This last week Portland has had some hot days, summer is well underway.
I don’t do well in the heat so I need some good reading and nice cold drinks to get me through.
So with more hot days ahead and summer just around the corner, I’ve done a roundup of good summer reading, and some recipes to beat the heat.

Simmer down with these cool books and icy drinks:

“Love & Gelato”

Jenn Evans Welch gives us a a summer in Italy that turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping debut novel filled with romance, mystery, and adventure.

“But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept from Lina for far too long.
It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.”

Rated 4.9 on amazon.com

Book Bean: Frappalato-Licious
One scoop of your favorite Gelato (I like pistachio and/or mint) in a blender add 1 shot of chilled espresso and cream or use 2 scoops of Gelato and 8 oz of brewed coffee chilled, Blend, top with  whip cream, and enjoy.

“Of Mice and Men”

John Steinbeck wrote this classic gem in 1937. It’s been a Broadway play and there have been several adaptations of it in movies and TV. It is a timeless treasure. Steinbeck’s descriptive narratives are like a mellow summer breeze.

“The powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck’s work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing “Of Mice and Men” (1937), creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness.
But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal; a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual’s existence meaningful.”

Rated 4.4 on amazon.com

“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley.” (Often go awry.)
Robert Burn’s poem “To a Mouse”

Book Bean: Orange Marmalade Chiller
In a blender: A hefty scoop of orange marmalade, fresh squeezed orange juice and a little zest, add ice. Blend, pour, and garnish with mint. Now cool your jets.

“The Girls”

Emma Cline’s has written a great debut novel. It is beautifully written and captivating, with precision and startling psychological insight.

“This novel takes place Northern California, and follows a lonely and thoughtful teenager. It begins in the summer of the violent end of the 1960s. An indelible portrait of girls, the women they become, and that moment in life when everything can go horribly wrong.”

Rated 3.9 on amazon.com

Book Bean: Malted Ovaltine Frappe
That’s right get out the ole Olvatine and whip up this tasty freeze. In a blender add a 1/4-1/2 cup of milk (of choice), Ovaltine to taste ( I like a lot :D), a little ice, 2 shots of chilled espresso or brewed coffee (chilled, but use cream instead of milk and less of it), blend until smooth, pour and sprinkle with malt.

“Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants”

by Ann Brashares
“Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She’d love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants — and the most memorable summer of their lives — begins.”

Rated 4.6 on amazon.com

Book Bean: Twisted Italian Soda
Steep or pull concentrated white tea (same amount of tea only 2 oz water) and chill, mix chilled tea with aprx. 4oz of simply lemonade juice (or the like), pour over ice, add carbonated water leaving a half inch of room, squeeze in a splash of lemon juice, and top with a bit of half and half or whip. Add a straw and lemon wedge, stir lightly if you like.

This was just part 1 of 2, stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2!

What’s your favorite drink to beat the heat?