Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Summer Reading Basket For You



My kids are home for summer vacation. You might as well know, I love it. I know, I know, there's lots I've read out there of how you can't be my friend if I like my kids home, but I do.

Anyway, on their last day of school, I pick them up with a van full of balloons. Then we go for french fries and soda, **fast food?? aaargh! unfriend!** The first morning that my children are mine home again, I let them sleep in, then they come downstairs to cinnamon rolls. We do it the same way every year.

Another thing they wake up to on their first day of vacation, is a large reading basket I've set out for them at the bottom of the stairs. They love it. It's filled with books, magazines, notebooks, sketchpads, markers, charcoal pencils, pastels, small travel games, and a few card games, too.

What I have for you today, courtesy of so very many wonderful, talented people I've met on the internet, is a summer reading basket for you.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win.

Up on deck for some very lucky winners, the following top of the line reads:


 
--Jill Smokler, Scary Mommy's, second book; Motherhood Comes Naturally, and other vicious lies. This book is right on. It's something I truly needed when I started this parenting gig 18 years ago. I thought I was supposed to hit the ground running. 18 summers later, and I'm still learning.  Written in Jill's reassuring style that tells us, we're all in this together. A winner.




--Tracy Beckerman's newest, Lost in Suburbia. I've met Tracy in real life, and her essays here are as close to having your BFF living right next door as you can get. No topic off limits for her, Tracy spills it on what the rest of us keep quiet. She takes the words right out of my mouth by asking, "What the heck happened here? And whose house am I in?"




--Lela Davidson's Who Peed On My Yoga Mat. Lela, an adorable pixie of a woman, is another one who reads my mind out loud. She is the best friend from college that you've been smart enough to hang onto. Her writing is irreverent, yet still deeply in love with mothering. This is a great book to carry around in your purse--easily pulled out for hidden giggles in between classes and at swim lesson pick up.



--Rita Arens, of Surrender, Dorothy, offers us a painfully beautiful glimpse of adolescent life during the stormy times of uncertainty and doubt. For those who love YA literature, as I do. Vulnerable, aching, and absolutely irresistible. A must read, The Obvious Game, by Rita Arens.

 
--I am proud to say, that the last book here up for this giveaway is authored by someone who was an editor for me. Una LaMarche. This woman with a keen eye for the subtleties that take writing from pretty good to knocking it out of the ballpark, has written Five Summers, a YA novel that had me hooked from the first page with sentences like "words flowed from her like the very next breaths she was taking."  It's the story of four friends and five summers they share together. Captivating.

These fabulous reads are yours if you win! Please leave a comment to win, and the authors will send out the books to you. All books are available through Amazon, if you can't wait to spend your summer nights falling asleep to some mighty fine writing, as I do. 

GOOD LUCK!
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26 comments:

  1. I'm game and a bit of a joiner! I wish you had at least asked an embarrassing question I could have answered. Oh well, you are right, I can't be your friend if you like your kids being home. But I guess I can forgive you this once.
    :) www.onepartjoyonepartcircus.com

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  2. What a terrific collection of books! Happy summer!
    (no judging on the french fries and soda)

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  3. There are people who expect you not to like your kids? I'm crazy about mine. True, there are moments when they drive me crazy, but I miss them when they aren't around.

    One of my favorite things about beach vacations is the time to read.

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  4. I knew there were more of us who wrung our hands in joyous anticipation of the kids being home for the summer! Those books all sound so incredible!

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  5. nice. we have 30 minutes of reading in the morning and 30 in the afternoon...and we did the reading basket idea...though i left myself out sadly....heading to charlottesville this weekend to perform and plan on hitting the used bookstore...they have a load waiting on me...smiles.

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  6. Book giveaways are the best. You rule! ;)

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  7. I love the selection, and the idea of a summer reading basket, I could use one myself. I've been quietly following your blog for a while now and I love it!

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  8. I would like to win. But I would donate my Motherhood Comes ... book because I already have it. :-)

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  9. Don't count me as an entry, just popping in to say I didn't realize Una's book was out yet and popping over to buy -- I love all these writers and have read a lot of their work. Thank you for doing a giveaway of our books! And will you please come be MY mother?

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  10. Count me as a grown-up who loves YA books. I have Tracy's "Lost in Suburbia" -- fabulous!

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  11. Oh my goodness! I would LOVE these incredible books! I need to read more and this would be the best stack of books to get me going!

    I LOVE THAT YOU MAKE THOSE BASKETS FOR YOUR KIDS! That is such an awesome idea! We will be celebrating summer solstice tomorrow night, I'm going to use this idea for Roozle! She will love it! Thank you!

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  12. I want to win all of these wonderful books! I want make my kids those baskets! I want to rewind three weeks to our first day of vacation and make my kids cinnamon rolls!

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  13. I love the idea of picking your kids up with balloons for the last day of school!!! Wonderful!!! I also love the reading baskets, I may borrow that one! Love your reading suggestions as well, I'm looking forward do a few lazy days in the sun with a good book myself. Thanks!

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  14. GOOD LUCK everyone! Each of these women are talented authors. You'll enjoy any one of these books. Order up, and read away.

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  15. I love the book basket idea! We keep our library books in one basket, but that's just to keep them from getting lost. (That's the idea, anyway.)

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  16. Love love love. You got me with free book contest, but these all look great on the merits!

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  17. I wouldn't be so TWISTED if you were my mom.

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  18. can I win?

    candace

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  19. Love these - and love that I personally know 4 out of your 5 authors & they are all FABULOUS women. (& will take it on your word that the 5th - your old friend - is too!)

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  20. Oh, they sound great and I am a reading junkie. Pick me! =)

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  21. I LOVE your summer book basket idea!!! And I love having my kids home with me too:) Yay for summer reading!!!!

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  22. Oh, I love this list and I ADORE good summer reads. I would be so honored!!

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  23. "Five Summers" is a perfect summer read. I enjoyed the unfolding friendship of the four girls and their struggles and achievements growing up.

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  24. What a sweet thing to do for your boys! I hope to copy this someday. I'm in need for good summer reads.

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  25. Love this book basket, and I love your summer basket idea for the kids. I used to drive around blasting "School's Out" with the windows down while I took my kids for ice cream on the last day of school, but now that they're older they don't enjoy that quite so much. :)

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  26. I totally need to read "Who Peed on my Yoga Mat." The title alone? Awesome.

    Thanks so much for the great reading recommendations; am always looking for some good summer material. XOXO

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