Here, Read This

Remember when your three day weekends used to look like this?

The impending Memorial Day Weekend means that it's almost officially summer.  In the days of my youth - meaning before I had children and began to age prematurely - long weekends would have meant a trip to the beach, an icy cold adult beverage, and hours of uninterrupted reading time.  These days, three day weekends mean only one thing: that I have one extra day during which I have to occupy my children.  Needless to say, I won't be lounging on a beach reading an engrossing novel, though I can guarantee that I will definitely be enjoying lots of adult beverages.

Currently, the only uninterrupted reading time that I get happens after my kids have gone to bed.  I'm usually so tired by then that I can't keep my eyes open for more than five pages, but I still enjoy escaping into a good book after a long day with my offspring.

On the off chance that you have a relaxing, child-free holiday vacation planned this weekend, I've compiled a list of some of my favorite, can't-put-it-down titles that you should download immediately.  Don't worry, there's not a single parenting book listed.  

Re Jane
Inspired by Jane Eyre (one of my all time favorites), this is a charming read about a Korean-American girl from Queens and her journey to discover who she is and where she belongs.

Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget
I'm not usually one for memoirs, but this one was really engaging.  It sounds awful - the Author's account of her spiral into raging alcoholism - but it's not heavy handed and the ending feels hopeful and cathartic. 

Circling the Sun
This is the story of Beryl Markham, whose book, West with the Sun, you probably had to read for high school English class.  It's about her extraordinary life as a champion horsewoman and aviator in Africa, and it also delves into the love triangle between Markham and the duo made famous in the movie Out of Africa.  A fascinating look at a little-known woman.


The Beautiful American
If you were intrigued by the photo going around the ol' Facebook recently of the woman bathing in Hitler's bathtub, you definitely need to read this book. A fictionalized account of Lee Miller's life in 1920's Paris, when she was the lover of artist Man Ray and before she became a famous war photographer, it's an intriguing read and brings up questions about the emotional cost of being a survivor. 

Everything I Never Told You
A heartbreaking look at the secrets families keep from each other and the damage that's wrought as a result.

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope you get at least an hour to yourself to enjoy a good read, and that you're able to stay awake even after a glass (or three) of sparkling rosé.