This past summer, I decided it was going to be my Summer of Reading. I love reading, but with school, work, and everything else I have going on it isn't something I often have the chance to do. That was definitely easier said than done, and I didn't get in nearly as many books as I wanted to, however I did happen upon a few new favorites, so at least the ones I did get to were high quality. Anyway, since I've been telling every person I come in contact with to read these books, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone by writing my article and continuing to spread the word.

1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Honestly, I was never big on books written by comedians because if they were meant to be funny, I didn't think it would come through in a book, and if they weren't meant to be funny, then I would just be disappointed because they are written by comedians after all. When I start hearing my friends talk about some of these books and how much they enjoyed them though I decided to give it a try and I'm really glad I did because this book was hilarious. Granted it doesn't take much to make me laugh, but I actually laughed out loud. At the same time, I think this book had some relatable life lessons and when I finished it I just felt good. That might sound weird, but just read it and you'll understand.

2. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

No, this book has nothing to do with Harry Potter and no that doesn't mean it isn't fantastic in it's own right. It's J.K. Rowling's first adult fiction book and is not a fantasy, but about the death of a parish councillor and the impact it has on many of the other townspeople. When events occur in the town, such as the first one that starts the story off, the councillor's death, each of the characters stories are explained as to how they are impacted. The beginning is kind of slow because the storyline is being set and there are a lot of characters being introduced, which can be confusing, but as soon as you have all the characters and relationships down, you won't be able to stop reading to see what happens next.

3. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

This was without a doubt, my favorite book I've read this summer. It was one of the first ones I finished and I was truly upset when I finished because I didn't want to be done hearing the characters stories. Their stories are so intense and the author writes in such a way that I actually had to put the book down at certain points and absorb what was happening before I could continue reading. I sound dramatic, I know, but so was this book, in a good way of course. Not only that, but I genuinely learned from it because it was basically centered on the reign of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and the things he did, which were generally absolutely horrible, all of which I knew next to nothing about until reading this book.

I know that you all have busy lives and reading isn't very high up on the to-do list, but if you take some time to read any of these books, you won't be disappointed.