It's officially summer time.  And what is more crucial than having the ultimate summer reading list?  For all those lazy weekends at the beach, or in my case, those all-to-brief naps that Ben takes during the day?  With the loss of home-grown book shops, it is next to impossible to get solid recommendations these days.  I still turn to Diane, she owns dianesbooks.com and every month she offers excellent picks of current reading.  It's hard to narrow down from the vast 'New Fiction shelves to pick one or two novels to take for the flight.

Well, I have a few suggestions, and I'd love to hear yours as well.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  It comes out July 16th.  I have already admitted to downloading the countdown onto my desktop.  I can't wait!!!  At the beginning of this month, I started over with Sorcerer's Stone and re-read all the books in preparation for number 6. 

Disappearing Act by, Jodi Picoult.  If you haven't read Jodi Picoult, I am so excited for you to discover her - she is a fabulous author.  She tackles challenging, controversial topics and encourages you to question your preconceived notions of right and wrong.  The first book of hers I ever read was The Pact, and it is a must read.

Wicked by, Gregory Maguire.  There is a hit Broadway Musical out right now based on this novel.  It was recommended to me by a very close friend who is an High-School English Teacher.  I am starting it this weekend, so anyone who wants to read along with me, I'd love to share your thoughts on my website message boards!

The Tea Rose by, Rose Donnelly.  This was one of Diane's recommendations to me.  It's a fabulous, romantic, historical tale of one woman's struggle through life.  It tells a remarkably detailed picture of what life was like in London in 1800's.  Don't be intimidated by it's length - it's still a page-turner!

A Long Way Down by, Nick Hornby.  This is sure to be another winner by one of my favorite authors.  He wrote About a Boy and High Fidelity, which were both turned into great movies.  I saw this on the new-release shelf, and I had to grab it.  We'll find out together if he lives up to his previous successes.

Most of my reading time now is while Ben is sleeping.  But I am taking Wicked with me to the gym - if I can get distracted by a good book on the treadmill, all the better, right?!  So I hope these suggestions motivated you to hit your local bookstore. And I can't wait to hear what you think.

Xxoo,
Ali