Whew! Where did summer go? After the past – what seems like ten bajillion years of dealing with the “mean, stupid Covid” as my favorite comedienne Leanne Morgan says – Summer 2022 was way more fun and festive. I didn’t visit any new bookstores or unique libraries. Still, I did have the opportunity to visit Dafauskie Island and get a private tour with author Sally Ann Robinson (check spelling). Sally was a student of beloved South Carolina author Pat Conroy and Dafauskie is the island where he taught for one year in the 1970s.

Besides Sally Ann’s INCREDIBLE cookbooks, below is a list of my summer reading highlights. I know everyone doesn’t consider “listening” to a book the same as reading, but I do.

Top audiobooks:

1-Taste by Stanley Tucci – he’s now my favorite voice EVER. I immediately purchased his two cookbooks after listening to Taste – fantastic photography and great stories about his family.

2 – The Boys by Ron and Clint Howard – growing up “normal” in Hollywood – adored the stories of their time on the sets of The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben, and Happy Days.

3 – 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Briana Wiest – this is my favorite type of audiobook and it did not disappoint

Regular books:

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll (I wanted to read it before the Netflix movie is released in October 2022)

The Club – a very unique plot and characters you’ll love and “love to hate” – I’m sure this will be adapted into a film

Verity by Colleen Hoover – equal parts disturbing and fascinating psychological thriller – stellar book club material – be sure to warn “pearl clutchers” and prudes (I am one)

The Tobacco Wives – I’m from Tobacco country – interesting perspective about tobacco and its influence on society – great historic fiction

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett- I savored these essays by allowing myself to read only one or two per day – now I want to visit Parnassus Books in Nashville to get Ms. Patchett to sign my book.

Please let me know your favorite summer reads – I’d love to hear from you!