A Snapshot of Summer Reads

Summertime offers a plethora of places to read. You can tote your books to the beach, patio, outside for a lunch break in addition to the indoor couches, coffee shops and libraries. And the longer daylight hours encourage reading later into the evening. I've had the pleasure of watching my younger cousins a few weekdays this summer. I took them to the newly renovated Roseville library. Our favorite hangout spot was the set of green benches near the windows in the kids section. Between the three of us, we could easily sprawl on the length of the benches. It was great to see them plow through books on Vikings, duck billed platypus and several joke books.

Here are some of the books I've enjoyed this summer:

The Case of the Missing Servant and The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing. These are two Indian mystery books by Tarquin Hall. A friend from work recommended these. The series features Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator. I don't usually seek out mysteries, but I thoroughly enjoyed these two books. A glossary of terms is helpfully contained at the back of the books. Hall is a very descriptive writer, so the reader can readily picture the sights, smell the aromas and be transported across the world to India. Even though many of the food and beverage terms were unfamiliar, I found myself craving and then enjoying a nice cup of chai while reading these.

Delicious Memories by Anna Boiardi. I often browse the featured books in the main entrance of the library. One of the recommended summer reads was this cookbook from a grand-daughter of the "Chef Boyardee" family. Anna shares family recipes, in addition to her family's history. Each chapter has a thorough introduction, and each recipe has a memory associated and written down with it. I'm only halfway through this book, and I have some recipes flagged, including: roasted peppers, grilled party vegetables, grape tomato bruschetta, Italian style potato salad, penne rigate and rigatoni with roasted tomatoes.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Like the mystery books featuring Vish Puri, Snow Flower transported me to a different world. In addition to other customs and rituals during this time in rural China, it describes the process of foot binding. It is a touching tale of two girls growing up and apart through the various stages of life. I really had a hard time reading the descriptive pages of the process of foot binding. I didn't realize what a lengthy process it was and how the result could really define your lot in life.

Travel Books. In September, I'm headed out to Washington D.C. The library offers plenty of guidebooks, so I've been using these to plot out destinations. Between those and the Metro, there should be no shortage of places to see. Feel free to offer suggestions!