Do you remember when your teacher sent a Summer reading list of books to read before classes started up again in the Fall? I always tried to read all of them, but they wouldn’t have been the ones I wanted to read. Now we can choose what we want to read. Here are 7 new books that will appeal to different interests. These have links so you can download them (or patronize your favorite bookstore). Which do you like?
How to Savor, Flavor:
We use our senses every day, smelling, tasting, touching, etc. But most of the time we don’t think about how we do it. What’s going on in our bodies, in our specific DNA and experiences that make things taste different from one person to another? How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life by Mandy Naglich (Kensington Books, June 2023) will fascinate you. It will, in fact, possibly change the way you live. The author is an advanced, certified taster who guides you through the who, what, where, and why with lots of personal stories.
The author goes through all the details without talking down to the reader. You’ll how to savor flavor (no pun intended) in a book and learn about the 4 styles of chewing (who knew?!). I honestly couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those new books that you’ll tell all your friends about and urge them to read it. It just launched on June 27th! Get this book.
A Memorable, Horrible Cancer Experience:
When you think your life could be better, consider Perry Muse. This man was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and from this, he ended up with 17 different operations as things didn’t go as planned. Morbid Thoughts and the Domino Effect: Passing Thoughts During Cancer by Perry Muse (Gatekeeper Press, July 2022) is as fascinating as it is horrible. More of a daredevil in his younger years, he had a near-death experience and homelessness (among other things).
However, then he found his soul mate and she became his nurse, cheering section, and motivator. There is plenty of drama, but also a lot of humor. Perry is afraid that his cancer will ultimately kill him after it hits his bones. So he calls his bones “Mr. Skeleton.” The author takes on his emotional journey through every step of his cancer journey. It’s personal, and incredibly dignified considering what this man is going through. Therefore, you are rooting for him through the book.
If you or someone you know is going through cancer treatment, this book doesn’t dumb down the experiences but also offers a lot of hope and motivation. Buy This Book
If You Love UFO Stories:
Help for the Caregiver:
If you’ve ever had to be a caregiver to an older loved one, you know how emotionally and physically draining it can be. It brings up all sorts of emotions but positive and negative. Positive Caregiving: Caring for Older Loved Ones Using the Power of Positive Emotion by Sarah Teten Kanter. Ph.D. (The Collective Book Studio, May 2023) is not a fun read. But it is one of those new books that can help you sort out what to do when you don’t have a lot of time to read. I appreciated the fact that the book was organized so that it would be easy for someone with no time to get through it and pick up some tips.
The reality is that many of us will end up with an elderly relative that we must help through their final years. I like the fact that the book is also focused on some self-care for the giver, not just how to deal with the recipient of care. The book directs caregivers through four pillars of Positive Caregiving: Perspective, Savoring, Reminiscence, and Growth.
If you are a caregiver or think you might be one, this helps you to better understand the positive opportunities that caring for a loved one provides. Get this book.
Momma’s Getting Re-Married!
What would Summer be without a sweet romantic novel to while away hours at the beach or pool, or just at home? Our Place On The Island by Erika Montgomery (St. Martin’s Griffin, June 13, 20233) is one of those multi-generational books you love. It’s the story of three generations of women living on Martha’s Vineyard in a beach house. As the stories unfold, the women are returning to the beach house to celebrate the fact that Cora, their matriarch, is getting remarried to “the one that got away” years ago.
The days to the wedding date give Cora a chance to tell her story and her secrets. Of course, secrets can change a lot of perceptions. So Momma’s getting married and not everyone approves. There’s a lot more interaction, but why spoil the book? It’s a lovely feel-good perfect for your Summer reading list. Get this book
Oceans, Forever:
Also launching on June 27th is the Ocean Lovers Quotation Book, arranged by Jackie Corley ( Hatherleigh Press, June 2023). It was always my dream to live where I could be by the seas. The ocean has such power and beauty. This little gift-able hardcover book provides a lot of quotes about the beauty & Wonders of the Sea.
Drifting through the pages I found some quotes I already knew, and plenty that I didn’t. For example: “How inappropriate it is to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean (Arthur C. Clarke). Well, that’s just one, you’ll find many more. Leave this one at your beach house for guests to peruse over 200 inspirational quotes and get inspired yourself! Get this book
Fat, In France:
French women are chic. French women are thin. Well, maybe (I have seen some ample ladies in Paris). However, it is a different story when you’re not the size of a toothpick and live in a place where size, matters. Author Erin Zhurkin has been there and her experience inspired Plus Size In Paris (épaysement Publishing, 2023). The main character in this fictional novel is Abby Allerton. She is an influencer that is comfortable not being a size zero and she has popular Instagram profiles (Plus Size Real and, Femme Fatale). 