These romances are free to borrow if you have Kindle Select. I found them totally enjoyable and liked the\u00a0little bit of mystery.<\/p>\n
On My To-Read Pile:<\/strong> Cooked<\/em><\/a> by Michael Pollen, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up<\/em><\/a> by Marie Kondo, The Whole30<\/em><\/a> by Dallas & Melissa Hartwig<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you gotten yourself into any good books this summer?\u00a0 If not…check these out: The Weekday Brides series by Catherine Bybee These romances are free to borrow if you have Kindle Select. I found them totally enjoyable and liked the\u00a0little … Continue reading ![\"Summerhill\"](\"http:\/\/19xnly3cl9rt2qvk731lwbxpeay.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Summerhill-140x225.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
<\/a>
Summerhill series<\/a> by Kate Perry
Set in London, these stories each are about\u00a0one of the Summerhill sisters finding love. I got a bit burned out by the 7th book still thought the rest was lovely and fluffy entertainment \u2014 perfect for a vacation.<\/p>\n![\"Red](\"http:\/\/19xnly3cl9rt2qvk731lwbxpeay.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Red-Rising-148x225.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
Red Rising Trilogy<\/em><\/a> by Pierce Brown
And now for something completely different . . . If you love YA and sci-fi \/ fantasy like me, you MUST<\/em> read these books. It\u2019s Hunger Games<\/em> on steroids and as much as I loved The Hunger Games<\/em>, these\u00a0books are better!<\/p>\nBook Club Reads<\/h2>\n
![\"Nightingale\"](\"http:\/\/19xnly3cl9rt2qvk731lwbxpeay.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Nightingale-148x225.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
The Nightingale<\/em> <\/strong><\/a>by Kristin Hannah
I didn\u2019t want to read another WWII historical fiction book but after the first paragraph, I couldn\u2019t put it down.\u00a0If you\u2019ve read any of Kristin Hannah\u2019s other books, you\u2019ll know that her writing is beautiful and mesmerizing.<\/p>\n![\"Until](\"http:\/\/19xnly3cl9rt2qvk731lwbxpeay.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Until-Tuesday-145x225.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
Until Tuesday<\/em> <\/strong><\/a>by Luis Carlos Montalvan and Bret Wittler
We just rescued a dog, our first dog ever, and this book caught my attention when I read it\u2019s companion picture book. It\u2019s a powerful memoir of a former soldier with injuries including PSTD whose service dog became his way back into the living. Amazing. I recommend this book to everyone. My 13-year old read it and agreed it was \u201cpowerful.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Orphan](\"http:\/\/19xnly3cl9rt2qvk731lwbxpeay.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Orphan-Train-151x225.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
Orphan Train<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Christina Baker Kline
I read this last summer when it was a free download on Kindle. It blew me away. It\u2019s one of those books that the characters become so known to you that they seem to be part of your life. It\u2019s historical fiction and one of the best books I\u2019ve ever read.<\/p>\nNonfiction Reads<\/h2>\n
![\"Brainstorm\"](\"http:\/\/19xnly3cl9rt2qvk731lwbxpeay.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Brainstorm-150x225.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
Brainstorm<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D.
I ordered this when I bought The Teenage Brain<\/em>. The two books are quite different so I was happy to have them both. This became a bit of therapy for me, to be honest. The author dives into attachment, which teens need to be secure. I used his models to look back at my own disorganized attachment model and how I disassociated \u00a0and became fragmented as an adult. He then addresses how to\u00a0make sense of your life\u00a0when that has happened. As I looked at my own emotional journey, his questions helped me reflect on the new legacy I\u2019m leaving for my children. There\u2019s much more to this book but that\u2019s what really stuck out for me.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/19xnly3cl9rt2qvk731lwbxpeay.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/The-Teenage-Brain-147x225.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
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The Teenage Brain<\/em><\/a><\/strong> by Frances E. Jensen, M.D. with Amy Ellis Nutt
If you didn\u2019t hear the NPR interview with Dr. Jensen<\/a>, it\u2019s worth listening to or reading the transcript. It made me by the book. (Can you tell I have a new teenager in the house?) I\u2019m only part way through this book but already have learned so much! During the teen years, the brain is \u201cmore powerful and more vulnerable than at virtually any other time\u201d in life. That is to say that the learning potential is huge but so is the opportunity for damage with drugs and alcohol. It\u2019s also interesting to\u00a0understand the science behind why teenagers make poor decisions (mostly has to do with\u00a0myelin in the frontal lobe which is still developing.) If you have a teenager or teach them, I recommend reading this book.<\/p>\n