I’ve been a bookworm since I was a kid. Like many of you, I cut my teeth on Dr. Seuss, the Boxcar Children and the Baby-Sitters Club (BSC, to the initiated).
I read at the dinner table growing up. I picked my college major, journalism, based on the fact that I loved to read and write. I joined a book club as soon as I graduated and had time for “fun reading” again. I read books of all kinds, although I don’t always love them and don’t always finish them.
And because in my city, it is a dreary, wet Wednesday – the best kind of reading day – I’d like to share a few suggestions for reading mamas who can’t help but carve out a moment or two each day for a good book.
If you enjoy memoirs (and even if you don’t): The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a must-read. The stories about her dysfunctional childhood will make your jaw drop – and you’ll cheer for her resilience and success.
For the sci-fi fan, pick up World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. This is no campy horror book, nor is it exclusively for the zombie obsessed. Brooks shows us the aftermath of an apocalyptic war from the point of view of dozens of “survivors.” You will not be able to put it down.
Most of us can’t afford a family trip to Australia, but no matter – you can read In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson instead. From bustling Sydney to remote Perth, Bryson is a humorous and cheerful travel companion who takes us across the continent while relating fascinating anecdotes and sharing historical and cultural tidbits.
Enjoy mysteries, but tired of reading Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle (the author of Sherlock Holmes)? Try reading Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers. It’s the first of several terrific books featuring amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey.
And for a great beach read this summer, or while you’re on Spring Break, check out The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (if you haven’t already). It’s a poignant and thought-provoking love story between a man who involuntarily travels through time and the woman who waits for him.
If you have recommendations, I am always looking for new books – leave your favorites in the comments! Happy reading!
