If you’re at all like me, you think beach chairs and pool decks are made for reading. But nothing is more frustrating than taking a much talked-about book on vacation only to realize it’s terrible and you’re stuck with nothing.

Anybody can browse a bestseller list, but just because a book is a best seller doesn’t mean that you will want to read it. (Hello, Fifty Shades of Grey.)

You all know I love to read, and read a lot. You know where I’m coming from. If you like this blog, I think you’ll find something perfect for you in this guide.

I’ve chosen some bestsellers that are actually good. I’ve also tried hard to give you some fabulous reads that you’ve never heard of. I’ve personally read every book on this list (often more than once). I can vouch for them, and answer any questions you have. (Like, how’s the language? Or, Do I really want to read this right now?)

The books are divided by category, so you can flip right to the section that interests you most.

I also share tips I’ve figured out through years of dealing with summer reading’s challenges: sun, water, sand, travel. (Has anyone else ever recommended throwaway books before?)

Praise for the 2012 edition

Sound good? Sign up here to get your free copy. 

This newsletter will only arrive monthly-ish. To get regular updates from the blog, subscribe here. Or you can follow this blog on bloglovin’.

I’d love to hear your feedback when you’re done reading your guide! Come back and comment on your favorite summer read right here, or follow the hashtag #beachreading on twitter.

Happy summer, and happy reading!

The 2013 summer reading guide is here! (FREE for you!) is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

• 26 pages
• 5000 words
• 11 categories (6 new!)
• 3 books published before 1900
• 7 books published in 2013
• my favorite sleeper hits
• 2 Kindle singles
• one book of poetry
• and it’s all been carefully curated for YOU.

You can get your copy tomorrow. In the meantime, this little 3-minute video will give you the lowdown on the guide. Thanks for watching!

The guide is totally free for subscribers to my new and monthly-ish newsletter. Sign up here and a link to download the guide will appear in your inbox tomorrow.

Thanks so much! I hope you love it.

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All About the Summer Reading Guide is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

Wendell Berry is a fellow Kentuckian and long-time favorite of mine; one of his novels appears in the MMD summer reading guide.

I’ve admired Pollan’s work since The Omnivore’s Dilemma exploded onto the scene in 2007, and have been looking forward to his latest (which is also in the summer reading guide) for what seems like forever. He dedicated Cooked to Wendell Berry, explaining at the event that Berry’s philosophy seeped into every book he’d ever written, especially his famous declaration, “Eating is an agricultural act.”

Pollan has written about how food is grown; he’s written about the importance of how and what we consume. In Cooked, Pollan completes the narrative arc by tackling the middle link of the food chain: cooking, which he calls “the link that connects culture and nature.”

(Pollan fans, take notice: he dropped a hint that his next book will radically differ from his previous works, and if he ever comes back to food it will be from an international perspective.)

I expected these two authors to be interesting, and they were. They were also funny: the two topics they kept circling back to were peeing on fires and breastfeeding.

It was a ticketed event, and each attendee received a signed copy of Cooked. Which means I have an extra copy for one of you. (And don’t worry: I mean signed by Michael Pollan, not by me. )

Cooked is terrific. I think you’re gonna like it.

To enter to win, just leave a comment before Tuesday at midnight.

UPDATED: The winner is @angelin_…

This promotion is open until Tuesday, May 21 at 11:59 pm EST and is limited to those 18 years or older. The winner will be chosen randomly and notified via email. Continental U.S. only–I can’t afford to ship anywhere else! Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. This post will be updated with the beginning of the winner’s email addresses. This post contains my affiliate links.

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Giveaway: Win a signed copy of Michael Pollan’s new book Cooked: A History of Transformation is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

The newsletter sign-up link in the last post was broken. (Ironically, since in the post I proudly declared that I’d conquered the technology. I’ve kept the original text below so you can get a giggle out of it.)

Let’s try this again….

If the sign-up link gives you any trouble in a mobile app or in your email, just click over to the site and everything should work smoothly for you. 

Thanks so much!

So, I’ve been thinking of doing this for a long time, but have been absolutely intimidated by the logistics.

But I’ve figured it out (or gotten help from someone who has), and I’m pleased to announce…

the new Modern Mrs Darcy monthly newsletter.

This will be a monthly-ish thing (unless something really big and exciting is going on), and the content will be unique. Newsletter subscribers will be the first to know about exciting events on the horizon, happenings around the web, and secret projects.

Newsletter subscribers will also be the first to get the summer reading guide when it releases on Wednesday. It will appear automatically in your inbox, like magic.

(And it’s totally free.)

Of course, this newsletter will only arrive monthly-ish. To get regular updates from the blog, subscribe here. Or you can follow this blog on bloglovin’.

Thanks for reading! I’m excited about what’s coming down the road.

Let’s try this again: sign up for my new monthly-ish newsletter is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

But I’ve figured it out (or gotten help from someone who has), and I’m pleased to announce…

the new Modern Mrs Darcy monthly newsletter.

This will be a monthly-ish thing (unless something really big and exciting is going on), and the content will be unique. Newsletter subscribers will be the first to know about exciting events on the horizon, happenings around the web, and secret projects.

Newsletter subscribers will also be the first to get the summer reading guide when it releases on Wednesday. It will appear automatically in your inbox, like magic.

(And it’s totally free.)

(If the sign-up link gives you any trouble in a mobile app or in your email, just click over to the site and everything should work smoothly for you.)

Of course, this newsletter will only arrive monthly-ish. To get regular updates from the blog, subscribe here. Or you can follow this blog on bloglovin’.

Thanks for reading! I’m excited about what’s coming down the road.

Something new and fun and monthly-ish (with benefits) is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

summer reading guide in progress. only two of the books pictured made the cut. 

Last year’s summer reading guide was a big hit, so I’m doing it again. You can get your 2013 edition of Ultimate Beach Reading next Wednesday on the blog. And just like last year, it will be free!

In last year’s guide, I included some books in the “new releases” section that hadn’t yet been released–so I hadn’t read them yet. But since the early press looked good and I was very much looking forward to reading them, I included them in the guide.

That turned out to be a mistake.

(If you read Drop Dead Healthy last year on my recommendation, I’m really sorry. I thought it was pretty stupid after I actually read it, and many of you agreed. And yet it has 165 reviews on Amazon with a 4-star average. I guess that goes to show the value of a trusted reading guide, huh?)

This year’s summer reading guide also has a new releases category, but this year I only included books that came out in late spring that I actually read. 

And yet, it’s fun to talk about the books we’re looking forward to for summer reading, and I’ve listed some ones I’m excited about below. But I’m not recommending them…yet.

The Lucy Variations, Sara Zarr

I like a good coming-of-age story, and this YA novel sounds like the competitive piano version of Save the Last Dance .

Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity, Emily Matchar

I am definitely intrigued…but then again I thought Radical Homemakers sounded really interesting, too–and I hated it. And the buzz that’s starting to leak out from bloggers I know isn’t exactly complimentary.

Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, David Sedaris

I actually finished this one since I finalized the summer reading guide, and there’s no way it would have made the cut. It’s not his best work, and way too crude to recommend. There were several essays I didn’t bother to finish. Of course David Sedaris isn’t for everyone, but I wouldn’t recommend this collection to any but his most devoted fans.

The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Strength, Faith, and the Power of Family, Josh Hanagarne

This brand new memoir sounds almost too outrageous to be true. A weightlifting librarian’s memoir of overcoming adversity? Yes please!

And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Houssini

Everyone has high hopes for Houssini’s latest. But let’s be honest: I abandoned The Kite Runner 50 pages in because of the thematic content. I’m proceeding with caution on this one.

Have you read any of these yet?

In comments tell us 1. a book you’re looking forward to reading this summer or 2. a time you were really looking forward to reading a new book…and it disappointed you. 

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The books I wanted to include in my summer reading guide but didn’t (and for good reason) is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

Welcome to the Twitterature link-up! For the lowdown, head over here, or try this Cliff Notes version: this is the place to share short, casual reviews of books you’ve been reading.

Here’s what I’ve been reading

Carry On Warrior: Thoughts on Life Unarmed, Glennon Doyle Melton

This collection features the best of the blog plus lots of new material. Some are kinda flat, but the good ones are pretty amazing. #SummerReading

Lessons in French, Hilary Reyl

Like a cross between Rules of Civility and The Devil Wears Prada, but lacking the charm of either. #debutnovel #skipit

A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway

Clearly a well-written book. Yet I’m reminded once again that Hemingway is not to my taste. #classic #Paris #twenties

The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life, Ann Patchett

If you have ANY interest in the writing life, do yourself a favor and drop $3 on this fabulous Kindle single. #WorthIt #SummerReading

All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir, Brennan Manning

Wise. Moving. Heartbreaking. #spiritualmemoir #grabthekleenex

The next Twitterature link-up will be on Saturday, June 15. Subscribe now for updates!

This post contains my affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Modern Mrs Darcy!

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Twitterature (May 2013 Edition) is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

polish colors: skinny jeans and and a cherry on top from Sephora by OPI

And I kinda dug it, even though an attention-getting look like this isn’t generally my style. I haven’t painted my fingernails in years–I’m a fan of the low-maintenance natural-care plan–and every time I caught sight of my own fingers the bright colors made me smile.

I enjoyed test-driving the artsy look for a few days–if only on my fingernails. But after a few days I was convinced that the look wasn’t for me.

I loved a piece that Laura (aka Hollywood Housewife) wrote about personal style and Pinterest a few months ago. She defined her personal style as “granny rocker prep,” and ever since I read it I’ve been mulling over which three adjectives I’d use to define my own style.

I have a signature style. Like Laura’s, it doesn’t vary much, and I’d call it something like easygoing librarian prep. I’ve deliberately sought out a look that’s friendly and fun. I gravitate towards classic looks like sweater sets and chignons and shift dresses. And I love ginghams and stripes and polka dots and whatever else makes a prepster preppy.

So it’s no wonder I didn’t feel quite at ease with a turquoise and maraschino manicure. An accent nail mani can be described many ways, but those ways do not include the adjectives “easygoing,” “librarian,” or “preppy.” It’s just not me.

(And if I had any doubts about whether or not that look was for me, they were erased in the airport on my way home, where my nails drew interested looks and polite smiles from the strangers. Some women would have enjoyed the looks, but I was wishing I had some gloves.)

I may have a strong artistic streak on the inside, but I am really uncomfortable putting it out there with my wardrobe. Or on my fingernails. Maybe it’s the way I was raised; maybe it’s the introvert in me.

The accent nail mani wasn’t for me, but I’m glad I tried it out. The truth emerges in contrast: this year I’ve learned so much about myself by learning who I’m not.

That’s a lot of self-knowledge for two bottles of nail polish. Not a bad price, if you ask me.

(And to my Texas compadres, you will probably think I’m a total dork for spilling 500 words about a manicure. And you will probably be right. Thanks for teaching me so much about myself in Austin.)

Have you learned a lot about yourself by getting something wrong? Tell us what that looked like in comments. 

*****     *****     *****

I’m linking up with Dear Abby Leigh’s Dress for the Day, where personal style is a springboard to talk about pretty much anything.

photo credit

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My manicure doesn’t define me. But it helped. is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

Molly Weasley, Harry Potter: Fiercely protective and unfailingly generous, whole posts have been devoted to the gracious hospitality of Molly Weasley. She made her kids roll their eyes plenty of times, but they’d still agree she was pretty  fantastic.

Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights: Honest, kind, and compassionate, she’s the kind of mom other people’s kids sought out for advice. Mrs. Coach made plenty of mistakes, but she owned them.  We watched her go to the end of her rope, and that convinced us: she’s a great mom. (And one tough cookie.)

Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables:  I love the dry wit (and sometimes sarcastic) mother-figure Marilla as a foil to dreamy, lost-in-the-clouds Anne Shirley.

Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls: Even when her parenting decisions make you cringe, you can’t deny the power of her bond with Rory. This is one devoted mama.

Caroline Ingalls, Little House: 21st century mamas are blown away by Mrs. Ingalls’ incredible know-how: she wove baskets, she made cheese, she tapped syrup, made the cheese, sewed the clothes, tapped the syrup, all while (mostly) cheerfully moving across the United States and raising up three pretty amazing daughters.

Mrs. Quimby, the Ramona books: This down-to-earth mom never (okay, rarely) loses her sense of humor with the often-impossible Ramona. And when she does, well, we don’t blame her for it.

Kate Murry, A Wrinkle in Time: She’s kind, she’s beautiful, she’s a microbiologist. Not a bad role model–and her children (understandably) think she’s wonderful.

Who’s your favorite fictional mother?

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My Favorite Fictional Mothers is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy

(Don’t worry, I’ll share my favorite, non-horrible fictional mothers later this weekend.)

Who are the fictional mothers that make us gasp aloud and cry “No she didn’t just say that!?“ Here’s my list:

Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development: she babies Buster, pits her own children against each other, drinks vodka for breakfast, and chides Portia de Rossi (!!!) for being fat–and that’s just the beginning. Shockingly inappropriate, all the time.

Madame Thénardier, Les Misérables: Eponine’s crazy mother in Les Mis is a doting mother–when, and only when, people are watching.

Mrs. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice: Socially inept and none too bright, the woman managed to embarrass her daughters at every possible opportunity. (Although, as adroitly pointed out in A Truth Universally Acknowledged, Mrs. Bennet got everything she wanted in the end: her crazy scheme worked, securing her entire family’s happiness and financial prosperity.)

The Dowager Countess, Downton Abbey: Violet makes a marvelous character, because she says exactly what she thinks, while expressing it far better (and more sharply) than we ever could. This is a great quality for the screen, but in a mother? Not so much.

Lianne Mars, Veronica Mars: Lianne abandoned her teenage daughter, leaving only a note of non-explanation–but that’s just the beginning. Lianne later comes back to Neptune to blow Veronica’s college fund on a rehab program she never planned on completing, then steals a huge chunk of change from Veronica’s dad (and her ex).

Who’s your favorite, horrible fictional mother? 

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Fictional Mothers We Love to Hate is a post from: Modern Mrs. Darcy