How to Celebrate Book Lovers Day

Happy Book Lovers Day!

How are you celebrating? I just started reading Sarah Blake’s The Guest Book, which I bought at Wakefield Books, the wonderful independent bookstore one town away from mine. I include the Amazon link but do encourage you to get a copy at a local bookstore if you can!

The Washington Post said, “The Guest Book is monumental in a way that few novels dare attempt.”  And, judging by the first couple of chapters, I would have to agree. Sarah’s writing is exquisite and the story both epic and timely.

Being a slow reader, I can tell I’ll be reading this for at least a few weeks, so even with a few nights of obsessively turning pages into the wee hours of morning, I won’t make a huge dent!

How to Celebrate Book Lovers Day

1. READ: Of course, my first suggestion is to curl up with a good book and read!
2. CONNECT: What’s a good book without other book lovers to share it with. I recently joined Reading With Robin’s Salon. I’ve already won two books in Robin Kall’s frequent giveaways, which have more than paid for my inexpensive monthly membership. Such a deal!
3. SHARE: Have a book you loved? Share it with a friend or donate it to your local library. And speaking of sharing, I hope you’ll share this post on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn! Thanks.
4. GIVE: Donate to an organization that helps spread the love of reading, and teaches reading, like Rhode Island Tutorial and Education Services,  Reading is Fundamental or Room to Read. I chose my local organization (RITES) for today’s donation.
5. POST: Share your favorite reads here as a comment below, on social media and on your own blog. If you blog about books, share a link to your blog and/or post as a comment, as well. I’d love to read it and share!

Some of the Terrific Books I’ve Read This Summer

I’m mostly reading memoir and fiction. My tastes are eclectic, from the literary to pure chick lit, from self help to history.

Inheritance by Dani Shapiro: Shapiro discovers her father is not her biological father and explores the murky territory of in vitro fertilization, what it means to belong and what it means to discover that your story is different from what you’ve been told–and told others–all your life.

Frozen Voices by Lynne Heinzmann: In this work of historical fiction, Heinzmann imagines and explores the lives of three passengers on the steamship Larchmont, which sank in 1907. Her research is impeccable; her characters come to life.

An Accidental Awakening, Stephanie Hrierchuk’s lovely memoir about yoga, life and parenting, which has evolved since I read an early draft during my Bring Your Book to Life(R) Program.

I squeezed in two delightful novels I won in the Reading with Robin Salon giveaways, Marriage Vacation by Pauline Brooks (particularly enjoyable reading for the armchair traveler) and Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani.

I also read a couple of the books from Summer with Robin: Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand and Grant Ginder’s Honestly We Meant Well (dysfunctional family at its cynical best). A highlight of the summer was listening to these witty authors, along with Susan Jane Gilman, talk about their craft, their inspiration and the writing life as Robin asked her usual fresh and insightful questions. Susan Jane Gilman is on my summer list, too, as I loved the Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street and Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven, both of which I read at Robin’s recommendation.

Let’s Not Forget the Nonfiction

I’ve been reading some exciting nonfiction by clients as I edit their work for publication—a terrific guide on mindfulness, a somewhat scholarly book about the spiritual path comparing several traditions, and I’m about to read some sample chapters (from a book proposal) on bonding with babies.

I also read Carla Naumberg’s How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids, a humorous, practical and valuable book for any parent with kids of any age! You’ll laugh but you’ll also come away with step by step guidance and powerful parenting strategies for the heat of the moment. While this book officially comes out August 20 you can pre-order today! This is the kind of book you’ll keep on your bookshelf to refer to when life “heats up” and not just in the sweltering summer.

On My List to Read 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, There There by Tommy Orange, City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes, The Book of Dreams by Nina George, Donna has Left the Building by Susan Jane Gilman.

Of course, being a slow reader, as I mentioned, may mean all the trees are bare by the time I get through reading this list. On the other hand, reading slow sure has its advantages when it comes to editing. I hear every word in my hand, which helps with word-smithing.

Book Lovers Day: Your Turn

What books have you loved this summer? What’s on your “to read” list? How are you celebrating Book Lovers Day?