When's the last time you read a book that didn't have pictures?

Giggle, Giggle, Quack
from Scholastic

Okay, I'll admit it.  The last book I read was Giggle, Giggle, Quack, a great book from our friends at Scholastic.  It has drama, plot twists, engaging characters, humour and a fun ending.  The antics on Farmer Brown's farm always make me smile.  Amazing book?  Yes.  Relaxing for moms?  No.

So tell me, when was the last time you read a book that didn't have pictures? As moms, we are all busy.  Feeding kids, cleaning up, playing, doing laundry, working, chauffeuring to the sport of the day, organizing play dates.....the list is endless.  And if you have a free moment, what do you usually do?  I admit it, I check my Facebook or call a friend on the phone.  These are both fun things, but rarely do I actually take a moment to myself for myself.

So today, I will try to make a small change to reclaim some quiet moments just for me.  Today I will read a book.  An honest-to-goodness, no pictures or illustrations, includes big words and has more than 200 pages book for grown-ups.  It might even involve a glass of red wine and a bubble bath, but I don't want to get too ambitious.  Maybe I'll save that for the weekend.

And since I don't want to keep this excitement all to myself, momstown West Toronto is starting its Mama Book Club!  Why not share the joy of reading?  For the summer, we're starting off with some light reading.  Here is our list:

June 14th - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
July 12th -  Angry Housewives Easting Bon Bons by Lorna Lanvik
August 9th - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

We'll be meeting at the Grenadier Cafe in beautiful High Park at 2 p.m.  I look forward to seeing you there and hearing about how you managed to reclaim some 'me-time' with a good novel.