I love a good book and have always been an avid reader.  I often wish I had more time to read.  I try to at least read a chapter, or even just a few pages of a book every night to quiet my mind from the day and escape to the journey only a book can take you on.  Whether you’re looking for a beach read, something to cozy up with in a cabin, a great read for a flight, or like me need you need the nighttime escape, here are a few of my favorite book finds that will keep you turning the pages this summer.

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel – This book is the true story of a man who lived deep in the wood in Maine for 27 years.  My friends Pam and Earl recommended this one to me.  I was so intrigued with how Christopher Knight went into the woods at the age of twenty, leaving modern life to live as a hermit, and how he survived, including stealing to sustain through the harsh Maine winters.  This was the last book I finished, which I flew through in a couple of days.  This is one of those cases where the truth really is stranger than fiction.

Natural Disaster: I Cover Them. I am One. by Ginger Zee – It’s not easy to for someone who looks like they have it all working in front of the camera to spill their guts about the trials and tribulations of their private life.  I read this book in one sitting.  It’s a great read on how Ginger Zee weathers the storm of fighting depression while covering weather as chief meteorologist at ABC News.  Life isn’t picture perfect for any of us.  We all have demons to face and struggles to overcome.  As a television meteorologist myself, I applaud her for being vulnerable enough to share her battle with depression.

Origin by Dan Brown – I’m a huge Dan Brown fan.  I love how he takes readers traveling around the world in his books.  He weaves travel into historical fiction beautifully.  This is the newest book by the author of The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.  Get ready to go on another crazy suspenseful journey with Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology Robert Langdon while traveling across Spain in this book by my favorite author.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams – I had to include a “beach read” in my list.  This is it, but of course there’s a weather twist to it.  As a cataclysmic hurricane heads toward the Rhode Island coast in 1938, Lily Dane weathers her own emotional storm with her former best friend and former fiancé Budgie and Nick Greenwald.  The twists and turns with this book will leave you saying “Wow” at the end.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen – This thriller has so many twists and turns I couldn’t put it down.  The premise is a journalist going on a yacht covering a voyage to see the Northern Lights in Norway.  That’s all I’m giving away in this novel that will smack you over the head with its ending.  It’s one of those books that you’ll put off doing everything else just so you can keep reading.

WILD by Cheryl Strayed – As an avid hiker, I couldn’t wait to read this book a couple of years ago.  Strayed goes on from hitting rocking bottom to tackling the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and hiking over 1000 miles to heal.  This self-discovery of you truly are stronger than you think you is worth a read, even if you have seen the movie….the book is way better.  Whether you’re a hiker or not, you’ll get sucked into this journey one step at a time.

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy – Being from South Carolina, I adore books set in my home state.  Conroy has a knack for transporting you to the Low Country and the rich characters who live along the South Carolina coast, which is in and of itself a character in Conroy’s books.  Having lost my own brother, this story of brother and sister Tom and Savannah Wingo tugs at my heartstrings as Conroy takes you through a sibling bond dealing with a dark and tumultuous family history.  When I think of books I would re-read, this one hits at the top of list.  If you haven’t read this classic, you should!

Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson – I read this book while I was working as chief meteorologist for a tv station in San Antonio, Texas.  It’s about the hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900.  Like a hurricane, the book starts slow.  Get through the first 100 pages and you’ll be thrusted into Mother Nature’s fury as this book transitions into a page turner.

What I’m reading now:

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman – It’s taking me a little time to get into this book on the grumpiest neighbor ever, but as I get through each chapter, I find myself adoring the curmudgeon more and more.  My friend’s Pam and Earl along with my cousin Susan recommended this book to me.

Next reads on my list:

The Weather Detective, Rediscovering Nature’s Secret Signs by Peter Wohlleben – I actually had this sent to me to review and it’s next on my reading list.  Wohlleben wrote the international best-seller The Hidden Life of Trees.  His newest book just released shares how you can decipher nature’s secret signs by studying the weather.  It’s a fitting book for this meteorologist and nature lover!

Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown – As someone who is on a journey for an unencumbered life and who spends a lot of time in the wilderness for self discovery, this is a must read for me this summer, since it’s been on my list for a couple of months.  I spend a lot of time searching in the solitude of the trail and look forward to this read.

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins – I can get sucked into psychological suspense books quickly.  They’re the ones I’ll give up sleep for.  This is the newest book by the author of The Girl on the Train, which I read in two days.