This story follows a group of people in, or surrounding, a book club.
Angela is retired English professor who is hired to run the book club. Lissy has become it's unofficial leader. Michelle is Lissy's maid, she picks up bits and pieces of the book club but isn't a member.

Each woman's story is told, each is complicated in it's own way. Lissy is a rich, paranoid, newlywed. Angela has a scandal in her past that she wants forgiveness for. Michelle is hoping for a commitment from her longtime boyfriend.
Each of them sees inspiration in the books that they read, ways that they think the actions of the characters in the book could improve their own lives.

Things get a bit chaotic towards the end and, as an animal lover, I'd rather have completely skipped over one part of the end of the story. But everyone's story was neatly wrapped up by the end. ( )

Oh boy, very slow read and just couldn't get through it. I always feel atrocious leaving a review like this. ( )

Yes, "Summer Reading" is the title, holiday reading is the verdict. It's a light read, fairly inconsequential. It's OK, and it kept me interested enough to get to the end - but I listened to an audiobook version while I ran long distances at night and so there are limited interest alternatives available.It was a little too much about the "chattering classes" for me, with publisher-driven higher-interest endings to many of the sub-plots. Took me 2 months to complete because I only listened on my Sunday morning long runs. ( )

I picked up this book based on Nancy Pearl's review of it last summer. It was a good, light read, very enjoyable. Would not read again, but am glad I read it. It was especially enjoyable reading in the countryside of my grandmother's house surrounded by the nature, trees, and wildlife from which some of the books characters work so hard to remove themselves. ( )

I picked up this book based on Nancy Pearl's review of it last summer. It was a good, light read, very enjoyable. Would not read again, but am glad I read it. It was especially enjoyable reading in the countryside of my grandmother's house surrounded by the nature, trees, and wildlife from which some of the books characters work so hard to remove themselves. ( )