In keeping with our outdoor theme, we have recommendations for summer cookbooks and summer activities for the family including finding inner peace by connecting with nature working in your garden. We also have a few beach reads for your enjoyment and the definitive book on baseball for sports fans. Happy reading!

The Art of Picnics by Alanna O’Neil – Fun tips and delicious recipes for outdoor fun.

For the Love of Popsicles: Naturally, Delicious Icy Sweet Summer Treats from A to Z  by Sarah Bond – Healthy recipes with natural ingredients you’ll be excited to make and enjoy with your kids. Who doesn’t love an icy popsicle on a hot summer day?

Home Made Summer by Yvette van Boven – Enjoy being back in the kitchen this summer with these delicious recipes using fresh seasonal ingredients inspired by her childhood in Ireland and her summers in Provence. You’ll love the beautiful photos and hand drawn illustrations.

Playing in the Dirt: The Key to Sustainable Health by Benjamin Page – Explore the physical and psychological advantages of working in the garden and becoming more in tune with nature.

Outdoor Kids in an Indoor World by Steven Rinella – Helpful suggestions for getting your kids outside and away from their screens.

Camping Activity Book for Families by Linda Hamilton – This book contains a wide variety of activities, games, crafts, songs, and good old-fashioned fun for parents and children to share in the wonders of the outdoors.

The Summer Game by Roger Angell – A must read for baseball lovers and sports history aficionados.

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton – Soon after moving to Alabama for her husband’s job, Lily Bishop wakes up to find a note and divorce papers. Left alone in a new place with no friends or support system Lily has to find her own way. In need of a job and a new place to live, Lily applies to be the new hair stylist at a local retirement community. The job comes with her own shop, a place to stay, and an unlikely friendship with the developer of the retirement community who was also dumped by her husband.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal – For 15 years, Kit has mourned her sister Josie’s tragic death aboard a train during a terrorist attack. One night while watching the news she sees a women among the survivors of an Auckland night club fire. Instantly, she knows its Josie. Kit travels to New Zealand to find her sister and demand an explanation, but she might not be ready to learn the family secrets that fueled her sister’s actions.

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent – When Birdy has had enough, she runs away into her best friend’s life by accepting the summer job her friend Heather has decided to ditch. Being a wine expert for a Scottish Inn is a bit more difficult than Birdy imagined, but she’s determined to muddle through. Just as she’s settling in, she meets Mr. Right. How can he tell him she’s falling for him when he thinks he’s dating an accomplished woman like Heather?