5 Best Books for Summertime

1. To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
"If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
Experience life in 1930s small-town Alabama through the eyes of Scout Finch, a spunky little girl whose lawyer father makes the unpopular decision to defend a "colored man." One of those rare literary treasures that will hold you in its grip from start to finish. (Contains inappropriate language. I suggest marking out the bad words as you read through it the first time so that you and anyone who borrows the book from you can enjoy future readings without the presence of those words.)

2. Fireflies in December, Jennifer Erin Valent
"That light is bright enough to light up a little speck of the night sky so a man can see it a ways away. That's what God expects us to do. We're to be lights in the dark, cold days that are this world. Like fireflies in December."
Another 1930s Southern town is the setting for this intriguing novel. Prejudice, mystery, suspense, adolescence, and a little romance blend to weave a magic spell that will leave you "hankerin'" for more. Thank goodness, there are two more books in the series that are every bit as inspiring as the first. Cottonwood Whispers and Catching Moondrops are the next two books that should grace your summer reading list.

3. Once Upon A Summer, Janette Oke
"'Yes, He could have. He could let us go through all of our life, bundlin’ us and shelterin’ us from anything and everything that would hurt us. I could do that with my petunias, Josh. I could build a box around them and keep them from the wind and the rain, the crawlers and the bees. What would happen iffen I did that, Josh?'” I jest shrugged. The answer was too obvious. 'They’d never bear flowers,' said Auntie Lou.” 
The first in the Seasons of the Heart series, Once Upon A Summer is a beautiful, tender story filled with endearing characters. Enter the simple prairie days where trials and triumphs fill summer days, and love, family, and laughter may change but will never truly end. After the first book, you'll want to experience more of life with these beloved characters in Winds of Autumn, Winter is Not Forever, and Spring's Gentle Promise.

4. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories, Agatha Christie 
"Everybody is very much alike, really. But fortunately, perhaps, they don't realize it." 
 If you're in the mood for a mystery, drink your fill with this collection of short stories starring the lovable Miss Marple, old lady detective and knitter. Murder, intrigue, humor, suspense, poison, surprise . . . these stories have it all. Liven up your summer with a little mystery.

5. Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury
"I mustn't forget, I'm alive, I know I'm alive. I mustn't forget it tonight or tomorrow or the day after that." 
The magic of summertime is described more vividly by Bradbury in this book than by any other author I have encountered. His descriptions flow from the page like the dandelion wine he uses to symbolize summertime. Become young Douglas Spaulding, just discovering how to really live in Green Town, Illinois, 1928. Parts of the story are eerie and dark, parts witty and endearing--but all of it is full of life and meaning, every word. (May contain one or two inappropriate words)