Top 10 Reads for a Busy Summer

Categories: Parenting, Self-care
June 24, 2019

According to Inc. Magazine, the 10 Top New Year’s Resolutions for Success and Happiness in 2019 include eating healthier, exercising more, and spending more time with friends and family—just to name a few. The same study found that of the sixty percent of us who make New Year’s resolutions, only about eight percent are successful in achieving them. So, if you’re finding that over six months into 2019, you’ve haven’t quite reached your goal, rest assured that you’re in good company. The seventh most popular resolution on the list is to read more, and while story time is certainly beneficial for children of all ages, something tells us that isn’t exactly what seventeen percent of people making that resolution had in mind back in January. The reality is, however, that it can be difficult to find time to read, especially with a new baby or kids around. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the top ten reads for a busy summer to enjoy whether you have five minutes or two hours to spare.

 

How to Skimm Your Life by theSkimm

From the creators of theSkimm, a daily news digest intended to be read in minutes, How to Skimm Your Life covers everything from personal finance, to career, to stress management, to global politics, and more in language that’s accessible and relatable (and often pretty funny, too).

 

Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan

In her honest—and not to mention, hilarious—reflections of what it means to be a “not so perfect mom,” Bumni Laditan reminds us that “there’s no way to be perfect, but many ways to be great.”

 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Deila Owens

With its place on the New York Times Best Sellers list for thirty-eight weeks and counting, Where the Crawdads Sing tells the gripping tale of a woman who survives alone in the marsh only to later become a murder suspect. It’s a coming-of-age story meets crime mystery, and is sure to be a page-turner.

 

Best American Short Stories 2018 edited by Roxane Gay

The most recent compilation of the country’s finest short fiction, Best American Short Stories 2018 is the perfect choice if you’re pressed for time but still want the satisfaction of reading a complete work.

 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

The former First Lady’s memoir documents her journey from living as a child on the South Side of Chicago, to her experience juggling responsibilities as an executive and mother, to her time spent at the White House. Told with honesty and humor, Becoming is eye-opening and inspirational, and deeply powerful.

 

The Complete Book of Clean: Tips & Techniques for Your Home by Toni Hammersley

In her eco-friendly guide to cleaning your home, Toni Hammersley offers tips for establishing routines, making schedules, and DIY green cleaning solutions to help keep every area of your home neat and naturally safe (which is especially important for curious crawlers and new walkers!).

 

Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Designs by Cindy Elsharouni

Whoever said coloring is for kids needs to pick up a box of crayons. In fact, studies have shown that coloring as an adult actually reduces stress and can help improve your mood. This bestselling coloring book for adults includes over sixty unique and relaxing designs of gardens, animals, mandalas, paisley, and more.

 

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Named one of the best books of 2018 by The New York Times, Tara Westover’s memoir tells the unbelievably true story of her quest toward knowledge, which takes her from rural Idaho to Harvard University—despite not stepping foot inside a classroom until she was seventeen years old.

 

The New Yorker Encyclopedia of Cartoons: A Semi-Serious A-to-Z Archive edited by Bob Mankoff

With nearly ten decades worth of New Yorker cartoons, this collection is organized by subject with insightful and comedic commentary by Bob Mankoff—making it the perfect addition to your coffee table.

 

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Helen Hoang’s new take on the romance novel is at the same time insightful and sexy, and reminds us that love isn’t always logical.

 

Reading is a lot like travel: it can bring us to new places, introduce us to new people, and offer us new perspectives. No matter if you’re going on vacation or staying home this summer, a book brings adventure with every page

 

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