When I think about summer, the first thing to come to mind is vacation. As a kid, summer is when you get a break from school, go to new places, and try new things. Other than the one week of paid vacation that you worked all year to take, summer is pretty much the same as any other time of year for adults. But what if this summer, we too, could spend all summer on vacation.
There's a famous quote by Mason Cooley that says, "Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are." Okay, so I know you were hoping for some magic loophole to take all summer off of work; and while I don't necessarily have that, I do have a good summer reading list which is pretty much the next best thing.
My Summer Reading List
With so many reading lists out there, finding a good book to read on the beach or unwind before bed can be difficult. Luckily for you, I scoured through all the major lists and narrowed it down to 5, including one of my personal favorites.
1. The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave
2. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
3. That Summer, Jennifer Weiner
4. Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid
5. Live in Love: Growing Together Through Life's Changes , Lauren Akins (Personal Favorite)
Get a Library Card
I checked to make sure most of these books are available at our local public libraries or their app for eBooks. If you don't already have a library card, I highly suggest stopping by and getting one. Anyone who lives, works, pays property taxes or attends school in the area is entitled to a free library card. However, make sure that when you go, you bring a valid photo ID and proof of address with you.
Join a Book Club
If you're like me, and your taste in books is pretty much just New York Time's Best Sellers, celebrity memoirs, and romance novels, maybe it's time to shake things up a bit. A great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try books from a different genre is to join a book club. I know book clubs sometimes have a stigma of being sort of stuffy (you know, the type with the old ladies and finger sandwiches), but book clubs can be a great way to learn new perspectives of the characters and plot that maybe you wouldn't have thought of on your own. If you're interested in joining, Chapin Memorial Library in Myrtle Beach and Florence County Library both have an Adult Book Club.
Kids' Summer Reading Lists and Programs
Putting down the cell phone and picking up a book this summer can be a great way to encourage the kids in your life to do the same. Although many schools have required summer reading lists, I encourage you to teach the kids in your life at an early age that reading can be fun and isn't something that you only do when you're required to. A great way to help motivate them to read voluntarily is to sign them up for a summer reading program. Libraries in Horry, Marion, and Georgetown County, SC, and Brunswick County, NC, offer the Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program for kids of all ages. Additionally, Georgetown County and Brunswick County Libraries provide an in-person storytime every Wednesday morning, and Horry County Libraries offer a virtual storytime every Thursday.
So, even though this isn't the kind of summer you had as a kid with weeks of vacation, you can still go places you've never been, try new things, and maybe even learn a thing or two; all you need is a good book.
