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Dear Savvy Mom,

Heard you were thinking about some good summer reads for a kind of savvy list and I thought I would submit my thoughts. 

Remember LBK (life before kids) when we just read whatever was in front of us? Now we have to be more selective and make sure our reading time is used wisely, right?

So if you’re looking for some serious fiction, I just finished The Birth House by Canadian author Ami McKay. A literary page-turner (no, it’s not an oxymoron), this story of Dora Rare, a midwife in Nova Scotia, skillfully weaves historical facts about midwifery, World War I, the Spanish Influenza epidemic and the Halifax Explosion with tales of sex, love, childbirth, infidelity and maternal love. I couldn’t put it down.

Looking for something more light-hearted? You HAVE to read Baby is a Four Letter Word by author and mom Dorianne Sager. It’s like having a latte with your funniest friend and talking about the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Sager, having left her carefree, London-based lifestyle behind, captures the essence of becoming a mom and all that it entails (sleep deprivation, flying with a toddler, and potty training are just a few of the chapters). You’ll laugh, you’ll cry…best of all, you’ll know you’re not alone on this crazy journey called motherhood.

On the non-fiction front, I recently devoured the latest from Deborah Tannen, You’re Wearing That? Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation.   Tannen’s the bestselling author of You Just Don’t Understand and several other well-known books which address the sociolinguistics of conversation. Why can a remark that would be harmless coming from anyone else cause an explosion when it comes from a mother or a daughter? You’ll have to read it to find out, but I can tell you it will enrich one of the most important relationships of your life. 

If you’re into biographies and like delving into other people’s lives, then Garlic and Sapphires is my pick. It recounts food writer Ruth Reichl’s (editor-of-chief of Gourmet magazine) days as a restaurant critic for the New York Times in the 1990’s. Loath to be recognized, she undertook her restaurant reviews incognito, and each chapter of her very entertaining book includes a new disguise, a different restaurant, and a fresh take on the restaurant experience, which she likens to the theatre.

I’ve found if you read the kids a good book first, you can bribe them to leave you alone for half an hour so you can sink your teeth into one of these other great books. The latest from the Cat in the Hat, I Can Name 50 Trees Today!, is all about (surprise!) trees. Fun, funny and educational, I learned a few things myself and was able to answer some of the questions on our last nature walk!

Hope this helps. Love the newsletter! Keep it up.

The Savvy Reader

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