Tag: summer reading

Summer Reading Fun

To me, Summer is all about lazing around, doing nothing but reading, hopefully with a bowl of fresh fruit to munch on or a glass of sparkling juice to sip, by the side. And that’s what my kids and I are mostly doing these past few days, as the temperatures soar outside. We are trying to make the best use of these days before the usual rut kicks in again by mid-June and we get busy with school! (Plus this time there’s the double bonanza of our littlest one starting big school too! Double Trouble, I call it!!)

So… We are forgetting all of that. For now. And immersing ourselves in reading and crafting and big-time movie-watching! Yay!

Since I’m big on setting goals for myself and my family, I decided to make a Bingo kind of reading challenge for Medha and I. Madhav will have his own next year, maybe? Before we began, I checked Pinterest and Google for the keyword, “Reading Bingo”, and found a ton of ideas. Basically, a Reading Bingo is a game where we read all the books listed in the chart, one by one. There will be all sorts of suggestions in it, like “Read a book by Dr. Seuss” for Medha, and “Read a Historical Fiction” for me. We will complete one book after another- I’ll read on my own, of course, and Medha will read with my help as she is still a level 2 kinda reader? (I don’t know where she stands. Maybe there’s a test for finding out?)

img_0303

img_0301

We will stick stickers (Golden Stars!!!) to the charts after we complete each book and reward ourselves with something special after we finish the whole challenge. Medha is way ahead of me, already! That girl is very competitive!! While she might tear through all the books this summer itself, I might need the Monsoon and the Winter thereafter too, to trudge through all the books I’ve chosen. Some of them are mighty big, you see…

img_0307

I thought this would be a good opportunity for us to read some of the books we already own, but never read. And also re-read the books we read long back. I’ll be renting or buying the rest of the books only after we read the ones we already possess. It pinches me that I buy more books than I am capable of reading!

img_0296

Also, I’ll be reviewing some of the books along the way, Medha’s including. So, please visit us often to check on our progress and give your valuable suggestions. I’m all ears…

Love,

Manasa.

Summer and the City

Summer and the CityThis book (written by Candace Bushnell) was the perfect pick-me-up I needed this sweaty, sweltering summer after the giddy excitement of my sister’s Wedding. It made me zoom through chores and kids’ story-time so that I could curl up and read (“Why are YOU reading for so long?”, my daughter kept accusing me as I read the night away, a tiny book-light attached to my book!). The famed sitcom, “Sex and the City”‘s prequel, “Summer and the City” is the story of how Carrie Bradshaw, a high-school graduate, begins her life in New York. She is here for the summer and is enrolled in the New School in order to pursue Writing.

Carrie is in awe of the Emerald city and nothing, not even her bossy landlady or the blackout, when there’s a power outage for a long time, will make her want to go back home. All the crazy parties that she attends, the vintage shops where she buys used goodies at throwaway prices, new friends, new love and her love for the city itself compel her to stay. But first she has to prove to her family, and to herself, that she can make it on her own. And she has about 60 days to do that. This book is Carrie’s journal of her adventures during those 2 months.

IMG_1925

She makes a lot of mistakes and gets into trouble, like many kids at 17 do, but she dusts herself off and gets on with life. Nothing will deter her from her dream of becoming a Writer in New York. I loved her attitude, but parts of the book made me cringe at the thought of how MY kids might behave at that age.

IMG_1927

Normally I don’t pick a chick-lit (literature that appeals to young women, according to Google) and consider it beneath me (no rolling eyes, please!) to read and even if I do, it bores or grosses me out. But this one kept me going and in less than a week, I ended it with a big smile and a deep desire to make the best use of these long, summer days.

I guess I need to let go of my reservations about what kind of books I should be reading or what kind of mom I need to be or what kind of life I should be living and just go with my instincts. It might make me seem naive or stupid, but who cares. As long as it makes me happy…

Go with the flow, baby.