Filled with enticing recipes for stuffed zucchini flowers, fig tart and honey & thyme ice cream, Picnic in Provence is
the story of everything that happens after the happily ever after: an
American learning the tricks of French motherhood, a family finding a
new professional passion, and a cook’s initiation into classic Provencal
cuisine. -GoodReads
In her stunning new novel, Gruen returns to the kind of storytelling she excelled at in Water for Elephants: a historical timeframe in an unusual setting with a moving love story. Think Scottish Downton Abbey. – GoodReads
Set against dramatic Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves,
The Rocks is a double love story that begins with a mystery, then moves
backward in time, era by era, to unravel what really happened decades
earlier. – Amazon

Kate Betts’s
captivating memoir brings to life the enchantment of France—from the
nightclubs of 1980s Paris, to the
lavender fields of Provence and the grand spectacle of the Cour
Carrée—and magically re-creates that moment in life when a young woman
discovers who she’s meant to be. – GoodReads
Eight Hundred Grapes, by Laura Dave
Set in the lush backdrop of Sonoma’s wine country, Eight Hundred Grapes
is a heartbreaking, funny, and deeply evocative novel about love,
marriage, family, wine, and the treacherous terrain in which they all
intersect. – Amazon
Caldwell knows his Vatican, and in his detailed
descriptions of hidden gardens, underground car parks, piazzas, dark
lanes, tunnels and corridors, conjures up a strange and alien realm
where hierarchy is all, secrets fester and multiply, deals are spun
behind closed doors, and a murderer may be on the loose. . . . This
superb Rubik’s Cube of a novel is the best of its kind, right up until
the final shock and the pope’s dying wish – Providence Journal
(June 16th release date)
Everything about Elin Hilderbrand’s latest novel whispers “delicious summer read”. – CNN
(July 28th release date)
Circling the Sun
brings to life a fearless and captivating woman—Beryl Markham, a
record-setting aviator caught up in a passionate love triangle with
safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, who as Isak Dinesen
wrote the classic memoir Out of Africa. – Amazon
A dazzling novel set in the French Riviera based on the real-life inspirations for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is The Night. Liza Klaussman expertly evokes the 1920s cultural scene of the so-called
“Lost Generation.” Ravishing and affecting, and written with infinite
tenderness, VILLA AMERICA is at once the poignant story of a marriage and of a golden age that could not last. – Amazon
More Posts to Love

Like you, reading is on the menu for this summer. Last summer I made it a point to set a goal of reading a certain number of books before the season was over. BINGO, I did it. This year, I hope to do the same but to ALSO write a certain number or quality of poetry. Let's see how I do with all the wonderful visual distractions around me!
Happy reading, Sandy! Anita
These look wonderful! Adding some to my list… especially Eight Hundred Grapes, Picnic in Provence, and The Rumor. Now all I need is a beach and a lounge chair 🙂
Holy smokes, this is an amazing reading list! I love to read and wish I had more time but always carve out extra during the summer and have a list of my own but will be including some of these, the Picnic in Provence sounds like heaven in a book, thank you Sandy!!
Bonsoir,
Merci de partager avec nous vos goûts de lecture…
Gros bisous ☼
All of these look great. Love Laura Dave and a friend read the Sara Gruen and raved about it. There's nothing like a good book. Enjoy your week dear Sandy.
I love Elin Hilderbrand, too so I will look forward to that! I also love books about Paris. Thanks for the suggestions! I would love to get your feedback on my new novel about a college alumni trip to Paris. It's called "Reunion" thanks!
Marty Almquist
I just requested a few of these titles from my library. Thanks for the suggestions! Happy reading!
Anne
Great list! Eight Hundred Grapes sounds like it is right up my alley and I just ordered it on Amazon!
Hello my dear Sandy!
This post is right up my alley! I too remember endless summer days reading and trudging back and forth to the library with my book bag filled.
Thanks for this excellent list! I am always looking for a great book. Frankly I will read anything but with all of the crazy stuff in the news and going on in the world I find that I want to escape when I read nowadays.
I hope that you are having a great day.
I absolutely loved Lunch in Paris and I know I'm going to enjoy Picnic in Provence which I haven't heard about so thanks for that!
Sweet Sandy! Good morning! Thank you for visiting my post dear friend!
Oh the joys of summer are starting. I'm not sure what book I'm taking with me on our trip, but I will be nose-dive into something while on the plane, that's for sure! HUGS! Anita
Sandy I am an avid reader and know that several if not all of these books will be so worthwhile!!
Thank you!!!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Jackson Pollock Mural