Books to Help You Have an Awesome Summer
It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Grab your towel and your most cherished book and head to the beach to celebrate the sublimest of all the seasons. Don’t forget your hip new bathing suit, and your yoga mat, and fishing rod, finger paint, picnic baskets, best friends … Wait! You’re supposed to be livin’ easy, remember? Make the most out of summer (while still remaining productive as you relax) with these helpful, entertaining books, all reviewed in our Summer 2015 issue. They are perfect for all your favorite seasonal activities.
Summer Cocktails by Maria del Mar Sacasa (Quirk Books)
You’re lounging in your chair next to the pool. You feel the sun warming your face and arms. You’re reading the book you’ve been meaning to pick up for the last few months but haven’t had time until now. Doesn’t this scene call for a nice, refreshing cocktail? Crack open this book and grab some limes for the perfect drinks to complement the season.
Be Your Own Brand of Sexy: A New Sexual Revolution for Women by Susan L. Edelman (Options Press)
Forget the torture of stressing over bathing suit season. It’s all in your head. You’re beautiful however your body is shaped. This spectacular feminist guide will inspire women to take charge of their lives this summer to be confident and have lots of fun.
Beautiful Hands by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten (Blue Dot Press)
Take the kids outside for an awesome arts and crafts session inspired by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten. All you need are your hands and some paint to create gorgeous work that shows the power of cooperation. The precious words in this book are sure to promote kind thoughts for an idyllic summer.
The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies by Ian Whitelaw (Stewart, Tabori, and Chang)
Casting out the line is sometimes more like a work of art than a sport. Patience, technique, and, of course, the feathery fly on the hook are all significant aspects of the craft. This glorious book of lures will get you itching for a new toy, a new boat, a new rod—anything to experience the relaxation of this old hobby.
Azalea, Unschooled by Liza Kleinman (Islandport Press)
School’s out for summer, but to keep the kids entertained while continuing to exercise their brain, why don’t you try unschooling? This middle-grade novel reveals how exploring, apprenticing, and discovering their passion on their own can be a powerful learning experience that’s way better than staring at a textbook with their chin in their hands.
To have a stress-free summer, yoga can help. And there’s more benefits than simply toned muscles and a calmed mind. Yoga’s doctrines can improve quality of life for those struggling with eating disorders of all varieties—important when there’s grilled ribs and ice cream cones about. With the voice of a caring yoga teacher, Marsh inspires people facing food-based issues to integrate mindfulness into their eating.
Singletasking: Get More Done One Thing at a Time by Devora Zack (Berrett-Koehler Publishers)
Just because the sun’s out doesn’t mean you don’t still have to get things done. Instead of juggling a billion tasks at once to get ahead of the beach crowd, taking it one item at a time, with the help of Singletasking, will unscatter your brain so you can enjoy “beautiful days,” as Zack writes, “one sunbeam at a time.”
Foodprints: The Story of What We Eat by Paula Ayer (Annick Press)
Climate change should be a concern no matter the time of year. For kids of all ages (and adults), Foodprints shows the agricultural processes of food of all kinds, from seed to sewer, teaching how we can have healthier bodies, minds, and homes. Gardening, cooking, grocery shopping, farming animals—these are big matters affecting the earth. But this informative guide it’s frightening; it’s motivating—even fun!
What’s summer without friends? And true friends, at that. Open up and meet some folks with the help of this book that will guide you toward developing friendships in a way that establishes real connection. Enjoy the summer sun with people you feel truly connected to, and learn how to shape the relationships with your acquaintances into something beautiful.
Each season offers different vegetables and fruits. The ones in summer aren’t available any other time. Organic farmers and home gardeners can use nature to their advantage by following the recipes in this cookbook. You can have a brilliant summer and save the planet, both at the same time.
Aimee Jodoin is deputy editor at Foreword Reviews. You can follow her on Twitter @aimeebeajo.
Aimee Jodoin
