By Marci Tate, Vandergriff Elementary

Beat the Heat – Read! Even with fall around the corner, these hot days are the perfect time to grab a great book and enjoy.

Here’s the kind of book for what I call “escapist readingâ€�. Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge by Pamela Morsi might be called Chick Lit or Romance, and while it might be a little of both, it also contains elements of historical fiction. Jack and Claire Crabtree have been going in different directions for years. Jack is tied up with his business (and Claire wonders if he might also be tied up with the cute new sales associate). Claire is tied up with the kids. When Jack’s grandfather, Bud, suffers a stroke at his home in rural Oklahoma, both Jack and Claire go to stay with him. Bud’s life becomes a central part of the story (in alternating chapters) as he lies in a coma remembering the courtship of his wife, his years in WWII and the loss of his only child, Jack’s father. It’s a contemporary story that also gives a look into the struggles of previous generations. Escapist reading at its best!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman was one of the best books I have read in a long time. When people tell me that they enjoyed reading The Help, I often recommend this one. They are completely different, yet they seem to be in the same category (at least in my brain). This is southern literature at its best. CeeCee Honeycutt is a 12-year old girl living in Ohio in a dysfunctional family. Her father is never around and her mother is deranged. When tragedy strikes, her father hands her over to her great-aunt Tootie in Savannah.  Tootie, her cook Oletta and her eccentric friends and neighbors change CeeCee’s life. She is surrounded by a group of strong women, who all play a role in CeeCee’s life. A sweet coming-of-age story. 

For the intense reader, try Justin Cronin’s The Passage.  A human-created virus has been unleashed on an unsuspecting public and has led to an apocalypse of sorts. The first half of the book sets up the eventual demise of society with a focus on a strange little girl named Amy, an FBI agent named Brad Wolgast and a nun. The second half of the book focuses on the “survivors� or uninfected that are living under the lights. The virals are everywhere and it seems the only protection from them comes from light. There is so much going on in this story, that it is hard to summarize in just a few words. Disclaimer:  This is not your typical vampire book! It has been touted as an exceptional thriller. It is definitely riveting and not for the faint of heart. This is the sort of book that I want to discuss with other people! 

Marci Tate of Fayetteville is a busy wife, mom of two, avid reader (when time allows) and Library Media Specialist at Vandergriff Elementary School.

“What We’re Reading� is sponsored by Witherspoon Optometry, owned by Dr. David Witherspoon and Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon. Their practice is located at 5212 Village Parkway in the Village on the Creeks plaza in Rogers. You may also call 479-464-9702 to ask questions or schedule an appointment. Click here to visit them online.

One of my favorite things to do is get so wrapped up in a novel that I lose track of time and stay up way too late just to find out what happens next. It’s like letting my mind take a vacation to a completely new place.

If you love a good page-turner, here’s a list of novels that Shannon and I put together. These are books we’ve read recently and just couldn’t put down. Click on the name of each book to go to Amazon.com and read more about it, including more reviews from other readers. Enjoy!

Fly Away Home, by Jennifer Weiner

I’ve heard so much about this author, but this is the first book of hers that I’ve read. (It was just released last week.) Jennifer Weiner lived up to the hype! The pages just flowed into each other, and I was up until 2 a.m. reading about what happened to this perfect politician’s wife (and her two grown daughters) after she was devastated by something she never saw coming.

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

I can’t recommend this one enough! What a wonderful book by this first-time author. It’s written SO incredibly well, and you will absolutely fall in love with the characters. It gave me a whole new appreciation for women living in the midst of the civil rights era.

Backseat Saints, by Joshilyn Jackson

This is one of those books that will seriously have you hooked about five pages in. The momentum and suspense in this one is really great. The story is about a woman’s struggle to escape an abusive husband who she knows, sooner or later, is going to kill her. Great story with a great ending.

Gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson

This book, also by Joshilyn Jackson, stands on its own, but the story line does intersect with the story told in Backyard Saints, mentioned above. This one is not quite as suspensful as Backyard Saints, but the characters are very interesting, and the ending will definitely surprise you.

The Winter Garden, Kristin Hannah

I picked this one up as a “light” read and found myself completely sucked in to the story of two sisters, Nina and Meredith, who uncover some amazing truths about their mother after their beloved father dies. I was thinking about this one long after I read the last page. It was haunting.

“What We’re Reading� is sponsored by Witherspoon Optometry, owned by Dr. David Witherspoon and Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon. Their practice is located at 5212 Village Parkway in the Village on the Creeks plaza in Rogers. You may also call 479-464-9702 to ask questions or schedule an appointment. Click here to visit them online.

By Gwen Rockwood, book-loving mama of 3

There are a few movies coming out soon that began as books. It’s kind of fun to see a book you love come to life on the big screen. Here are a few books-turned-movies to check out and read before you buy your movie tickets. Click on the book jacket of each book to read more about it (or order it) on Amazon.com.

Twilight Saga: Eclipse, by Stephanie Meyer

Love, love, love this book! For me, it was the most intense page-turner in the four-book Twilight series. The movie comes out next Wednesday, June 30th. Get your tickets early for this one! It’s going to be mega popular with the Twi-hards.

Ramona and Beezus, by Beverly Clearly

Read this one with your kids because it’s perfect for young readers ages 9 to 12. This story is especially good for big brothers or sisters who know what it’s like to have a little brother or sister to contend with, particularly one with an imagination as big as Ramona’s.

The movie comes out July 23rd and stars Selena Gomez and John Corbett (who played Aiden in Sex and the City!)

Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Julia Roberts will star in this movie, which comes out this August. This book is about a woman in her early 30’s and the soul-searching and self-discovery she experiences after enduring a nasty divorce. The author has already written a follow-up to this wildly successful book. (That second book is called Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.)

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen

This story is told in flashback form by the main character, Jacob, who tells about a period in his life when he joined the traveling circus and cared for the elephants. He also fell in love with one of the circus’ star performers, who happened to be married to the circus boss. On the Amazon website, this book had nearly 2,000 reviews and rated as four and a half stars.

This movie is in production now and will star Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. There is no specific release date yet, but it should be in theaters sometime in 2011.

“What We’re Reading� is sponsored by Witherspoon Optometry, owned by Dr. David Witherspoon and Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon. Their practice is located at 5212 Village Parkway in the Village on the Creeks plaza in Rogers. You may also call 479-464-9702 to ask questions or schedule an appointment. Click here to visit them online.

Tune in to the Magic in the Morning radio show today (Thursday) around 8 a.m. and join in our conversation about books! Call in and tell us about your favorites. Click here or on the graphic on the right to listen to Magic 107.9 live on your computer. (You can then minimize the radio window and surf the Net while you listen to music.)

Today we’ll be talking about books on parenting, novels, non-fiction books and books the kids will love, too. School might be out for the summer, but it’s a great time to pick up some new books for yourself as well as a few that will keep the kids’ reading skills sharp during their summer break.

You can always find great info about books in our monthly feature called “What We’re Reading,” which is sponsored by Witherspoon Optometry. It’s under the Entertainment category in the list on the right.

Here are a few links to other nwaMotherlode articles which list recommendations on all kinds of books. Just click on the title of any article listed below to see book recommendations:

• Favorite parenting books
• What we’re reading to the kids
• Moms’ Choice Book List
• Great love stories
• Kids books on touchy subjects
• Great beach books
• Librarian’s recommendations
• More of the librarian’s favorites
• Books for babies, toddlers and kids
• Product review of the Amazon Kindle book reader

As parents, it’s SO important for our kids to see us reading so they’ll want to do it, too. Hope these suggestions help you and your kids find a few great books to read this summer.

If you have a book recommendation for your fellow mamas, please click on the word “comment” below or click HERE to visit the Magic in the Morning Facebook page and post your suggestions on their wall. Happy reading!