Although summer is a time that many think of vacation and travel, not everyone gets to enjoy that luxury. However, you can travel for free; all you need is a good book and a little imagination. Here are our picks for great summer travels of the mind.
Beach Chair Diaries, Summer Tales from Maine to Maui by Janet Spurr
A collection of short humorous essays from learning to surf in Maui to eating lobster and ice cream, convertible rides and just walking an endless beach on Nantucket. At the end of each essay the reader will find low tide times with a short list of questions and websites that will enable the reader to reflect on their summer time memories. Also inside Beach Chair Diaries are palm trees, sea shells and beach rocks.
The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard
This profound and profoundly funny story takes readers on a journey deep into the heart of an American family, as they embark on a month-long road trip across the country. The Ride of our Lives story unfolds and reveals many touching, hilarious and real-life stories about family, as father of three Mike Leonard takes his parents on their “last great adventure” across the U.S. in an RV along with his three grown kids. It’s something people of all ages can enjoy, sharing in the laughs and tears, and end feeling a deeper appreciation for family. It’s truly an inspiring story and must-read for anyone who enjoys family.
Major League Bride by Kathleen Lockwood
Major League Bride details the triumphs and trials of family life inside the world of major league baseball. Focusing on the joy of the adventure and the camaraderie of the families, this book is a feel good story that details my cross country baseball journey as wife of major league pitcher, Skip Lockwood, moving 35 times in 12 years. As a mother of five, who will celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary this summer, I empathize with the emotional exhaustion mothers with young children experience. My memoir puts a humorous spin on taking a two year-old on a ten-day road trip and spending two months of an extremely rainy spring training season in two motel rooms with two toddlers. This book focuses on the strength of committed relationships and strong marriages in a world full of pressure and temptation and expounds on the value of female friendships. It looks for the silver lining in moving and leaving friends and family behind, as it values the sense of feminine kinship found within the baseball community.
