Seasons Readings

Susan over at A Southern Daydreamer Reads is hosting another seasonal reading challenge. I signed on for her summer reading challenge and read 15 books between June 21 and September 21. Most of them weren't the ones in my original list, because, well, it was summer and it was hot and I just indulged in a lot of light fiction and mysteries. Three of the books I read deserve special mention, though.

I purchased All the Tea in China after I visited my aunt in the spring and we went to the Celestial Seasonings Tea factory in Boulder, Colorado. The book chronicles how an English botanist smuggled tea plants out of China and made the drink available to the rest of the world.

I always enjoyed Nancy Pickard's mysteries featuring Jenny Cain who runs a philanthropic organization in New England and I was sad when that series ended. Since then Ms. Pickard has written several novels in a new series that I didn't care for and some stand alone mysteries. The Scent of Rain and Lightning is one of the stand alones and it kept me guessing until the end.

The River of Doubt is another non-fiction book, but it read like fiction. It's a fascinating account of Teddy Roosevelt's expedition down a previously uncharted river in the Amazon. I read this one by the pool on our Florida vacation and couldn't put it down.

And now it's on to the Fall Reading Challenge. Here's what I'm planning:

1. The Strength in What Remains-Tracy Kidder

2. The Shadow of the Wind-Carlos Ruiz Zafon

3. The Latehomecomer-Kao Kalia Yang

4. Petals from the Sky-Mingmei Yip

5. A Moveable Feast-Ernest Hemingway

6. look me in the eye-John Elder Robison

7. Shoot the Moon-Billie Lets

8. Murder on Waverly Place-Victoria Thompson

9. To the Hilt-Dick Francis

10. The Broken Teaglass-Emily Arsenault

Time to get a cup of tea and get started!