Sweet Summer Reads...Just For You!

Here at Impressions we love great summer reads! We decided to share a few of our favorites with you! If you're on a road trip with family/friends, lounging at the pool, or just spending a lazy Sunday on the couch we hope one of these books entertains you! 

Summer, our marketing assistant, really loves the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It’s about a boy named August who has a facial abnormality. Up until fifth grade August had been home schooled, but now he enters school, and he is terrified. August goes through some tough times with bullying, but ultimately learns to cope with his abnormality and accepts that people will always stare at his face. “I love this book because it’s a great read for all ages, and we could all use a little reminder to not judge a book by it’s cover,” Summer said.

If Jess, our lead graphic designer, had to pick one book, well...she couldn’t pick just one book. She chose the entire Harry Potter collection. “These books are very dear to my heart because they essentially represent my childhood. I received the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 1999, well before the books were made into the much loved movies we are now familiar with,” Jess explained.

J.K. Rowling has an extraordinary way of writing. She makes you truly engage and experience what you read. “The books transported me into a magical world that I felt myself slipping into with each chapter I read. The trials that Harry encountered, the tumultuous day Ron and George set off whiz bangs at Hogwarts because they despised Umbridge, the heartbreaking loss of Dobby, Neville overcoming his shyness, as well as the trauma of his parents St. Mungo’s hospitalization, Hermione’s strength, courage and standing up for what she believe in, Sirius rejecting his family’s controversial values…I could go on and on,” Jess said.

The Harry Potter books had a significant, positive effect on Jess’ life. “These are just a few of the things throughout the books that made a huge impact on my life. These characters and their stories lifted me through depression and I will never forget Professor Dumbledore’s words, 'Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light,” Jess explained.

Alexandra, our customer service representative, really enjoyed the book 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. One character, Aomame, is a fitness trainer and an assassin. She lives in Tokyo, Japan in 1984 and stumbles into a parallel world that she dubs 1Q84 (the Q stands for question). Her childhood friend, Tengo, is an aspiring writer who has taken on a job as a ghost writer for a short story to make it acceptable for publication. He begins to realize that he is falling into the parallel world as well. This is why Alexandra really enjoyed this book. It is 928 pages filled with supernatural elements, suspense and beautiful writing. 1Q84 is extremely long and every word is important. This can make for difficult reading. “The thing I like the most about reading this book is the fact that it made me slow down and pay attention to every word and the journey the characters were going through. Reading at a slower pace made the ending (and the events leading up to it) both rewarding and bittersweet,” Alexandra explained.

Claire, our manager, recommended One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. “The first time I read it was my freshman year in college and I fell in love with everything about it. Marquez wrote beautifully… I love his way with words. He perfected the art of magical realism and symbolism. This book is filled with interesting characters and an unforgettable story. It’s a compelling book— it’ll be one of those that’s hard to put down,” Claire said.

We hope that if you are looking for that perfect summer book to read you choose one of our favorites, or comment below and let us know some of your favorite books!