Holiday Beach Reads
This has been a quite a year, for so many reasons. While as human beings we tend to focus on the negative, now, more than ever we need to remember the positives as well. Quarantine brought us an abundance of family time that we will forever cherish. While the summer was not normal by any means, it was amazing how you could step onto our beautiful beaches and take a break from the rest of the world, even if just for a little while. The Endless Summer brought us beach days in November when my kids were still jumping in the waves! There is always something to be grateful for. Here are some “feel good” books that everyone should read. Considering it’s the holiday season, I should mention they would make great gifts as well. Happy holidays!
“The Authenticity Project” by Clare Pooley
Julian Jessop is a lonely, eccentric artist in his 70s who feels that most people aren’t very honest with themselves, or with each other. He decides to write in a journal about his own life and leaves it in a local café. Monica, who runs the café, finds the journal and adds to it her own truthful story. Then she leaves the journal in a wine bar across the street. It doesn’t take long for others to find the journal and add their own life tales. The writers include Hazard, an addict on a mission to get sober, and Alice, a mommy whose life is much better on social media than it is in real life. Both sad and funny, “The Authenticity Project” is about being true to yourself and brave enough to let the world see you as you are.
“Saving Missy” by Beth Morrey
If you liked “Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine,” you will love “Saving Missy.” Missy Carmichael is alone. Like really alone. She grieves for the family she has lost touch with but knows that her loneliness is her fault. She is haunted by the sound of her own footsteps, the sound of the radio in the dark, and the never stopping tick-tock of her clock. Missy knows she is exactly where she deserves to be, especially after what she’s done. But when she meets two women in the park, the idea of a whole new life calls to Missy. Is she brave enough to take the chance? Is 79 too old for second chances?
“Days of Wonder” by Keith Stuart
Just before her fifth birthday, Hannah was diagnosed with a heart condition called cardiomyopathy. Not long after, her mother left her and her father. Although Hannah was able to live well with the disease for many years, now that she is almost 16, she is starting to see and feel the effects it is having on her body. The doctors aren’t sure how long Hannah’s heart will last. Her father, Tom, is the manager of a local theater. Every year for her birthday, he has put on a show to help her celebrate. Now, the town council wants to close the theater down to make room for housing. Tom can’t let that happen. “Days of Wonder” is the story of a girl coming to terms with her rare illness and a father trying to celebrate each day she has left.
“Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change” by Maggie Smith
When author Maggie Smith was going through a tough divorce, she started tweeting daily inspirational posts, not knowing how popular they would become. In this moving book of quotes and essays, Smith writes about new beginnings and finding opportunities for transformation. She reflects on finding optimism in the dark days that follow a struggle. But she stresses on keeping it simple until you are able to handle the more complex things in life. On your to-do list, write “breathe,” “blink,” “eat.” It’s amazing how you feel when you can start crossing off things that you accomplish! Give yourself credit for living and getting through each day, no matter how good or bad. Once you can do that, you can handle the tough times with more ease.
“The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig
Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if you made different choices? What if you could see for yourself? There is a library at the edge of the universe that contains an infinite number of books. One tells the story of your life how it is. Another tells the story of how things could be different. What if you could actually go to this library and see for yourself? Nora Seed is about to do just that. She is at a crossing point for so many things in her life and heads to the library to help her make some difficult choices. She travels through the library to find out what is truly fulfilling in life and ultimately what makes life worth living.
“Five Steps to Happy” by Ella Dove
“Five Steps to Happy” is based on the inspiring true story of journalist Ella Dove. Heidi is a struggling actress when, at just 32 years old, a life-changing accident rocks her world and leaves her an amputee. Stuck in hospital and unable to walk, her only companion is Maud, the elderly lady in the next bed. Heidi misses her roommate, her life, and her freedom. When Maud’s aloof but attractive grandson, Jack pays a visit to the ward, Heidi realizes that maybe her life isn’t over just because things have changed. It might not be the life she dreamed of, but these are the cards she has been dealt and there’s a lot she still wants to accomplish. With Jack at her side, will Heidi be able to take the first step back to happiness?
