Good day, my friends and fellow bookworms, today I am sharing with you the books I would like to read over the summer months, as part of 20 Books of Summer 2023: a brilliant yearly reading event, hosted by the lovely Cathy at her blog, 746 Books. This year, the event runs from Thursday, 1st June 2023 to Friday, 1st September 2023. To take part all you have to do is create a list of 20, 15, or 10 books and get reading!
Without further ado here are the 10 books I hope to read this summer:
- The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas (1850)
- King Solomon’s Mine by H. Rider Haggard (1885)
- Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson (2001)
- Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (1930)
- The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (2008)
- Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir (2023)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (2003) [re-read]
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948) [re-read]
- Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came by M.C. Beaton (2002)
- Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett (1998)
This year, I have gone for this lower number as my reading has been much slower and based on mood, so I have also tried to have a good mixture of mostly adult and children’s adventures, which I hope will be perfect for summer. It is unlikely I will read all of these, but not putting any pressure on myself, each one I manage to read will be a success for me.
Wish me luck 🤞 and here’s to a wonderful summer of reading everyone! 😎
Now I’d love to hear from you: What books do you plan to read this summer? What do you think I should read first off my list? Please let me know in the comments below and also please share a link for your own 20 Books of Summer posts.
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Great list, happy reading, looks like you will have a great summer
Thank you so much, Vero 🌞
Nice mix Jessica, I read Swallows and Amazons to the twins a few years back and we all loved it! Good luck and happy reading!
Thank you, Cathy and great to hear you and the twins loved Swallows and Amazons 😊
I love the mixture of old and new among your titles. Hope you get to enjoy most of them!
Thank you, Tessa – I was definitely trying to get a nice mixture of old and new books. 😊
I’ve set my sign-up post to go live when I’m abroad. Can’t do much more than 10, though.
Davida, I look forward to see your list and you will be in good company at the 10 books level. 🙂
Good luck with your reading, Jessica! I loved The Winter Sea and know you like Kearsley so it would be a good place to start, I think 🤔.
Thank you, Carmen and I agree The Winter Sea would be a good place to start, as Kearsley is one of my favourite authors. 😊
Looks like an enjoyable list! King Solomon’s Mines is a particular favourite of mine, although I know some people find the colonial aspects of it quite tough to take these days. I hope you enjoy it if you get to it!
Thank you, FF – I am particularly looking forward to reading King Solomon’s Mines and I don’t think the colonial aspects with bother me too much, as they didn’t in Kim by Rudyard Kipling. 🙂
You have a good list! It reminds me that I still have books by several of those authors that I need to get to!
Thank you, Kelly – Glad you like my list and that it has reminded you of few authors you want to read more of. 😊
Good luck! I loved The Black Tulip and I Capture the Castle, and I remember enjoying Swallows and Amazons as a child. I will be taking part in this, but haven’t made my list yet.
Thank you, Helen! Great to hear you have enjoyed three books off my list – I must admit I am particularly looking forward to reading The Black Tulip. I look forward to seeing your list. 😊
Good luck! I’m still working my way through Terry Pratchett’s books, bit by bit… I don’t really want to get to the end! Have you read his biography? It’s a wonderful read.
Thank you, Nikki – I can understand why you don’t really want to reach the end of Pratchett’s fantastical Discworld series, as we will sadly not be getting anymore. However I think it will be a long time till I manage to finish and then will need a re-read to remember everything that happened! 😅
I haven’t read is biography, thanks for the recommendation, I will go check it out.
There’s a lovely mix of books here, Jessica. And I notice that many of them are reasonably upbeat. I’m finding right now that I simply don’t want to get dragged into all the miserably dark fiction series featuring on TV around murders, kidnapping and family betrayals. And neither do I want too much of that stuff in my reading, without being leavened by a dose of humour in the mix, too! Happy reading – and I love that you’re not putting any pressure on yourself to complete said list:)).
Thank you, SJ – I was definitely trying to get a nice mixture of books as well as more upbeat ones, because just like you I am just tired of the dark, gritty entertainment that is prevalent at the moment. 😊