SUMMER READING - THREE MUST READS
Reading is therapeutic, educational, inspiring, and a wonderful way to escape and to immerse yourself into something far far away from reality! Getting lost in a good book is magical. When it comes to reading, I like books that take me away from the chaos. After a long day, there is something so comforting about getting into bed and just immersing myself into something that has nothing to do with work, fitness, reality. Especially now, reading is allowing me to escape for just a few hours a day.
My heart is breaking...I have all sorts of emotions running through my brain and I just wonder how much more we as a country can take! There is so much anger, destruction, and tension, from people being cooped up for months, for not working, losing their jobs, businesses, seeing people being brutalized and killed day in and day out. This is A LOT for humans to process...to handle...to figure out how to stay safe and protect themselves, their families, and their livelihoods. It is real and raw and I personally am scared and also at a loss for words. Just when I thought we were moving forward from COVID, we have now moved into a whole other national crisis and I do not know what the outcome is going to be. I try to hold Shannon tight, to talk to my Mom, my friends, but we are all feeling the same...Again, it breaks my heart.
How I am staying healthy and mindful:
Y'all...I am tired...I am not sleeping...I worry about it ALL! It is just who I am and always have been. And with all of this happening it is hard to not slip down a deep dark hole. There are ways that I am staying afloat with healthy and mindful ways to make sure that I keep working and living my life and just doing what I can to stay happy, healthy, and safe.
SOCIALIZE: I make sure to check in with my tribe every day! Friendly text messages to make sure they are doing okay. I call my Mom every day when I am walking Lucy. Guaranteed I'm usually interrupting her breakfast, but it is now our time to vent and talk all the things. And since we can actually go out to the beach and restaurants here in beautiful Charleston, I make sure to spend time with friends on the weekends or meet up for coffee. If I have the chance to meet up for a walk, talk business, or meet a potential client, I want to do it in person. Human connection is so important for our health and well-being.
MOVEMENT: No brainer...Now that the gym and fitness studios are open, I am in there and I am training hard. The sweat, building my strength, improving my endurance, it is ALL keeping me healthy and sane. Besides reading, it also allows me to escape and LET IT OUT in a safe way! Is it an addiction...Heck yeah, but it is a healthy one and one that is keeping me mentally and physically strong! Poor Lucy is being taken on those long walks again, but at least we can do them on the beach…LOL!
NOURISH: My appetite and my gut have been a little off and that is okay. Stress can really wreak havoc on not only our minds, but our guts too. I am just listening to what it is craving. Nothing much has changed as I need to eat nourishing, healthy, good mood food to stay focused, strong, and happy to work, train, and live my life. Some days I crave the sweet potato and sometimes I crave the nachos, rose, and pizza. NO judgment, NO rules, just doing what works for ME!
BREATHE - PRAY - BELIEVE IN LOVE - SPREAD LOVE: There isn't really much to say here, but what I can say is that I am so GRATEFUL to have Shannon in my life and by my side. I feel safe, protected, and just at peace. He is one strong man emotionally, mentally, and physically, and knowing he is here to protect me during these uncertain times is definitely reassuring.
READ: SEE BELOW...LET'S DIVE INTO THIS!
Now that we have covered that situation, let us dive into READING!!!
Here are THREE reads that I have loved this summer:
I LOVE to read and always have, but since moving to Charleston I have really immersed myself into ALL THE BOOKS! Maybe it is the salty air...the Southern lifestyle...or just that my work can sometimes be so insanely busy and stressful, I just need to disconnect and escape. I think it is a combo of ALL of the above, but the last one probably is the truest of all. There is such a comforting feeling at the end of the day to crawl into bed and just turn off your phone, the TV, and flip the pages. I am old school. No Kindle here, I love to turn the pages. And when the library was open, I was always there...I think there was actually a "Sex and the City" episode, when Carrie and Big were in bed and she was talking about how she loves the smell of books. That's ME! Reading is a healthy escape...It allows me to just disappear into a good story and I love being able to do that!
BEFORE WE WERE YOURS
This book was recommended to me by my good friend Cathy (my other mother), who reads ravenously like me. We have very similar taste in books, so she is always one of my "go-to" people when I finish a book and need another one to dive into. And this one was oh so GOOD! This book is actually based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country. It is intense, heart-wrenching, emotional, but it is also uplifting and beautifully written. There were definitely moments where I wanted to scream and cry, but I loved it and I highly recommend it. It is not all sad, there are definitely some uplifting moments that will make you smile.
PRINCE OF TIDES
How did it take me so long to read this classic novel? OMG…This book has to be one of my top ten books that I have ever read. YES, it is that good. It takes place in South Carolina, and even parts are on Sullivan’s Island (#myhappyplace), and New York City over a period of 40 years and tells the heartfelt story of Tom Wingo. It is almost 700 pages and I was very sad that it ended. It took me away and allowed me to escape and be transported to a place where I forgot all that was going on around here. It was a magical feeling. Pat Conroy is a fabulous writer. There is something very soothing in his words that puts you at ease. I am actually reading his other book South of Broad right now, because it is what I need. Reading about the beauty of South Carolina, just makes me that more grateful to live in this beautiful state.
THE GREAT ALONE
WOW WOW WOW! This book was recommended to me by my little sister, who also has similar tastes in books. I honestly bought this book, without even reading the plot. I trust her that much. I was blown away by this story. It was sad and I could never imagine living off the grid in Alaska, but also could never imagine growing up in that sort of family. It was very hard to read at some points, but again, another story that prevailed with positivity, hope, and love. I also admired how the mother and daughter stuck together throughout the entire story. Their love for each other was a beautiful bond, but also how they educated themselves on how to survive living on the Alaskan frontier, but also to survive the physical and mental abuse from the husband/father abuse was very pretty unbelievable. I also really liked how this small community came together and supported these women. They protected them the entire story and that was beautiful too see too. I was also smiling at the end of this book, no matter how many times I cried during it. It was very meaningful to read, especially with the times that we currently dealing with now. Pick it up and ready it now!
What are you currently reading?
Leave your top THREE books in the comments below!
