Summer Reading






















Do you ever feel like summer has just become...

Get up and go, 
Packed schedules,
Overheated,
Over expensive,
Exhausting,
Too much work,
Sand in your eyes, not between your toes?

My son just graduated from college and got his first full-time career job. One of the first things he said was, "Now summer is just another season for me."

I don't like that! I want summer to be...
Lazy days and lemonade,
Straw hats and sandals,
Hammocks and porch swings,
Cloud watching,
Trail hiking,
Fresh air breathing,
Adventure seeking!

Nice fantasy, right? Especially if you're stuck working this summer, have no vacation money or vacation plans on the horizon and expect summer to just be the same as the rest of the year --- but hotter and with kids to deal with as well!

The answer to our need for escape and our inability to escape is obvious:

We need to spend our summer reading.

Yes! Escape with me to the future, or the past. To Greece or Mexico. To ninth grade or retirement.

Meet a boy
Fall in love
Solve a murder
Rescue a victim
Rise up against oppression
Steal a national treasure

 READ!

Don't think you have time to read? I think you do.

Do you get a lunch break? Why not spend it on a North Carolina beach house?

Do you need ten minutes to decompress before you fall asleep? Do it in Zanzibar or the Scottish Highlands.

Yes, reading is the perfect summer escape. With well-written e-books usually available for less than five dollars, downloadable to your phone or tablet, with libraries and Amazon prime, you can have adventures this summer without ever leaving home. Don't really love reading? What about an audiobook? Our libraries have lots of books on CD to borrow, and Audible.com is offering a free book for anyone new to their services. Their books are downloadable right to your phone or tablet. Pop your headphones on and check out for a chapter at a time. (Hey, if your kids can put their headphones on and ignore everyone, why can't you?)

But what books to choose?  That's where I can help. This summer, I plan to post a series of book recommendations, based on genre. So stay tuned and get ready to escape!


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