortals who live in fear of those on the mystical side of the wall known as the Faerie lands. When a nineteen-year-old girl kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Thus begins the epic journey into the treacherous and magical world of the Fae.
The first book was good, but each successive book has gotten even better as I’m now on book number five, A Court of Silver Flames. I haven’t read a page-turner like this in a long while. It’s even more fun to have two daughters and my son’s girlfriend all reading the same series.
The Women
Although I haven’t read this one yet, The Women by Kristin Hannah is waiting for me on my bookshelf. I devoured one of the author’s previous books, The Four Winds, and I’ve heard this one is even better. The story follows a young woman, Frankie McGrath, who enlists in the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam. “She experiences the horrors of war firsthand, forming strong bonds with fellow nurses and a doctor, and faces the challenges of reintegrating into a society that doesn’t recognize her wartime service.” I’m sure this book will leave a lasting impression.
Red Rising
My husband, son and son-in-law have all read Red Rising by Pierce Brown and they highly recommend the entire series. This sci-fi fantasy takes place on Mars, 700 years into the future. It follows the story of Darrow who is a lowborn miner as he tries to ascend the ranks of a corrupt caste system. With six books in the series, this could keep you entertained the rest of the year.
Non-fiction book
I’ll be the first to admit that I buy a lot of non-fiction books without ever reading them. (Maybe I should try audio books). I have good intentions but they end up in a pile, unopened. Such is the case with The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher. I was so excited to get this book after hearing him on a podcast. He’s a trial lawyer who comes across as very authentic in his work to help others communicate during life’s everyday conversations. “Argue less, talk more” is the book’s tag line which seems very appropriate. I look forward to starting this one.
It feels a little indulgent to spend hours of each day just reading, but that’s what Summer is about. Relaxing and enjoying life in simple ways. I hope you’re inspired by these summer book recommendations to do the same.
For more Summer quilt-y inspiration, check out my Summer Quilting Ideas blog post.
P.S. Feel free to leave a favorite book recommendation in the comments!
Discover more from The Crafty Quilter
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Промокод Mostbet на сегодня. Промокод на 2025-2025. На официальном сайте букмекерской конторы Mostbet появилась опция, которая позволяет “бесплатно” ознакомиться с функционалом сайта и при удачном стечении обстоятельств еще и выиграть некую сумму денежных средств. Теперь это стало доступно по специальному промокоду Мостбет. Он дает возможность получить до 35000? (100$). Актуальные промокоды Mostbet на сегодня. Рабочие промокоды Mostbet в 2025 Все промокоды для Мостбет бесплатно: при регистрации, на ставку (купон), на бонус, на сегодня. Mostbet — одна из самых известных компаний в сфере беттинга. Свою популярность контора заработала во многом благодаря большому количеству специальных предложений. Так, к примеру, каждый пользователь может воспользоваться одним из действующих промокодов Mostbet на сегодня бесплатно. Ознакомиться с их полным перечнем можно в данной статье.
Промокоды Mostbet на сегодня. Получите бесплатно при регистрации бонус. Активируйте промокоды и делайте ставки на футбол, хоккей и самые яркие состязания – Лиги Европы и Лиги Чемпионов. Отличительная особенность букмекера – возможность использования купить промокоды или для активных клиентов, уже имеющих учетную запись. Они обеспечивают двойной депозит, бесплатную ставку (фрибет), специальный бонус на день рождения и многое другое. Актуальные бонусные коды для новичков за регистрацию, способы получения и активации, bonus программа на официальном сайте букмекера Мостбет. Бесплатные промокоды при регистрации в 2025 году в Mostbet.
Thanks for the book suggestions. One that I have read recently is “The Book Club for Troublesome Women” by Marie Bostwick. Not only is she a great writer, but she is a quilter and is a member of my local guild!
Another fun read is “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. It takes place in the Pacific Northwest where I live.
I am going to get The Women as it sounds so interesting. I just finished a book by former BBC journalist Mishal Hussain: Broken Threads. Her family in India was forced to move to Pakistan during the ’47 partition. In this book she investigates, through family letters and diaries, what that upheaval of family meant to her grandparents. It is a very moving account. The British do not come off very well, with the exception of a few enlightened Brits, like Auchenlick, who was the British chief of staff and had been a general in the 2nd WW. Her grandfather was his private secretary, even though he was a Muslim.
Thank you for the recommendations. I am always looking for my next read. I really enjoyed The Women and hope you do too. The Nightingale is another great book by Kristen Hannah. If you haven’t read the Finlay Donovan Series by Elle Cosimano, I highly recommend them. They are fun easy reads, perfect for a day by the pool or beach.
Hi Julie,
My favorite Kristen Hannah book is Nightingale. Although I loved ‘The Women’. Also if you haven’t read (recently) Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, it’s a perfect read after Hannah’s Four Winds. Same topic, different slant. I just finished The Wedding People by Alison Espach. An excellent ‘beach read’. I haven’t read any of Maas’s books, looking forward to checking them out. Happy summer reading everyone!
The Women – I just finished and it’s hard to put it down. Excellent book and very accurate as to the nature response when she came home. I lived through that time. Loved this book
Thank you for the recommended reading. We are boating in British Columbia this summer so I will definitely try to read these.
Hi Julie I just finished James by Percival Everett and loved it. Also My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier. I love the classics sometimes!!
When my husband was alive, we spent the summers in our RV either in West Yellowsont, MT or Buena Vista, Co. We did not watch television. Instead we became members of the local library and spent the whole summer reading in the evening. I did not read much the rest of the year. I am no longer spending the summers away and I have given myself permission to read whenever I want. I have read Kristin Hannah’s book The Women. It is excellent. It gave me an insight to PTSD I hadn’t realized. Also, the treatment of women veterans after the Vietnam War. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do. I relish my reading time now.
Hi Julie,
I love that you included book recommendations in this post. I’ve read all of your fiction picks, and they’re pretty spectacular. When you’re finished with those, you might want to check out It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
I’m challenging myself to quilt with curves this summer. Any tips?