'Tis the season to be reading. With school starting just around the corner students are getting ready to shed the summer lazies and get back to academic business. Resolve to start this year with a dedication to leisure reading. Exercise your mind, expand your vocabulary, and savor creative language with a renewed interest in literature.

According to Maryanne Wolfe author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, "when you read you have more time to think. Reading gives you a unique pause button for comprehension and insight. By and large, with oral language—when you watch a film or listen to a tape—you don't press pause." Take a pause. Read a book for less with these insider book tips.

Online Book Rentals
Thank you, Netflix, for pioneering the inexpensive media rental frenzy. With your blazing trail, you squashed Blockbuster late fees and introduced a new, less hectic way to enjoy entertainment. Book lovers who can't seem to break the Barnes & Noble spending sprees will delight to know that book rental online is just as simple with many options from which to choose.

• BooksFree.com
  If you read 2-3 books per month like I do, Books Free offers a monthly plan for just $13.99. Plans start as little as $10.99 per month. A used bookseller may seem like a more reasonable alternative, but just try to find a new release from a discount resale bookshop and you'll see the value here. Very similar to Netflix, users create an online list of preferred titles and Books Free ships them to you throughout the month with no extra charge. They offer the largest selection of online print and audio rentals available.
• BookSwim.com
  Book Swim offers plans that allow users to take out multiple books at a time. The $19.95 basic monthly fee still permits readers to check out as many books as they choose. You aren't locked into a contract and have a read-to-own option. Through Book Swim's college textbook service, students can save up to 60% on books ordered online.

When school supply lists are endless, sometimes it pays to take a break and prepare some personalized touches for your kids’ back-to-school arsenal.

1. Reusable Lunch Set – Amy from Progressive Pioneer shares a great way to pack your kids lunch by using reusable items. Instead of plastic bags why not create a fabric lunch sack and sandwich bag? Ann made hers out of an old pair of jeans to keep sewing minimal. See the tutorial here.

2. Covered Notebook – Three-ring binders are often free to close too it during the school supply sales. Create a pretty journal to keep homework in by using remnant fabric you may already have around the house. Here’s how.



3. Indoor S’mores – These tasty treats will make any student smile when he opens his lunch box. Include a note telling them how special they are to make their back-to-school separation as painless as possible.

4. Package Your Own Snacks – Skip the 100-calorie snacks and use this cheat sheet from Ladies Home Journal to create your own, like 13 animal crackers, 3/4 oz cheddar cheese, 2 Twizzlers, 7/8 cup Cheerios or 2/3 cup mini marshmallows.

Plus, back-to-school season is a great time to get organized and set priorities for the year before the madness of the year goes into full swing. Here are some ways.

5. Host a Yard Sale – I know, I know … one last thing you need on your to-do list, but the back-to-school season is great for yard sales. The temperatures are falling for one, and you’re examining your kids’ closets and needing to buy new clothes, if yours grows as fast as mine does. Take the opportunity to reorganize, sell what you can, and use the money to stock up during sales coming up over Labor Day weekend.