Summer Reads—Wild Wednesday

Here are some wild titles I came across while researching summer reads.

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher.

Vader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown. From tea parties to teaching Leia how to fly a TIE fighter, regulating the time she spends talking with friends via R2-D2's hologram, and making sure Leia doesn't leave the house wearing only the a skirted metal bikini, Vader's parenting skills are put hilariously to the test.

F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson. 

Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris. A collection of essays traces his offbeat travel experiences, which involve surreal encounters with everything from French dentistry and Australian kookaburras to Beijing squat toilets and a wilderness Costco in North Carolina.

SYOAS!

Summer Reads—Monday, Monday

It’s Monday. Start of a new week and time for some new books.

Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney. Maybe this will have a good message for kids.

Into the Abyss by Carol Shaben. Looks intriguing. Overview excerpt from Barnes & Noble: On an icy night in October 1984, a commuter plane carrying nine passengers crashed in the remote wilderness of northern Alberta, killing six people. Four survived: the rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop, and the criminal he was escorting to face charges.

The Cookie Sutra: An Ancient Treatise: that Love Shall Never Grow Stale, Nor Crumble by Edward Jaye. I’m laughing as I type this. Need I say more?

SYOAS!

Summer Reads—Friday, Finally

The weekend is finally here! Woo-hoo! Too bad I have work to finish before Monday, but I still say, “Cheers to the weekend!”

Here are a few books to start the weekend right.

The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart. I want to get this book. Maybe it’s equal parts clever title, history and cocktail charm.

Watching Suits this week reminded me of Macbeth, which reminded me of William Shakespeare, which lead to an online search. What popped up in the sidebar? Antigone. The play reminded me of a group of drama students from a small liberal arts school – the same one in the news this week getting one of the largest single gifts in higher education history. Go Colonels!

Primetime Princess by Lindy DeKoven. As former Executive VP of NBC Entertainment, DeKoven has an insider’s perspective. I just wonder how this book reads. I guess I’ll put it on my Goodreads shelf until I find some time for this primetime novel.

SYOAS!

Summer Reads—Funny Friday

Funny is on my mind this week. Since it’s a theme worth further discussion, I’ve gathered some fun and funny reads for Friday. Maybe something on this list will help you, or your kids, unwind. Cheers to the weekend!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. A fun book to read with your kids – we love to ask our little ones if the pigeon should drive the bus. They giggle and let out a couple emphatic NOs!

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner. The best way to read this is in full-on Skippito Friskito-mode and laugh with your little ones.

I keep telling myself I need to read this book, just as soon as I get some spare time. Bossypants. Hey, it’s by Tina Fey. What else can I say?

Anything by Janet Evanovich.

SYOAS!

Sunny funnies - Jokes and pick-you-ups

It's been a hectic week. And it's only Tuesday - sheesh! 

In a week that feels like the news has been super negative - let's just say I hope we can get a royal birth report to counteract the sad state of humanity with reports of secession and protests. I do think we live in a great county, where we can share our opinions, our hopes and our dreams with others. And I do think we are tested, time and again, to stand up for the little guy, and to do what's right. I don't know why or when it becomes hard to stand up for good, but I think most people get it right, but it doesn't make it easier. There's a lot of tough stuff out there, and we need to support each other to make it through. It's important, and that's what this is about. 

After a talk with my mom yesterday, I realized people need a lot more fun in their lives. If you're having trouble finding it, or recognizing that you need a laugh, let me help. Here's some random stuff that may just make you smile. C'mon, you know you wanna!

Silly joke from Comedy Central
Q. What does one penny say to the other penny?
A. Let's get together and make some cents. 

I set out to play golf with the intention of shooting my age, but I shot my weight instead.—Bob Hope

9 Funny Song Lyrics You Probably Have Wrong from HuffPost This takes me back to college when a friend of mine mixed up Bel Biv Devoe's Poison lyrics. She sang, no warbled "Spot 'em in a freezer full of fat" instead of the line: Yeah, Spiderman and Freeze in full effect. Cracked me up. 

When someone tells you something defies description, you can be pretty sure he's going to have a go at it anyway. 

9 Funny Words to Improve Your Vocabulary from Reader's Digest

Paradise Blogged Cartoon

Summer Reads...

I'm compiling this week's recommendations. Share your go-to books or favorite authors and they could be included. Check back for mysteries, kids books, blasts from the past and other summer reads. 

Sweet, Brave-Heart article

This was a good interview because it reminded me to keep going, even when things get difficult.  Here's a link so you can learn more about a fun Ann Arbor teen who acts, bakes and more, her way of coping with stress.