by Katherine Reay, @Katherine_Reay
We often think of fall as quintessential reading time — cozy fire, cup of tea or a glass of wine, and that delectable book you want to savor slowly and digest every beautiful word.
Yet… Summer reading is important too. Here are a few reasons why I think a lot can be gained from being intentional about Summer Reading…
- Books published at this time often have a lighter aesthetic. Of course, that is not a given, but let’s just say there’s a reason we hear “beach read” in the summer rather than in the fall and early winter. We are at the beach and our minds are craving a little sun and fun. The dialogue, scenes, and characters of these books — and “beach read” does not denote any lesser artistry or skill — often take a different approach, perhaps showing us a lighter side of our humanity and humor. As you craft your characters, it’s good to feel these seasonal differences in life and in art.
- We are different readers in the summer. Reading a book is a relationship. We may speak a common language as readers — and I believe we do — but that individual moment with a book is unique. We carry different selves into summer reading and glean insights into our craft that we don’t in winter. Note: I contend this applies to writing as well. If you’re writing a summer release in the winter, remember those summer feelings rather than keeping your characters inside too much. 😉 Give them and you a little dose of Vitamin D.
- Summer schedules are more chaotic — vacation, kids, work, family trips etc. — and it’s easy to be hard on ourselves when we aren’t at our desks writing as often as we wish. Let a little of that guilt wash away with the tide and remember that reading fills that creative well within you. As much as it is enjoyable, reading is also work. Each book teaches you something new about life, humanity, your craft, and yourself.
I hope this summer you are able to carve out a vacation as you, perhaps, were unable to travel last summer. Take along a few new books and enjoy what they teach you about life, lightness, our world, and summer itself. And, as always, have fun with it.
Happy Reading!
Katherine
An uncovered family secret sets one woman on the journey of a lifetime through the history of Britain’s WWII spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris in an effort to understand her past, save her family, and claim her future.
One call could bring ruin to her family name.
The letters tell a different story.
But history won’t let its secrets go so easily.
Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels, including Dear Mr. Knightley, The Printed Letter Bookshop and the upcoming The London House. She has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books and brings that love to her stories. Katherine has also written one full-length nonfiction work, Awful Beautiful Life. She holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University and currently lives outside Chicago, IL. Publishing credits also include Redbook, USAToday, Christianity Today and FamilyFiction. You can meet Katherine at www.katherinereay.com or on Facebook: KatherineReayBooks, Twitter: @katherine_reay and Instagram: @katherinereay.