a divorced writer goes to greece to teach a writing workshop in the middle of the summer. not so much a traditional narrative as a series of conversations meditating on the role of love, writing, etc. one of my favorite books in general.
slow days, fast company by eve babitz
vignettes from the life of the author, an LA it girl and writer, so snappily written and so fun
if you want something wintry to balance the sunshine: to the bright edge of the world by eowyn ivey
epistolary documentation about a colonial expedition into what we now call alaska and two people researching it in current day.