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in Blog on July 1, 2019 by Katie Addiss

Books Talk: Summer Beach Reads

Whether you’re reading poolside at a resort, towel-bound at the nearest beach, or from the comfort of your own bed, Sarah and Katie have summer book picks that fit any of the above. Though very different, our selections both move quickly and can be picked up and put down easily! Happy Summer Reading!

This blog post accompanies our discussion on the podcast in Episode 215. Listen here (we start the Books Talk segment at 38:55):


What We’ve Been Reading Lately

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Sarah’s been busy reading, and Katie’s been busy…with littles. You know how it goes. Here’s what we’ve read since we last caught up on the podcast:

Sarah:

  • Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
  • Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
  • I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott
  • Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
  • The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon
  • The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Katie:

I’ve been listening to the audiobook Becoming by Michelle Obama. It’s full of interesting and honest looks inside Michelle’s background, her romantic relationship with Barack, motherhood and friendship when you’re the FLOTUS, and life in the White House.

Beach Reads We Recommend

Sarah’s pick for a not-traditionally-beachy but still great summer read is Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood’s Messy Years by Catherine Newman (who also wrote Waiting for Birdy). It’s a collection of hilarious and poignant essays about motherhood and parenting during the middle years – ages 4-14 – and it’s easy to pick and put down as you please.

Katie’s choice for a summer beach read is What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. A freak accident on a treadmill lands Alice with a bad case of amnesia – she wakes up thinking it’s ten years earlier and that her life is perfectly happy. This book – Katie’s favorite Moriarty title – is perfect for mothers of any age who might understand Alice’s struggle of reaching for the wrong things in life and unconsciously letting the important things slip through her fingers.

What We’re Reading Next

Up next for Sarah is Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, both of which came up repeatedly in comments on this Instagram post.

Up next for Katie is Voices From Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich, and The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth. The first pick was inspired by the HBO series Chernobyl, and the second was recommended as a good thriller.

What are your go-to beach reads this summer? Drop them below in a comment!

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: books, books talk, Katie Addiss

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« Must Have Gear For The Beach & Pool: Episode 214
We Love Fun Now! (Or Do We?) PLUS Beach Reads: Episode 215 »

Comments

  1. Michele says

    July 3, 2019 at 9:13 am

    Thank you for the recommendation of Catastrophic Happiness! It’s been on my TBR for a long time and this week’s episode nudged me to take it out from the library! I started it this morning, and Sarah, I can already see the humor and poignancy that you mentioned coming through, right from the prologue.

    A couple of reads I’d recommend: Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner’s latest; Red, White, and Royal Blue for a little steamy Prince Harry fan fic; the Maisie Dobbs series if you’d like some “cozy mysteries” with a side of post-WWI England and France; and any of Jenny Colgan’s books. Happy summer reading!

    Reply
    • KATIE ADDISS says

      July 5, 2019 at 6:02 pm

      I’ll have to look into some of these titles. Thanks, Michele!

      Reply
  2. Cathy says

    July 3, 2019 at 11:26 am

    I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only person to go down the Theranos rabbit hole. My book club is discussing Bad Blood next month – I can’t wait to share thoughts. You both sold me on Becoming.

    I’d recommend Jessica Strawser’s Not That I Could Tell. The story is similar to something Liane Moriarty would write, but a little less soapy. Also The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin.

    Reply
    • KATIE ADDISS says

      July 5, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      THANKS FOR THE SPECIFIC TITLES! CAN’T WAIT TO CHECK THEM OUT!

      Reply
  3. Michelle N says

    July 3, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    I’m always on the lookout for titles to add to my TBR list. I’m currently reading World Without End by Ken Follett. It’s the sequel to Pillars of the Earth. He writes villains you HATE but I can’t put it down. Already halfway through the 1000+ pages and I haven’t had to renew it from my library yet!

    Reply
    • KATIE ADDISS says

      July 5, 2019 at 5:32 pm

      WOW, 1000 PAGES SOUNDS INTIMIDATING – MUST BE REALLY GOOD IF YOU’RE ALREADY HALFWAY THROUGH!

      Reply
  4. Brianna Cazares says

    July 8, 2019 at 1:30 am

    Katie,
    Have you read Barbara Kingsolver? I love her writing so much, and find her books totally gripping and hard to put down. I think “The Poisonwood Bible” was the first one I read, and still absolutely love that book. Her most recent one is “Unsheltered” and it was one of those books that I was literally sad that I was done reading it. I actually think Sarah would really love that one because it feels very historical and kind of non-fiction-y in some ways even though it’s fiction.

    Thanks for your recommendations. Can’t wait to read some of them!

    Reply
  5. Tragic Sandwich says

    July 9, 2019 at 12:03 am

    I’m going to recommend pretty much anything by Joshilyn Jackson, who writes compulsively readable books about deep subjects. My favorites are A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty, Backseat Saints, and The Almost Sisters (Someone Else’s Love Story never quite grabbed me, to be honest), but I jump at any of her books.

    Reply
  6. Jill says

    July 12, 2019 at 9:35 pm

    I wanted to suggest the author Kristin Hannah to Kaite. I really enjoyed “Firefly Lane”. Her books are easy reads but the storylines are not predictable. Her books mainly center around female relationships like sisters or best friends.

    Reply
  7. Mairin says

    July 14, 2019 at 2:16 pm

    I loved The Library Book! Thanks you for the recommendation! When I heard Sarah discuss it, it reminded me of this excellent episode of 99% Invisible podcast that I think you would love as a follow up. It discusses so many fascinating stories behind which books get weeded out, etc.

    https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/weeding-is-fundamental/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%2099percentinvisible%20%2899%25%20Invisible%29

    This episode discusses the necessity of libraries and the purpose they serve in building community.

    I hope you enjoy!!

    Reply

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#stayathomemom #preschoolers #summermomlife #arizonasummer #summerschedulefortoddlers #summerscheduledforpreschoolers #samplesummerschedule #summerdaysathom
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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Math Quiz: If 3 kids dirty an average of 15 dishes Math Quiz: If 3 kids dirty an average of 15 dishes per day while away at school 7 hours per day, how many additional dishes will they dirty while home all day for summer break?

67. The answer is 67. Yes, I’ve checked my work! Maybe someone who passed calculus can explain? 🤪 -M

#mommath #drowningindishes #summerbreakisnotreallyabreak
Happy weekend - and a big thanks to our June spons Happy weekend - and a big thanks to our June sponsors! Every month, we like to take a little time to shoutout our partners who help support the show + remind our listeners of some of the great deals our sponsors are offering. For more info, specific promo codes, and links, just search the brand name on our website, and they'll pop up in our episode show notes. We also collect ALL our active promo codes (even the old ones that are still working!) in our email newsletter - which is full of other great things we want to share with you, too. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today. 

Meet our NEW partners this month . . .
🗣️ @connectspeech (early language support!)
💙 @appahealth (1st month of mentorship free!)
💄 @thrivecausemetics (15% off your 1st order)

And welcome back to . . .
⭐️ @paireyewear (15% off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @autoapprove ($100 when you refinance!)
⭐️ @outschool ($15 off your child's 1st class!)
⭐️ @mindandchild ($20 off Parenting 101 course!)
⭐️ @flowkey_com (20% off subscription piano app!)
⭐️ @stitchfix ($20 off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @publicgoods ($15 off, no minimum!)
⭐️ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (30% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @ritual (10% off 1st 3 mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on cute shoes!)
⭐️ @project_wren (10 trees planted when you sign up!)
New episode! If you travel with kids, it’s just New episode!

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #travelingwoes #travelingwithkids #familytravelmishaps
New on the blog this week from @kiamhammond: Learn New on the blog this week from @kiamhammond: Learning About Juneteenth, As A Family.

"Like many families, mine is still figuring out how to teach our children about Juneteenth, as learning the history wasn't part of my education or my husband's when we were kids. The good news is, books written for children and families are a great way for the whole family to learn (and there are a lot of them!)."

Click this image at the link in our bio to read Kia’s book recommendations and more ways to start the conversation at home with your family.

#juneteenth #history #blackhistory #parenting #juneteenthbooksforkids #summerreading
New episode! As moms, we can be hard on ourselves New episode!

As moms, we can be hard on ourselves…and sometimes we just need to hear the simplest, oft-repeated pieces of advice and encouragement to remind us that it is all going to be OK. Join Meagan and Sarah for a reflection on eight pieces of wisdom that have carried us through motherhood struggles at every age and stage. We are offering them to you, to ourselves, and to all of our future selves in Episode 369.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #momtruisms #momtruths #parentingadvice #motherhoodstruggles
Just a “hello” from last-week-me, who spent 30 Just a “hello” from last-week-me, who spent 30 minutes moving 25 chickens by hand from their home to the new chicken yard, because they refused to go on their own. And then an hour moving them back, because same.

It reminded me a lot of mothering a toddler, and got me wondering: what’s the most ridiculous thing mom life has brought you in the past week? -M
New episode! Have you ever fantasized about atten New episode!

Have you ever fantasized about attending a camp-like environment for grown-ups? Much about the classic summer camp experience is appealing to us (though not EVERYTHING--we could certainly do without the bugs), and the idea of simply showing up for a perfectly curated experience without any responsibility, or planning, sounds AMAZING. Listen to this fun More Than Mom to hear all of our must-have activities (like food and wine tastings, yoga, personal style consults and more!), things that would be a hard no (like swimming in the gross, murky lake or participating in corny, guided crafts) and our daydreams about creating a Mom Hour Retreat (maybe someday?)!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #summercamps #womenretreats #momretreat
New on the blog this week from @jaymesherrod: LGBT New on the blog this week from @jaymesherrod: LGBTQ+ Resources For Parents (And Anyone Who Wants To Learn!). 

"The fact is, none of us will get it right every time. Not with each other, and certainly not with our kids. But it’s important that we keep showing up and having the conversations anyway."

Click this image at the link in our bio to access Jayme's roundup of resources.

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