Annual Summer Reading List- Twenty Twenty-six Edition
Greetings from my air-conditioned writing nook in the heart of the Ouachita region of Arkansas. I am honored to share with you once again, an important part of my life. Long before I was a columnist for Ouachita life and continuing into my new role as published author, I am an avid reader. Today’s kids are chastised for overuse of ‘devices’, I was constantly fending off directives to “Get your nose out of that book.”
In keeping with tradition, therefore, I am hoping to assist you through the August doldrums by providing a means of escape. Hopefully, this list of excellent books will give you some choices, or at the very least spark your interest. Happy reading!
For the lightest first: here are two fairy-tale retellings suitable for adults and older teens.
“Fairest Inn All” will clue you in from the cover. This delightful story brings Snow White and her seven new friends into contemporary times. This time, the action centers around a young lady who is working to save a family business in coastal Carolina. Her seven uncles will entertain you as you match the personalities with the names you remember from the classic Disney movie. Of course, there’s a handsome prince involved, and even a pesky encounter with a poisoned apple dessert. More magic from one of my favorite authors and editors, Amy Anguish.
Another takeoff of a familiar story is “The Cinderella Plot” by Pepper Basham. This one is written for a target audience of high school girls. I was initially thinking it would follow a sad young lady longing to go to the “ball” with the prince. Surprisingly, it has more depth, as the story follows a young lady’s efforts to remake herself to attract the kind of attention she thinks she needs. It is a good lesson for all ages about staying true to yourself and sticking with the friends who have already recognized your worth. Highly recommended!
A feature of this annual list is to spotlight a local author. Tara Johnson is a friend of mine from Saline County who has achieved success as a multi-published author of Christian fiction as well as non-fiction. Her latest book is just released, and on the top of my “To Be Read” pile. “To Chase the Stars” will draw you in immediately because of the Vincent Van Gogh inspired cover. It takes place in 1819, which is not a time period I have seen very often in other books. The heroine lives in Savannah, Georgia, and is eager to escape an arranged marriage and very restrictive life when she meets a sea captain with his own burdens to bear. This is the second in a series, so if you have time, you might want to check out “To Speak His Name” first. As with the other books on this list, you can find Tara’s on Amazon, and probably at your local library.
If you are in the mood for a book from the popular “time-slip” genre, Laura DeNooyer has two that are very good. Her first, “A Hundred Magical Reasons” was one of my favorites from 2025. This one tells the story of an acquaintance of L. Frank Baum, the creator of the Wizard of Oz stories. We get glimpses of her life at the beginning of the twentieth century, as well as in the 1980’s, when she finds the perfect young woman to share her long-kept secrets. I just completed Ms. DeNooyer’s second book, “The Broken Weathervane”, a powerful tale of a family dealing with the trauma of mental health struggles. Both novels weave scenes from the past and the present together seamlessly. I enjoyed this second book very much, and I hope you will, too.
One of the best ways I’ve found to get your mind off the oppressive heat is to get lost in a book that takes place in wintertime. This gives me a “shameless plug” opportunity, since one of my favorite Christmas books is the novella collection written by Tonya Ashley, Ellen Withers and myself called “ A Gift for All Time”. These three short novellas follow a handmade nativity scene from a riverboat on the Arkansas river in the 1840’s to Civil War era Mexico, Missouri and back to a fictional Ouachita mountain town in current times. If you have visited Caddo Gap, Arkansas, you might pick up on some of its vibes while reading my contribution, entitled Rejoicing with Joy. In fact, the book’s dedication mentions our favorite fall festival site, and can be purchased in the Gap Mercantile.
Thanks to the publisher of our favorite still in print magazine for allowing me the opportunity to reach out to you, my first and most loyal readers. I would love to know how I can pray for you. Contact me on Facebook, Goodreads or BookBub, or you can use old fashioned snail mail to send a letter via Ouachita Life. Stay cool everyone.
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