Raining Day Reading Recommendations

It's raining again here in Cambridge, so you know what that means? More book recommendations!  There are SO. MANY. AWESOME. BOOKS. out this summer.  Seriously, my nightstand & Kindle runneth over.  I'll keep the reviews coming as I finish each new section of the pile.

For today, here are a few to check out that will be spectacular additions to your beach bag:

Jeneration X by Jen Lancaster.  Jen is one of my favorite memoirists.  She has distinctive voice & perspective on life that is snarky, poignant and hilarious.  Her new book is my new favorite.  Every chapter will make you think AND laugh (no small feat), but the ones about her pets  - three dogs and I don't even know how many cats - are also amazing stories of love.  (Also, if you were born in the Generation X years, the pop culture references will bring you heaps and piles of delight) (and yes, delight DOES come in heaps & piles: think ice cream/pillows/snowmen)

The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service by Beth Kendrick.  Keeping with the pet-lovers theme, this is an adorable tale of a girl who has a knack for matching people with dogs waiting to be adopted.  I loved every minute of this book and was sad to see it end.  This is a fun escape for a rainy day, or when you've had a long day at work and need something entertaining to revive you.

Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook. I read this during the Celtics - Heat NBA semifinal. I needed the assurance of a happy ending and it didn't look like my beloved Celtics could promise that (Don't worry guys...I still love you!)  Claire came through.  This is the story of a woman who works for her brother, a famous new-age guru.  Through a series of odd circumstances (including a night with A LOT of alcohol) she ends up on Dancing with the Stars.  Loved it.

And my nonfiction favorite:

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg.  This was a VERY cool book.  It's not prescriptive/self-help; it didn't tell me that if I followed 47 simple steps, I'd be transformed.  Instead, it dissected how habits form, how they sometimes get out of our control, and researchers' best sense of where we need to start if we want to change a habit.  I closed the cover and wished my living room was filled with other readers I could discuss it with.

Happy reading, friends!
xoxo