What Did I Read This Summer?

I’m looking over at my bookshelves and realizing that I have a huge pile spilling over… how many books have I recently read? Recently means in the last few months. Let’s take a look through some of my summer reads…



I started the summer with Chelsea Handler’s three books:

1. “My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands”

2. “Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea”

3.“Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang”


4. “American Wife” by Curtis Sittenfield
This book is loosely based on the life of a president’s wife, which president is never named BUT she gets in a car accident and kills someone AND the war on terror begins… I think we can all agree it’s Laura Bush. Strong start but at the end I felt like I was forcing myself to finish it.

5. “Twenties Girl” – Sophie Kinsella
Another classic Sophie Kinsella book – London girl meets guy, lots of humor but this one is different in that the main character, Lara, has the ghost of her dead great aunt, Sadie, following her around. It’s cute! Many things were predictable along the way but there was a twist at the end even I didn’t see coming.

6. “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned” by Michael J. Fox
After reading this book, I realized I really didn’t know much about Fox. He doesn’t set it up in a preachy, lecture way instead he talks about starting his acting career off and things he did that taught him lessons. It’s a very short read; I started and finished it quickly in the car on the way to South Carolina. I even read some parts to Mat out loud because I thought they were funny or interesting! (I did that with “American Wife” too!)

7. “Think Big” – Donald Trump
I flew through this book! I loved it! Again, I realized I didn’t know much about Trump. Other then he has a ton of money, loves real estate, has his own TV show, says “you’re fired” and has bad hair. His book is no bullshit, tell it like it is, truth hurts and I was pumped up after reading it.

8. “Ten Stupid Things Couples Do To Mess Up Their Relationships” – Dr. Laura
I wanted to throw the damn book across the room! She gets on my freaking nerves. I can’t listen or take advice from anyone who “blames” feminism for ruining relationships. I think my Women Studies professor would be extremely disappointed in this book. A lot of the ten points were common sense and true! Don’t get my wrong, stupid things ruin relationships, but her advice and two-sense along the way actually made me put the book down fuming at certain times. Ah!

9. “Vows, Vendattas & A Little Black Dress” – Kyra Davis
If you haven’t noticed I was really hitting up the “New Author/Chick Lit” section at Target! This is the first novel I’ve ever noticed by Kyra Davis but apparently there are other novels in this series about Sophie Katz and I wish I would have picked one of those up firsts. I didn’t feel like I was missing out but there were some interesting things brought up, that I’m sure came from the other books, and I’m nosey! Overall, it takes the cute chick lit book and adds a murder mystery to it.

10. “Developing The Leader Within You” – John C. Maxwell
Makes you think a lot about the people you work with and the person you want to be. There is a different between a “manager/boss” at work and a “leader” at work – BIG difference.

11. “Start Late, Finish Rich” - David Bach
Even though I’m start EARLY therefore finishing RICHER. ;)

12. “The Ultimate Sales Machine” – Chet Holmes
Saw it recommended in a blog by Chalene Johnson, enough said.

13. “Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day” – Mari Smith & Chris Treadaway
After finding Mari Smith on twitter, then watching her youtube videos, I really enjoyed her content so when she published a book about one of my favorite things… FACEBOOK… I knew I had to read it.

14. "Summer At Tiffany" - Marjorie Hart
This is a memoir about Marjorie's summer of 1945 - she's a student who goes to NYC during her summer break & becomes one of the first female floor sales pages at Tiffany & Co. She also recalls the news of the atomic bomb & being in Times Square after the Japanese surrender. I liked it! That could be because I love anything that has to do with that little blue box and I have an idealized, romantic view of the 1940s & the war. Quick, easy read!

I feel like there was more but I just can’t remember.

Now that it’s “back to school” time, even though I’m all done… I think I should reread a classic, just so I don’t let chick lit consume my life (even though it’s fun)!

I'll take recommendations at any time!