Hi all!  Today, I am venturing to New York City to board my first cruise ship, the Norwegian Jewel.  Destination: Florida/The Bahamas.  After a 4ish-hour bus ride to NYC, I’m going to need a nap and a drink.  I think those might be the first 2 things on the agenda…

But for your reading pleasure (pun intended when you see her post…), here is Alyssa from SocraTeas with our first guest post of the week.  She is a busy and talented college student with a passion for tea and philosophy.  Thanks for posting, Alyssa!

Hello! I’m Alyssa and I blog over at SocraTeas. While Marie is enjoying the sun and beach in theBahamas(jealous) I thought I would share some good summer reads.

By the time summer comes around I’m ready to just read something fun. As a history/political science major, most of my time is spent reading. As much as I love it by the time May comes around I’m ready to pick up a few books that are a little bit lighter in material.

For the girl who enjoys chick lit, you should read Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell. Many of you are probably aware of Candace Bushnell through Sex and the City and now the popular Carrie Diaries, but I recommend looking at some of her other books. My personal favorite of Bushnell’s is not Sex in the City, but Lipstick Jungle. The story of Wendy, Nico and Victory has different glamorous careers with complicated love lives. I think it has more heart than Sex and the City (the book) as Wendy goes through a divorce where Nico deals with an affair with a young model. Victory’s story is more involved as it includes the problems she has with her fashion line. All in all it’s a good and quick read.

For the girl who enjoys classic Hollywood, you should read Me: Stories of my Life by Katherine Hepburn. Proving she is indeed a classy lady, Hepburn does not let it all hang out in her autobiography, but the charm of her writing does not lie in scandal, but rather makes you feel like you are talking to a friend. She does not spend a lot of time on her movies, but writes a lot about her early years and college which includes a funny anecdote about her smoking a cigarette out of her window. There are parts where Hepburn seems a bit scattered and some of it is jumpy, but it still proves to be a treat that allows you to get to know a great lady.

For the girl going through a breakup, you should read Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Meet Marianne and Elinor Dashwood and become immersed in their relationship problems. Marianne falls head over heels forWilloughby. Every girl has had her ownWilloughby, the man who seems exceedingly perfect only to reveal himself as a jerk and all-around terrible person. Marianne suffers through the loss ofWilloughby and ends up learning about herself. Marianne is my favorite Austen heroine perhaps because she is the most relatable. We’ve all been silly over some boy before and we’ve all learned to grow from it to discover ourselves and then someone a bit more worthy of our affections.

For the girl who loves a good heroine, you should read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. My younger brother actually recommended me this series last summer. I must say for young adult fiction it blew me away. Katniss is young girl that gets chosen to take part in The Hunger Games. These games are a reality television show put on by the Capitol to remind their districts who is in charge. The contestants must fight each other to death until one champion is left. It’s a quick read and hard to put down. Most of us will never be put into a situation like Katniss, but we can all admire her wit and strength through a terrible time.

What books are on your summer reading list?