Books for...Your Boring Summer Job!

BOOKS TO READ…

…AT YOUR BORING SUMMER JOB: Exciting, escapist, funny, and spicy, these books have enough action and exotic locations to help you slog through your day as some boring minimum-wage flunky. Or if you’re just really, really bored.

• THE UNDOMESTIC GODDESS, by Sophie Kinsella: A fun story of a hot-shot lawyer who loses control and accidentally ends up as a maid for a wealthy couple in the country, the main character’s clumsy calamities (and the sexy gardener) are sweet and bright. As she escaped her past in a new life, it’s easy for a reader to escape a ho-hum day with this novel by the author of the Shopaholic series.

• EVERYONE WORTH KNOWING, by Lauren Weisberger: Another less famous book by the author of a more-famous novel, this time by the author of The Devil Wears Prada. The main character Bette Robinson leaves her boring office job for a high-flying life as a PR agent, planning and partying her way around Manhattan in fabulous clothes, with fabulous people. Kind of like a smarter Gossip Girl for grown-ups, there are also deeper elements about finding oneself – and a sexy pastry chef!

• BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY, by Helen Fielding: I laughed out loud while reading most of this book. Bridget is such a lovable character that even her flaws make her a more sympathetic character, and her romantic hijinks are a hilarious escape. Like all of them, the book is way better than the movie!

• SUITE SCARLETT, by Maureen Johnson: This book has all the elements of a great summer read: New York City, a likable protagonist, a hot southern boy, a play, a crazy old lady, and falling-down boutique hotel. (You didn’t know that was the recipe?) There is also a sequel coming out soon, so don’t miss this fun, funny read about Scarlett and her family in the Hopewell Hotel.

• EAT, PRAY, LOVE, by Elizabeth Gilbert: I had a really hard time picking which category to put this one in, but it is a good book about escaping. The story of a young women leaving her life to find herself, it serves as both a moving memoir, an informative travel guide, and an entertaining ride of mental breakdowns, love, food, and culture shock.

• CITY OF FALLING ANGELS, by Jon Berendt: This one’s a little different: it’s a non-fiction book about the controversial arson/burning of the Fenice Opera House in Venice, Italy. It is a compelling portrait of the mysterious city and its more mysterious people. If you have ever been to Venice or ever want to, you will love this book: it covers the history, the culture, the architecture, the science, and the heart of the corroded, crumbling Adriatic fortress.

• Other suggestions to escape during your lunch hour: GIRL AT SEA by Maureen Johnson & THIRTEEN LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES by Maureen Johnson,

Next time: Books to read...DURING A SUMMER STORM

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!