A Summer Reading List for TV Lovers

OK, confession time: sometimes I wish I were Amish. No TV. No phone. No electricity.

Then I imagine life without the Internet and my ‘fridge, and I snap out of it. Still, there are times when I just want to unplug. A sunny afternoon spent in the hammock with a good book and a glass of iced tea…ah, bliss! The spring weather here in Kansas has been pretty inconsistent, so I’m still waiting for that first perfect afternoon, but in the meantime I’m amassing a tidy pile of books to have at the ready.

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
The latest in the Southern Vampire series, the novels on which HBO’s True Blood is based, has another segment of the supernatural population “coming out” and a war between the fairies threatening Sookie and her loved ones. (OK, one more confession: I already read this. I couldn’t wait!)

A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth
The pint-sized cutie with the huge voice and terrific comic timing gives us insight into being her. From Oklahoma to Broadway to Los Angeles, this Nice Girl has stories!

Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
The latest in the Stephanie Plum series, these books are an annual summer highlight. Coming June 23, the synopsis promises that “complications arise, loyalties are tested, cliffhangers are resolved, and donuts are eaten.” When is this series coming to the small screen?!?

Dune Road by Jane Green
Green’s Jemima J has been my favorite novel for years now, so whenever I see a new release from her on the docket, I do a little cheer. Due June 16, Dune Road is about a single mom who works for an eccentric novelist and the drama that unfolds when she discovers his secret. Set in a little resort town in Connecticut, after the tourists have left for the summer, I’m sure it will be another combination of tranquility and touching stories like Green’s last novel, The Beach House.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
No synopsis has been posted yet, but novels from the Shopaholic author are always good for an afternoon of light reading. Due July 21.

Best Friends Forever: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner
Another author whose novels resonate. Weiner’s In Her Shoes was made into a film starring Toni Collette and Cameron Diaz. It always makes me cry. I’m sure this novel will, too. Coming July 14.

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Confession #3: I’m addicted to watching and reading alternate versions of Jane Austen’s novels. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read the original books and watched their adaptations more times than I can count, but I get a kick out of the alternate versions as well. (Thanks to friends in England, I watched ITV’s Lost in Austen last winter and thought it was lots of fun.) In this novel, the sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, young Jane Mansfield is transported to modern-day Los Angeles. God help her. Due June 25.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Speaking of alternate versions…I’ve just started reading this and have already laughed out loud twice. I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s Pride and Prejudice, with zombies. Seriously.

That’s what I have on my list so far. What’s on your list?