By Lorie Ham
Do you love to read? Summer is a wonderful time of year to pick up a good book, find a cool place to hide from the heat, and escape into reading! It just so happens that August 9 is the official Book Lover’s Day, but if you enjoy reading, any day is book lovers day!
According to Holiday Insights, Book Lovers Day encourages you to find a place in the shade to relax with a good book. The article goes on to state that no one really knows the origin of this day, however, the article includes some great ways to celebrate beyond just reading a good book. You can go to the library, attend a used book sale, support your local bookstore, give books as a gift, and join a book club!
If you are trying to find that good book to read on August 9, there are so many places to look! NPR has a list of 19 summer book recommendations that cross many different genres. Some of the books listed are Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs, A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang, All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby, and Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
LitHub is another great place to find book suggestions all year long. Their Ultimate Summer Reading List includes some of the same books as NPR, as well as Happy Place by Emily Henry for those who enjoy light romance. The article also has links to summer reading lists from other publications such as the Washington Post and Publisher’s Weekly. But wait, there’s even more! You can find links on their website to LitHub’s many other book-related publications and podcasts, including CrimeReads for mystery and true crime book lovers. Before you leave the LitHub hub, be sure to check out their list of 28 novels you need to read this summer!
When looking for possible books to read, also be sure to check out Goodreads. They even have a list of specifically summer-related books. On this list, you once again find more Emily Henry books, including fun titles like Beach Read and People We Meet On Vacation.
If you are more into sci-fi and fantasy, Barnes and Noble has a great list of suggestions for your summer 2023 reading list. Their list includes books by V.E. Schwab, Christopher Paolini, T.J.Klune, and Brandon Sanderson. BookBub is another great resource for finding book suggestions in various genres, and you can get a personalized list of eBooks on sale each day sent to your email! If you enjoy mysteries, especially lesser-known and cozy mysteries, Kings River Life Magazine has book reviews and giveaways every week in its mystery section, and Dru’s Book Musings posts a list of new mysteries every week! You may just find a new favorite book and author that you had never heard of before!
Other great sources for book ideas are lists on your local library website, BookTuber’s on YouTube, and book-related podcasts.
Our other article this month is about National Honey Bee Awareness Day, so while appreciating honey bees, you might consider reading The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia. The description on Amazon describes it as “Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, The Murmur of Bees captures both the fate of a country in flux and the destiny of one family that has put their love, faith, and future in the unbelievable.”
So, if you love to read, I am sure you can find at least one book on these many lists to help you celebrate Book Lover’s Day! But then again, if you love books every day is book lover’s day! Be sure to share on The Mennonite Insurance Facebook page some of your favorite summer reads!