Dudley Reads: Summer Edition

How did we Dudley this summer? How didn’t we? No matter where we went, we made sure our bags were packed with #dsgoods and picks from our summer reading lists. Here are a few favorites that kept #teamDudley turning pages this summer. 

Lauren

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

The fact that I finished this book...says a lot about this book! My reading habits are sporadic with two small children, but this one actually kept me up at night; I couldn’t put it down once I started. Amazing character development and poignant writing. I felt as if I were living down in the North Carolina marsh right with Kia! The story is sad but also very uplifting and empowering, all based on a murder-mystery that makes it a true page turner. Highly recommend giving it a try!  

 

Kaki

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

As an entrepreneur, I’m fascinated by books chronicling the growth of brands—especially the early days of household-names like Nike. Phil Knight took the company from the trunk of his car to the world, with the help of relationships he developed from the start. Knight describes how his team helped him weather the many wins and losses that created what Nike is today. What stuck with me was how those early relationships helped grow the brand; I could imagine Nike as a smaller, more personal company than it is today.  

 

Jennifer

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Is the past always prologue—or can we confront it with forgiveness, for a new narrative? That’s the essential question at the heart of this achingly beautiful book. It takes us to the 1970s where two NYPD police officers settle in the suburbs—which, it turns out, are anything but settled. When a violent act tears the families apart, their children must pick up the pieces, and figure out how to move forward, with or without each other. I’ll still be thinking about this one next summer.

 

 

Jen W.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Here’s a Second Act story that won me over: Evvie, a young widow who isn’t as grief-stricken as everyone expects, meets Dean, a down-on-his-luck former Yankee who can no longer pitch. Both are “stuck” in their own way, unable to move forward. Likeable characters, sharp dialogue (the writer is a pop-culture correspondent, and it shows) and a steady-moving plot kept me reading to see if these two would eventually find themselves—and each other.

 

Kelly 

Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand

An unexpected twist from the typical Hilderbrand novel, this one takes the reader to Nantucket island at a pivotal time in history. We see transformative moments from that turbulent summer of ‘69—the moon landing, Woodstock, the Vietnam War, Chappaquiddick—through the eyes of the four Levin children. Elin’s in-depth characters kept me intrigued through the end (and milestones from this important era in American history were a plus!).