Summer Reading: Teachers Edition Part 4

It’s the last week of school! How many days do you have left? With the arrival of summer, hopefully, comes the time to turn off the alarm clock and take some time for YOU! I know it’s not always possible if you have children or have to take on a summer job. If that’s you, it’s still important to carve out some “me time” each day. Reading a book is a great way to do this! Losing yourself in another world for a little while can be just the thing you need to give yourself a much-needed break. And if it’s the opposite and you have plenty of time on your hands to fill, a book is a great option!

Chances are if you’re reading this post, you’re looking for your next read. I hope you’ll find what you’re looking for as I share my recommendations for summer reading below!

Fiction Books You Won’t Want to Put Down

1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt- I’ll admit when I picked this one up, I wasn’t sure about it. But once I started reading it, I was hooked. The main character is a quirky older woman who is a cleaner at an aquarium who we see through the eyes of a clever octopus that inhabits a tank there. Through the story a mystery unravels and when you get to the end, you may find you need a tissue. Once you finish, you can, also, check out the movie of the same name that just came out on Netflix. The team who put if together did a “remarkably” good job!

2. This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page- I absolutely loved this book! And not to judge a book by its cover, but the cover on this one is simple, bright and beutiful. It’s about a young woman, Tilly Nightingale, whose husband died and she learns that he left her a birthday gift. The gift is a year of books! Each month she has to go the book store to pick up the book he left for her. I don’t want to say too much more and give anything away, except while the story happens because of a sad event, the story isn’t sad. You don’t want to miss this one!

3. Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe- She is one my favorite Lowcountry authors! In fact, when I purchased this book I got to meet her and get my book signed! She is an author who takes the time to talk to each fan. It was truly a wonderful experience and her books, including this one, are spectacular. This is her first historical fiction book and there will be a sequel coming out, The Rivers End, with an unannounced release date. This book tells the evocative story of Eliza, now 88, and the Mayfield estate, where she lives.

4. The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams- I recently finished reading this one. I had read The Reading List, also written by her, several months ago and had really enjoyed that one. So when I saw this one at the library, I couldn’t resist. It takes place in London and is about a once-beautiful garden that stands between two houses and how it brings together two neighbors with struggles of their own, along with their whole community. This heartfelt story with well-developed characters makes it the perfect summer read.

5. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros- If you love romantasy and want to get back into the Empyrean world before a new book is released in September, be sure to read this one! The new book, currently untitled, is a novella that takes place in the Empyrean world, but is not Book 4. Fans do not know much more than that as to how it may relate to the Fourth Wing series. So, if you haven’t completed reading the series yet, this summer is prime time. Onyx Storm is a steamy, adventurous, dragon romance that will leave you begging for the next one!

Nonfiction Books You Won’t Want to Put Down

1. Dealing With Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want by Marc Brackett Ph.D- I’m in the middle of this one right now. I’m not a fan of nonfiction, but I’m trying to read more of it. This one is interesting because it discusses how we may not be able to control what emotions come out of us, but we can learn how to regulate them in a better way. It, also, discusses how you can use these skills with other people, i.e. your students 😉.

2. Your Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessell Van Der Kolk, M.D.- This book was recommended at a training I went to at the beginning of the school year. I haven’t read it yet, but really want to. According to the Amazon book description, in this book, the author explains with scientific research how “trauma literally reshapes both body and brain” He, also, discusses alternative treatment options for people who have experienced trauma.

3. 7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-to-3 Reading Success (The Science of Reading in Practice) by Lindsey Kemeny- I would be remiss if I didn’t include at least one book that relates directly to teaching. I’ll be honest in that I haven’t read this one, but the table of contents and snippets I’ve seen got me intrigued. The 7 Moves as shown in the table of contents are exactly what I do when I teach students to read, so this would be a great book to explore good strategies to teach using the science of reading. (I may be getting inspired to write my own book! 😁) If you like this one, she, also, has another book that came out last summer, Rock Your Literacy Block: Mighty Moves to Organize Your Day and Optimize Student Learning (The Science of Reading in Practice) that you may be interested in!

Final Words

I hope you have found one or more books that has piqued your interest on this list! And if you’re into audiobooks, you can give Audible a try, free for 30 days! Furthermore, be sure to check out your local library for some of these books and join their summer reading program. Many libraries have summer reading programs that include adults, too! That way you can log your minutes and get some fun prizes!

This will be my last post for this school year! If you are a regular reader, you know I like to take my summers to really rest, reset, and spend time with my family. I invite you to do the same and I will be back next school year with brand new posts to help you get back into the groove along with me. If you enjoyed this post, please be sure to check out my other summer reading posts from years past, Summer Reading: Teacher’s Edition, Summer Reading: Teacher’s Edition Part 2, Summer Reading: Teachers Edition Part 3.