Summer may have moved on, but  memories of Breyettes work stay with you.
923334
I discovered Michael Breyettes work a few years ago. He quickly has become one of my favorite American artists. What is it about Michaels work that is so great. One word. Realism. Michael's art speaks volumes. Whether it's a glance or a stare, a day at the beach, a memorable encounter or a fantasy, Breyettes work stirs many emotions within you. I should say that those emotions are always pleasurable. What also comes through Michael's art is the man himself. I have yet to meet him, but have had many online dealings with him. He is a very personable, easy going guy. He answers his own emails. His "realism" shines through.

Buy this book. You won't be disappointed.
4165234
A cute story about prairie life in central Illinois in early 1900's. This was a perfect summer read, adding in the nostalgia of life in Illinois from a simpler time. Great feel good book.
3777924
Country Summers is a wonderfully written novel about growing up in the 50's. Every chapter provides the reader with the dynamics of family, mystery and romance. An enjoyable trip down memory lane recalling the music of the Platters to Elvis, the dating scene, Summer events of a small town such as the Sadie Hawkins dances and womanless weddings. The rituals and recipes of the Jewish faith were intriguing and the impact of sharing faith with friends of different religions was inspirational. At the conclusion, you remember what a wonderful era the 50's was and want to read more. Hope there is a sequel soon. A tremendously enjoyable read for teens to baby boomers.
659120
Colorful and good movement in the sun. These provide much time of reminiscing.
2637918
The stories in this book will take you back to a time in your life that held great meaning.  Memories are the stuff that in times of trouble, we look back on and either laugh or cry.  Memories of family and friends are what sometimes get us through.
These stories will make you remember a some of these times in your life and will cause you to think about the kinds of memories you are making now.
Nice job of compiling these special memories Mrs. Polaski.
1457348
Good friends, seaside memories, death, and dying. This is a wonderful book. Be prepared to laugh and cry as you read the stories of these four young ladies and their 30 years of friendship.

On this, the summer they are all in their early forties, the ugly head of cancer seems to threaten their idyllic summers together. Will this all too familiar monster be the catalyst that ends their idyllic summers together?

As we get to know the four main characters we learn about their loves, heartbreaks, secrets, and hopes, and we learn of that one defining event of long ago. The women are all likable, believable characters. They not only have formed a true bond of friendship but they do the almost impossible of keeping it together through the years and from around the world.

Get ready to laugh and cry, to be thoroughly entertained by these four good friends in this well written, easy and engaging read.

I won the book on goodreads and am happy to recommend it.
341725
Deirdre Thurston's collection of essays and short stories is a delightful escape for summer reading. A combination of universal themes of friendship, love and loss, guilt and memories overlaid with a strong dose of New Zealand phraseology takes the reader down familiar paths that often end with an unusual twist.

"Love Story," a nostalgic memory of a grandmother, is triggered by an elderly couple who sit next to the narrator in a movie theater. From the way the woman is dressed to the scent of talc, the narrator indulges is a series of memories, often wondering if the woman sitting near her has similar memories.

Painful memories of birthdays past where narrators don't receive recognition or gifts they want. Celebrations of a daughter turning twenty-one. A longing to learn to ride a bike when the narrator thinks she's too old and plump. Each story, each essay is a small gem waiting for you to find and polish it.
4400556
Brings back fond memories, great people back then.
668836
This was a good summer read.  The characters were friends that came back together for a reunion.  Some of it could be figured out before it happened.
723386
This delightful read brought back so many happy memories of that time.  It is a vivid reminder of how life has changed in many respects, but not the important one of a tightly knit community of resourceful and determined people.
2264230
I wasn't alive in 1928, and probably neither are most of the people who are reading this now. But Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" is similar to what it's named after: It's a magical summery substance trapped in a bottle -- or, in this case, a book. This is not the 1928 of bathtub gin and flappers, it's about a little boy in the Midwest.
It begins with the advent of summer. Douglas Spalding ses himself in summer -- dandelion wine, charting the little things of life, running through the woods with Tom, buying new sneakers and staying out until dark. It is about a man who builds a machine to make people happy, but only makes those around him miserable instead. It is about an old woman who tries to convince little children that she was once like them. There are haunted ravines, visions of Paris, wild runs in the woods, mingled with the bittersweet shadows of summers past.
Ray Bradbury is one of those few writers who actually seems to remember what it's like to be a kid. Douglas is an endearing boy, who manages to be innocent, enthusiastic and full of awe without making me feel sick to my stomach. The supporting characters are also as bright and real as actual people; none of them are flat or cartoonish. You could imagine driving into any town in Illinois and bumping into people like this: shop owners, mothers, reclusive old ladies, kindly grandfathers, bright young boys who specialize in creeping around soundlessly, and weary farmers.
Bradbury's writing is, in technical terms, not very good. But it is exceptional in that it sucks you in and makes you see and feel and experience everything in the book. There's no solid plotline, rather there are several plot threads that interweave and cling together (like the Happiness Machine, something which is supposed to give you visions and sensations that will make you happy). It's written with the sort of innocent view of a child, and children can definitely read this. If they are patient and don't mind a lack of slapstick or bang-bang action, then this book will definitely be appreciated. Adults too. And definitely anyone who was ten years old in 1928.
1209192
A very interesting reflection on life and love stories of its time. A cozy felling of remembrance of the summer days at the beach!
3031116
These wanders' "observations" from so long ago, still hold true today.
Bunyon did a great job illustrating how life is, when you step back and strip away our daily life.
370822
A very nice summer tale.  Reminded me of the time people would leave the city and spend the summer at the shore.
4564773
A very touching story. Life changes drastically with young men joining the military and leaving home and jobs. Many women went to work in the factories to fill the vacancies.
Catherine took over her father's factory when he enlisted. She did a great job but the older men who  were still working began to resent having a female boss so it wasn't easy for her.
This story did bring back  memories for me.
1772610
The intertwined stories of three women who meet on a weekend at a Virginia summerhouse and have a chance to each spend three weeks in their past really keeps you reading.  We learn what their lives are like now, and as they tell each other their stories and their pasts, the deep kindness and understanding they show each other leads them to really think about what they wish had happened instead.  As each gets a chance to go back to a crucial turning point, fascinating possibilities are brought to life in a second set of stories.
1715334
I absolutely LOVED this book. Even though it is a little before my time, I could feel time fall away while reading it.  Marnie does such a wonderful job telling her story that I felt I was transported back in time to a simple more gentler place.  I could hear the loons calling to each other, I could hear the raindrops falling in the forest on those rainy days, I could feel the excitement of the square dances, feel the sun on my shoulders while swimming in the lake.  Marnie makes you feel as if you are back in time experiencing the joys of summering in a cabin on a beautiful lake. She introduces you to people that lived a kinder life than today. The wonderful pictures included let you "see" this story unfold. I did not want this beautiful book to end, and wish it were 1,000 pages long. This book is like holding a time machine in your hands, letting you go back in time to those long ago summers when you were a kid. If you want to be transported to a beautiful time and place, read this book.  I guarantee you will not be disappointed.