Every summer, without fail, I promise myself I’m going to read and read and read to keep my brain sharp for when school starts back up again. Lies, of course, because I spend the entire summer not reading, but August isn’t over yet! Here are three quick reads to get you back in the academic mode before school starts again.

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, $19.99 from Amazon

Though I’m only about halfway done with this book (and many years behind the times), I really like it. The writing style is interesting, the characters are unique, and the story is simple without being boring. It’s a very quick read, and the book itself is light and portable. (Plus, I can’t be the only one who wants to read this before the movie comes out.)

2. The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club, $16.00 from Amazon

This is such a lovely book, and both the style and the premise are rather unique. It follows the lives of four Chinese women and their American-born daughters, all of whom have a tale to tell. It’s written as a series of vignettes, but the stories tie closely and beautifully. It reads easily and smoothly, but leaves you feeling thoughtful and well-read.

3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, $14.95 from Amazon

I absolutely refused to see the movie when it came out, because there’s no way film could have captured the same sense of pain and healing that was expressed through the author’s unique use of pictures and text. (Also because the book was extremely, incredibly sad and I refused to go through the waterworks again.) The characters are so real and their lives so vivid and I cannot recommend this book (and his others) enough. Because of the liberal use of blank space, pictures, and unreadable text, this book is a quicker read than it seems, but it’s poignant in its brevity, and very powerful.

Do you have any quick reads to recommend, Lovelies?

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