Summer reading can mean a little something distinctive to everyone. Some of you like to put your brains entirely on vacation mode with fun, easy reading. Some of you may like an action-packed page turner. Some of you may want something with a bit more substance. And some of you might like to head off the beaten path.
Personally, I like books you can fly through, books you don’t have to work too hard on, and books you can get effortlessly immersed in. I avoid books that demand to be read in perfect peace and quiet (like really when is the last time you been to a pool or beach without screaming kids around! LOL).
So hey here is Kontrol Reads: Summer Reading Guide and hopefully its little something for everyone out there to enjoy.
You Don’t Have To Be Everything
By Diana Whitney
Poems to Turn to Again and Again – from Amanda Gorman, Sharon Olds, Kate Baer, and More
Created and compiled just for young women, You Don’t Have to Be Everything is filled with works by a wide range of poets who are honest, unafraid, and skilled at addressing the complex feelings of coming-of-age, from loneliness to joy, longing to solace, attitude to humor. These unintimidating poems offer girls a message of self-acceptance and strength, giving them permission to let go of shame and perfectionism.
Keep What You Love
By Irene Smith & Astrid Van Der Hulst
A charming checklist for decluttering.
In this whimsical yet practical guide to sorting through the too-much-stuff of modern life, the premise is simple: on each page, a delightful illustration of items that fill our lives—novelty ice cube trays, a manual typewriter, game pieces, that souvenir snow globe. And beneath each drawing, two little checkboxes: Yes and No. Look at the object. Note your response. Act accordingly!
Additionally, the book is filled with dozens of tips and ideas for what to do with things that may be hard to part with, like children’s artwork.
In Case You Get Hit By A Bus
By Gene Newman
A step-by-step program for getting your life in order, so you’re prepared for the unexpected.
The odds of getting hit by a bus are 495,000 to 1. But the odds that you’re going to die some day? Exactly.
Even the most disorganized among us can take control of our on- and off-line details so our loved ones won’t have to scramble later. The experts at Everplans, a leading company in digital life planning, make it possible in this essential and easy-to-follow book. Breaking the task down into three levels, from the most urgent (like granting access to passwords), to the technical (creating a manual for the systems in your home), to the nostalgic (assembling a living memory), this clear, step-by-step program not only removes the anxiety and stress from getting your life in order, it’s actually liberating. And deeply satisfying, knowing that you’re leaving the best parting gift imaginable.
How To Stop Losing Your Shit With Your Kids
By Carla Naumburg, Phd
Stop the yelling, lose the guilt, and become a calmer, happier parent.
Drawing on evidence-based practices, here is an insight-packed and tip-filled plan for how to stop the parental meltdowns. Its compassionate, pragmatic approach will help readers feel less ashamed and more empowered to get their, ahem, act together instead of losing it.
“Using a powerful combination of humor and reality checks, Naumburg helps parents unpack their unique stressors (we all have them) and find ways to stay calm even the most frustrating of family moments.” —Katie Hurley, LCSW, author of No More Mean Girls and The Happy Kid Handbook
Body Kindness
By Rebecca Scritchfield, Rdn
“Imagine a graph with two lines. One indicates happiness, the other tracks how you feel about your body. If you’re like millions of people, the lines do not intersect. But what if they did? This practical, inspirational, and lively book tells you how to create a healthier and happier life by treating yourself with compassion rather than shame. It shows the way to a sense of well-being attained by understanding how to love, connect, and care for yourself―and that includes your mind as well as your body. With mind and body exercises to keep your energy spiraling up and prompts to help you identify what YOU really want and care about, Body Kindness helps you let go of things you can’t control and embrace the things you can by finding the workable daily steps that fit you best. Think of it as the anti-diet book that leads to a more joyful and meaningful life! “
Directions
By Hallie Bateman
Cutting through the noise.
Sometimes we need a little direction in life, whether to see a problem from a new perspective or confirm a gut feeling. Or maybe we just need a little encouragement- an affirmation that will send us sailing into the day with confidence (Admit to yourself that your ass is exquisite). Filled with clarity, inspiration, and just the right dose of humor, Directions provides all that and more. And like, a Magic 8 Ball, it’s always ready for a consultation when you need it: What direction do I need today?
Why We Cook
By Lindsay Gardner
With more than one hundred women restaurateurs, activists, food writers, professional chefs, and home cooks—all of whom are changing the world of food. Featuring essays, profiles, recipes, and more, Why We Cook is curated and illustrated by author and artist Lindsay Gardner, whose visual storytelling gifts bring nuance and insight into their words and their work, revealing the power of food to nourish, uplift, inspire curiosity, and effect change.
“Prepare to be blown away by Lindsay Gardner’s illustrations. Her gift as an artist is part of this fluid conversation about food with some of the most intriguing women, and you’ll never want it to end. Why We Cook highlights our voices and varied perspectives in and out of the kitchen and empowers us to reclaim our place in it.” —Carla Hall, chef, television personality, and author of Carla Hall’s Soul Food
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
By Ramit Sethi
At last, for a generation that’s materially ambitious yet financially clueless comes I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Ramit Sethi’s 6-week personal finance program for 20-to-35-year-olds. A completely practical approach delivered with a nonjudgmental style that makes readers want to do what Sethi says, it is based around the four pillars of personal finance–banking, saving, budgeting, and investing–and the wealth-building ideas of personal entrepreneurship.
Sethi covers how to save time by not wasting it managing money; the guns and cars myth of credit cards; how to negotiate like an Indian–the conversation begins with “no”; why “Budgeting Doesn’t Have to Suck!”; how to get things rolling–for real–with only $20; what most people don’t understand about taxes; how to get a CEO to take you out to lunch; how to avoid the Super Mario Brothers trap by making your savings work harder than you do; the difference between cheap and frugal; the hidden relationship between money and food. Not to mention his first key lesson: Getting started is more important than being the smartest person in the room. Integrated with his website, where readers can use interactive charts, follow up on the latest information, and join the community, it is a hip blueprint to building wealth and financial security.
