Escape to Faraway Lands and More for the Price of a Book

The lazy days of summer are ideal for catching up on your reading. Travel the world, time travel in history, learn about other cultures, and get knee deep in family drama while sunning yourself in a swaying hammock.

I am definitely a bookaholic, and I consider that to be a good addiction. And while I think the Kindle is a convenient and handy technology, for me, there's nothing that replaces the feeling of cuddling with a brand new book.

Whatever your preferred method of reading, here's a couple of my recommendations for your summer reading list - some brand new, some not so new. Enjoy your escape!

Cutting for Stone: A Novel, by Abraham Vergese

Cutting for Stone was originally published in 2009 but is still on many bestseller lists today. This well-written book weaves a captivating tale of conjoined Indian twins, separated at birth, and the intertwining paths of their lives. Set initially in Ethiopa, the book is told from the perspective of one of the twins, Marion. Raised by doctors and steeped in the path of medicine, both boys eventually become doctors themselves. The book's overriding theme is about the choices and actions we take and their inevitable consequences that unfold.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long, long time. It's the kind of book that captivates and envelopes you intensely, leaving you slightly depressed that you are finished. Because great books like these don't come around that often.

Maine, by J. Courtney Sullivan

A summer vacation home in Maine is the setting for this tale of three generations of the very Catholic, very Irish Kelleher family. Headed by the sharp-tongued matriarch, Alice, the book chronicles the somewhat dysfunctional relationships between many of the family members. One summer, the drama comes to a head and everyone is forced to reconsider their perceptions of each other. Nothing like reading a book about a summer vacation home while on a summer vacation.

Room, by Emma Donaghue

This bestseller is a haunting and captivating read. It's the story of a five-year-old boy and his mother whose whole world is one room until one summer, as seen through the eyes of the little boy. Simplistic yet complex, I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. If there's only one book you read this year, make this the one - now available in paperback.