The Kentucky Book Lover's Summer Fun List

Isn't it at the top of everyone's summer fun list to relax and read more books? Today, I've put together a list of ten recently-released books with a Kentucky connection that you should consider for your summer reading list! Click here to download a PDF of the list!

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1. Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham by Emily Bingham. This is at the top of my to-read list for the summer. It's the story of the scandalous Jazz Age daughter of Louisville's famous Bingham newspaper family, as told by her great-niece.

2. The Kentucky Barbecue Book by Wes Berry. I'm always looking for an excuse to get more barbecue in my life.

3. Flavors from Home: Refugees in Kentucky Share Their Stories and Comfort Foods by Aimeee Zaring. I love the idea of celebrating the cultures and stories of folks from across the Commonwealth, and food is such a universal language of comfort and care.

4. The Undertaker's Daughter by Kate Mayfield. It's not very often that you first hear of a book set in small-town Kentucky when perusing a British magazine. Indeed, Kentucky-native Kate Mayfield, herself an undertaker's daughter, has lived in England for many years. I've seen several reviews calling this one quirky and interesting; I look forward to reading it!

5. Any Chris Offutt I can find. While I continue to wait for the forthcoming memoir about his father, sci-fi novelist Andrew Offutt, I'll settle for Offutt's poignant, provocative recent essay in the New York Times, his food writing in the Oxford American, and his essay in the anthology Appalachia Now: Short Stories of Contemporary Appalachia (Appalachian Fiction Series) ,

6. Lost Lexington, Kentucky by Peter Brackney. Our friend Peter Brackney, an attorney and writer of the excellent historical blog The Kaintuckeean, talks about Lexington landmarks that have, sadly, been lost.

7. Kentucky Women: Their Lives and Times (Southern Women: Their Lives and Times) by Melissa McEuen. A look at some of the most influential women in Kentucky history.

8. Our Only World: Ten Essays by Wendell Berry. A new anthology of essays on politics, environmentalism, and morality by the venerable Kentucky author.

9. Bourbon Curious: A Simple Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker and Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey, both by Fred Minnnick. Bourbon writer Minnick's two latest works include a tasting manual and a history of women in the spirits industry.

10. Between by Megan Whitmer. Young Adult novels, particularly of the fantasy genre, aren't usually my jam. That said, Megan, my cousin-in-law and a sometime HerKentucky writer, has crafted a really fine book here. You should check it out!!

What's on your Summer Bookshelf?

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