Clicking Our Heels - Our Summer Reading and What We Read Again and Again

The Stiletto Gang are all writers, but we also enjoy a good read. In fact, we have summer reads and books we simply enjoy reading again and again. We thought you might be interested in both our summer and comfort reading.

Marilyn Meredith: I love to read anything by William Kent Krueger any time of the year – but there are so many others, especially female mystery authors. I’ve read Gone With the Wind several times – though I must admit I skipped over some of the parts about the Civil War. At my age, I can reread about anything and it seems new.

Paffi Flood: Stephen King. It’s great to read horror stories late into the night, because the sun is out J. I was amazed how timeless Salem’s Lot by Stephen King was. Although it was originally released in 1975, when I re-read it in 2014, the cadence, the language seemed so contemporary. Of course, there were the references to 8-track tapes and car carburetors, and some things from the ‘70s.

Jennae M. Phillippe: I find favorites so hard to pick! I have more reading time in summer and usually catch up on the recommendations my friends have sent me over the year. Recent ones that stand out are Gail Carriger (Steampunk fantasy action romance), Anne Mendel (humorous post-apocalyptic), and James S.A. Corey (Science fiction). If you have recommendations, send them my way! I love to revisit my old favorites, particularly the ones from my childhood, like the entire The Song of the Lioness series from Tamora Pierce, or the Anne of Green Gables books from L.M. Montgomery. There is something about reading books from your childhood that makes you feel like a kid again.

Dru Ann Love: I don’t have seasonal authors. I read all year round and whoever I’m reading at the time becomes a favorite, especially if their book is part of a series. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb is the only book that I have re-read multiple times and each time I discover something I missed the first go-round and fall in love with Eve and Roark all over again.

Sparkle Abbey: Some of our favorite summer reads are Laura Levine, Carolyn Hart, and when we’re looking for something a little darker, Lisa Gardner. We’ve both re-read Laura Levine books occasionally simply because they’re such great escapes. And sometimes you need to escape! LOL.

Linda Rodriguez: I re-read many books. I’ve read Shakespeare, the King James Bible, most of Dickens, Austen, Trollope, and Virginia Woolf many times. I re-read many favorite poets again and again. I’ve re-read everything Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers (at least, her mysteries) so many times I couldn’t begin to count.

Bethany Maines: I usually try and read something fluffy in the summer. I’ll re-read a Terry Pratchett (British humor) or pick up an L.J. Wilson (sexy romance). The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery – I loved it as a teenager and even more as an adult. The idea of casting aside inhibitions to pursue the life you want is a message that is always good to hear.

Juliana Aragon Fatula: Manuel Ramos, Mario Acevado, and High Times Marijuana for Everybody by Elise McDonough, Denise Chavez. The first time I read Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie, I tore through it with vigor because I wanted to know who did it. The second time I went through, took notes, marked pages to review, and savored the writing. It was once for pleasure and twice for writing style. I re-read it because I switched genres from poetry to mystery.

Kay Kendall: There is no seasonal difference in my reading habits. For me it is mysteries, every day, all the time. Or whatever the broadest term is that includes suspense, spy novels, and the occasional thriller. I am not fond of police procedurals or books featuring serial killers. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It has everything. Historic sweep, feisty heroine, suspense, a touch of Gothic horror, and Mr. Rochester. Each time I have reread Jane Eyre, I marvel at its depth. It holds up very well. I first read it as a young teen so of course I understand some of its underpinnings better now.

Debra H. Goldstein: Summers are meant for catching up on light mysteries, biographies, and literature. This summer’s books ranged from The Nightingale to Sisters in Law (Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor) to the new Harry Potter. I’m not a big re-reader but there are a few I often refer to for style or concept like Edna Ferber’s Giant, Agatha Christie’s books, or anything I think might incorporate a style or an idea I’m thinking about.