Three Fantastic Books For Your Nightstand

First, man do I need a nightstand (I'm coveting the one pictured here but it's a little spendy); right now I have a big stack of books sitting in a pile on the floor next to my bed. Second, one of my favorite ways to unwind and get my brain off the work/household minutia track at the end of the day is to curl up with a book in bed. Today I wanted to share three recent reads that I think deserve a place on your nightstand (or in your summer beach tote!):
1. I'm not a dog person (allergies, regretfully) so I wasn't sure I'd enjoy Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain, which I learned about from this crazy amazing crowd sourced reading list and is written from the perspective of a dog. I loved this book. The narrative is touching and alternately had me laughing out loud or moved to tears. A resounding woof from this corner.

2. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to reading Kyran Pittman's Planting Dandelions: Field Notes From a Semi-Domesticated Life. I was almost a little nervous to read it because I don't tend to gravitate towards "momoirs" and Kyran is a friend; I was worried I wouldn't like the book and that would be, well, awkward. I should have known better. I already knew that Kyran is a gifted writer and Planting Dandelions is an artfully written memoir that immediately (as in, just a few pages in) left me longing to be a better writer.

3. I've read two of Katherine Center's other novels (The Bright Side of Disaster, Everyone Is Beautiful) and her new novel The Lost Husband confirmed something for me: Katherine has mastered the art of the thoughtful, relationship-oriented page turner. Once I started reading The Lost Husband I literally could not put it down. Such a wonderful read. Similar to my feelings about The Bright Side of Disaster, I could totally see The Lost Husband being made into a movie.

I hope you enjoy these three book recommendations! What have you been reading lately? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Image credit: 1) linked metal side table from West Elm; 2) book jackets from Amazon; graphic by Christine Koh