Summer 2024 in Review (with photos)

“But the summer had been a very happy one, too - a time of glad living with summer suns and skies, a time of keen delight in wholesome things; a time of renewing and deepening of old friendships; a time in which she had learned to live more nobly, to work more patiently, to play more heartily.”
-from Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

This quote perfectly sums up my summer. I’m quite honestly not a big fan of summer, I always want the gentle spring days to linger and the crisp fall days to hurry up and arrive. But this year, summer has been sweet and special. In this blog post I’m sharing my recap. The adventures I’ve been on, photos from this summer, and my favorite books from the summer.

This summer has been my Anne of Avonlea Summer, my Summer I Turned Pretty Summer, my rom-com summer. The kind of summer where you pause for a second and can’t believe that this is your real life.

Of course, there were hard things this summer, I struggled with many things, dealt with loss, cried, all of those things. But we all know that the best stories have conflict and growth, even though those things are painful, they shape us for the better.
    
​This summer though, was the happiest summer in my recent memory. The summer where I decided to let myself enjoy summer, to live and experience everything that came my way.

​ This summer began with a family vacation to Washington D.C. We stayed in a cute old house in Maryland and took the train into D.C. every day. I loved exploring the city, going to museums, and spending time with my family. 
​
There is something so very special about visiting the capitol city, It makes you feel so very American. The emotion you feel when looking down at the Declaration of Independence, the feeling you get staring up at the rotunda in the U.S. Capitol, staring at a bust of your favorite author, and seeing the stars in front of the Lincoln Memorial is special. 

​I’m so grateful my family got to take that trip.

One of the highlights of this whole summer was hanging out with my best friends and growing in our friendships. Watching movies together, eating popeyes, spending a weekend at the beach, sleepovers, staring at the stars, and picnics. It was all so special. And I’m so grateful for all of you guys.

​I was also blessed to have some really fun family birthday parties and gatherings. We laughed so much we cried at one which in my opinion is one of the best things ever.

I also had the house to myself one day this summer, where I had the perfect summer day. In the morning I stayed in bed late and watched darling desi while eating poptarts. I took a long walk, got ice cream from the ice cream truck, swam in the pool, read books, and hung out with my dog Toby. I danced in the rain, watched movies, and laughed at myself.

(side note, this movie was amazing)

Other highlights of my summer:

• Walking to get ice cream

• Blueberry picking with cousins and church friends

• Lord of The Rings movie night

    

• ​​Facetiming with my book/writing besties (hi girls <3)

• Making so many matcha lattes

• Making YouTube videos

    

• Worship Night

  

•  Swimming in our pool

• Buying myself books when we were at the beach

• ​​Church campfire

• Finished a draft of my YA fantasy novel

• Buddy reading two books with a long distance friend
• ​Having a snack party with one of my besties

• Going to Friendly’s with my sister and our friend

• Going to Cabelas with my cousins

  

• Youth Group all-nighter

    

• Reading poetry aloud while watching the sunset

    

• Reading side by side with my friend

    

• Going to a trampoline park for my brother’s birthday

    

• Spending a day by the lake with friends

    

• ​​Taking a walk with my Nana and sister

A Summer Reading Recap (with ratings) -

Every summer I like to prioritize reading. Here are my favorite books from June, July, and August. 

​June -

Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr
    This was a sweet middle-grade book about two best friends who live in Norway. It’s beautiful in setting and message. It’s full of the two friend’s adventures, deals with grief and how children experience it, and there are many celebrations over heart shaped waffles.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Anne of Green Gables  by L.M. Montgomery
    I’ve already talked about this book endlessly, but my re-read of it this summer was so special. It was the first time I’ve annotated this book, and I also cried over it. So, so, beautiful and nostalgic. 
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

July -

July was my worst reading month of the entire year so far, but there were still a few gems.

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
    I also re-read the second book in the Anne series in the beginning of July. My goodness it was so beautiful. This book to me is summer. It’s simple and the plot isn’t impressive, but the small things, the funny moments (like Anne falling through a roof), the romances, the daydreams, it’s all perfect.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

​The Summer of June by Jamie Sumners
This book touched me in a way a book hasn’t touched me before. It’s about a girl named June who deals with and anxiety disorder, she decides though, that this summer is going to be different. It’s set at a library and is about books, gardens and overcoming anxiety.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 

​Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I made a whole video review on it (linked here), but seriously this book was incredible. In my reading journal I wrote “This book exceeded, subverted, and surpassed my expectations. There is so much depth to it. It’s more than a story about a monster, it’s about humanity, survival, love, loss, beauty, horror, the ruggedness of that which is untamed. Mary Shelley is a master.”
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5

August -

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
    This is the best Anne book. Okay maybe not, but maybe so, I can’t decide. Either way it’s beautiful. It’s about Anne’s four years of college. The adventures, the challenges, the loss. I laughed over it, cried over it, and underlined everything. Every time I read this book I never want it to end.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Little Prince by Saint Antoine Exuprey
    I didn’t know what to expect with this book. But wow, it was beautiful. It’s from the perspective of a pilot who has been downed in the desert. He comes across this small boy from a small planet somewhere in the universe. The boy tells the pilot of how he got to earth and speaks so much wisdom. This book is more philosophical than story-like. Everyone should read it. 
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
    This book was about a boy whose teacher is making him read Shakespeare. It’s set in the 1960’s during the Vietnam war. And it covers the course of one school year. It didn’t strike me as special in the beginning, but the more you go you grow to love the characters so much, and experience so much simple wisdom portrayed through beautiful writing.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 

Ignite by Kara Swanson
    This book shook me, touched me, heard me. This was my most anticipated release of 2024, and it did not disappoint. It’s about a young phoenix girl named Mara who lives in a cold world where the sun is dying. When her flock disappears she has to face her fears of the people outside of her cavern, and even worse, face her own thoughts, and her fears of her own fire. 
    This book is stunning.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

That’s my summer re-cap, but what about yours? How was you summer? What did you do? What did you read? I’d love to know!

Belle Thomas

Belle is the writer and dreamer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about reminding girls of their identity in Christ, classic books, history, Louisa May Alcott, and earl grey tea.  ​