Eat, Read, Relax

Being a business owner requires working with your team and business partners, not to mention customers/clients. An equally crucial part of running a business should involve alone time. Summer can provide opportunities to slow down and turn off 'business you'—time to relax and recharge.

While I can't book a massage for you, I can recommend some novels with pure escapism on every page. Each one is perfect reading for the backyard, campfire, or bedtime.

The Henna Artist - Alka Joshi

This book fast became a favourite book club pick. One can quickly see why, as 1950s India evolves before you through diverse and intriguing characters. It starts with Lakshmi Sastri as she leaves her abusive husband and flees to Jaipur. Here, she builds a business as a henna artist for the city's elite while also carrying on a side business as a herbalist. With its complex caste system, India is laid before us through fascinating characters. Pour yourself a cold drink, relax and let Lakshmi's story sweep you into the culture, foods, and traditions of India.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

The South Korean Island of Jeju is your destination. This novel is the story of a friendship between Mi-ja, the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and Young-Sook, born into a family of haenyeo. Haenyeo are female divers who deep dive to harvest sea life for a living while their husbands cook the meals and raise the children. Unfortunately, friendships, spirituality and a unique way of life come crashing down under the weight of Japanese occupation. Through it all, though, the narrative never loses sight of its female characters, who eventually find peace in their later years.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

The lifestyle of California is written in two timelines; in 1952, Elizabeth Zott struggled to be a recognized and respected chemist, but by 1961 she was the host of a TV cooking show, Supper at Six. How she got there is funny, quirky, and rooted in a misogynist male-dominated time. If you're bored with the same old fiction, this book is for you.

Finally, I will share a few books from my summer TBR pile.

Exiles by Jane Harper is a thriller in the heart of South Australian wine country.

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan – Ryan is a mystery writer you may not be familiar with. She has won five Agatha Awards in addition to Anthony, Macavity, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards. As an on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, she's won 37 Emmys and many more journalism honours. This particular psychological mystery is set in Ryan's home town of Boston.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson – A novel about a New York family, wealth and love. In particular, the three adult siblings and what is going on behind their closed doors. It is being called sharp, funny and a book you can't put down.

If just one of these books transports you for a little while, my job here is done. Happy Summer!

- Jill Crossland

Jill Crossland is a Business & Marketing Consultant with over twenty years of business experience. She is the owner of Jill Crossland Consulting & editor of Entrepreneurial-Life Magazine. From business strategizing to marketing plans and social media, Jill knows how to put the pieces in place for her clients.

jill@jbcrossland.com | 403 901 6147