I have really relished reading time lately. It's nice to get lost in something that doesn't involve a screen (remember, I don't use a Kindle ...), and I'm trying really hard to read 15 pages or so every, single day. The last couple months, I've tried reading a variety of books (fiction, non-fiction, business, spiritual), and I have to say I'm loving the variety. Here are some of my recent reads:

Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Oh, this book. I'm not a camper or a super big hiker, but Cheryl, who wrote this memoir about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, made me want to pack up my things and go find myself while hiking hundreds of miles. I really, really appreciated her honestly and tongue-in-cheek humor and found myself rooting for her every step of her journey. (****)

Eight Girls Taking Pictures by Whitney Otto. I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't get into it for some reason. It's cleverly put together with eight or so short stories that eventually tie together in the subtlest way, all about female photographers at different points in history (one starts out in the early 1900s, while another takes place in the '50s). I appreciated the artistic touches and the struggles that each character went through as she tried to make her way in a very male-dominated industry. For me, it was a little tedious, but it's definitely worth a shot if you're into a) photography, b) history and c) female empowerment. (**)

The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard. This was a quick, easy and entertaining read, although a little too far-fetched for me. The suspense is definitely there, which is good because this is a mystery, and I wanted to keep turning the pages to find out what really happened to the main character's father, who was mysteriously murdered long ago. I just wanted a little bit more when it was all said and done. I'd recommend this for the beach, but not to stretch your mind. (***)

Have you all read any good books lately? I'm collecting recommendations now for slow season! :)