Summer Reading List

Ellen has a new batch of crazy books, just in time for summer! Enjoy these delicious titles right here.

A photograph of the cover of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's book Our book group just read "Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead" by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. According to it's Amazon descrip, she (and let's be honest, her writing and research team) examine "why women's progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential." Does it do that? Totes. Some of the more interesting points in the book have to do with.....wait for it.....sex and relationships: Research supports [the idea] that equality between partners leads to happier relationships. When husbands do more housework, wives are less depressed, marital conflicts decrease, and satisfaction rises. When women work outside the home and share breadwinning duties, couples are more likely to stay together. In fact, the risk of divorce reduces by about half when a wife earns half the income and a husband does half the housework. For men, participating in child rearing

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Print books may not be dead yet, but ebooks are undoubtedly the future. They're space-saving, environmentally friendly, and often cheaper than their dead-tree counterparts. Ereaders and tablets are more affordable than ever. So, is it time for budget-conscious consumers to dump print and go all digital? Probably not.

Are eBooks a better bargain?

Related: Our cheap ereaders buying guide

The price point for ebooks has been in flux. Apple, one of the largest ebook sellers, is headed to court in June over an alleged price-fixing scheme. A Justice Department lawsuit accuses Apple of conspiring with publishers to put pressure on Amazon and up the cost of a new ebook from a standard $9.99 to $12.99 or $14.99. Still, ebooks are often cheaper than their paper cousins. While the Kindle edition of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is going for $12.99, the bestselling hardcover costs $16.25 on Amazon. Overall the average price of a top-25 ebook has fallen in recent months, according to

Source: 13 Different Ways to Get Free Books

Are books one of your biggest spending vices? You may think that great literature is worth any price, but buying books here and there can quickly add up. If you're a voracious reader, try to save money by getting some of your books for free through these means:

• Library: You won't need to spend a cent on books when you borrow from the library. And if you can't find a book you want in your local branch, you can put in a request for a book that's available in other branches to be sent to a library near you. And if ebooks are your favored way of reading, you can borrow ebooks for free from most libraries. Check out the other freebies from the library.
• Become a well-known reviewer: You can get free books from authors, even the acclaimed and famous ones, if you try this trick. A lot of times, you can even get the book ahead of its release. All you have to do is start building up a nice repertoire of really solid and detailed book reviews on

Parents will love these YA books. By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media reviewer

I used to think that YA books were a waste of time. I mean, I didn't even read them when I was an actual teen. (OK, I did read a friend's much-dog-eared copy of Judy Blume's Forever, but that was in sixth grade, and what Gen Xer didn't read that?) There wasn't enough time in my schedule to read all of the critically acclaimed "grown-up" books I wanted to read, much less those aimed at a totally different demographic.

But a few years ago, I finally took the advice of my Common Sense pals Betsy Bozdech and Carrie Wheadon and started reading the Harry Potter books with my oldest son, who was 7 at the time. I was hooked -- I read all seven books in one week -- even though my son didn't finish reading them until he was 9. A year later, Betsy recommended I read The Hunger Games, and again, I devoured read the entire series. Voila, I was officially a YA lover. I even started a blog with my sister, an elementary school teacher,

Julianne Moore's ginger hair and porcelain skin have not always been her favorite features. As a child she was teased and called "Freckle-face strawberry." (Who's laughing now, Julianne Moore's grade school friends!) She uses the nickname in her children's book, Freckleface Strawberry. Now there's an iPad app to accompany the series of 3 books. Moore hopes the app will feel "sweet and educational and fun." Of course, Moore is not the first celebrity mom or dad who has been inspired to write books for children. Here are 8 celebrities who have written children's books. - By Kacy Faulconer

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POPSUGAR Sex & CultureSource: 9 Books to Put the Spring Back in Your Dating Step

Spring is officially here, which means it's almost time to take out your flirty sundresses and sandals for the warmer season. In case you're feeling a bit rusty in the dating department, these nine books will help you regain some confidence and perhaps figure out your dating blind spots. Whether you are single and just want to have fun or looking to have a committed relationship, see what you should pick off the bookshelves to put the spring back in your dating step.

• Meeting Your Half-Orange: Half-orange, derived from the Spanish phrase mi media naranja, is your perfect other half. You just haven't met him yet, according to Meeting Your Half-Orange: An Utterly Upbeat Guide to Using Dating Optimism to Find Your Perfect Match. But in addition to being feel-good, the book promises to be results-oriented and pragmatic, with tips on how to change your thinking, perceptions of others, and body language.
• The Gaggle : Just

If you're anything like me, you find yourself voraciously reading comics about zombies and trying to defend your intellect … which is hard to do because you're reading comic books about zombies. Luckily, you don't actually have to read the books you've got on your shelves to appear wizened and worldly - folks just need to see them there and voila! You're cultured and intelligent! Better yet, many books get this wow factor and have pictures, if you decide to actually read them. Certain books work better for this than others, and I have a few here that will make you look bookish while still giving you the chance to say, "Oooh, pictures!" Click through for 7 books that fool people into thinking you're smart! -By Jenny Lawson

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