Summer Loves Books

Sunscreen and bug spray have once again become the perfume of the season. The sun is (finally) shining and demands exploration of everything it touches. School is drawing to a close and the communal calendar in our house comes to a screeching halt. Late evenings around the fire pit and board games loom on the horizon. We’ve finally made it.

We have a tradition in this family we started a few years ago. The first Monday of summer vacation is sacred. It is our one day to completely unwind. It starts with a box of toaster pastries left on the counter for whenever someone wakes up. We have them maybe twice a year, so this is a big deal for us. It is also the only day of unlimited screen time and pajamas. It’s the day we recharge. Normally, we don’t leave the house (due to all of the pajama wearing), but this year another magical day coincides with our sacred day-Summer Reading Kickoff at our library.

We'll meet soon, you little rectangle of deliciousness.

Until a few years ago I didn’t even know that our local library offered summer reading programs for adults. After discovering this exciting news I have made it a part of my summer ever since. We read a certain amount of books from any genre, fill out a form, and are then entered in drawings for prizes. The first summer I won a basket full of pens, sticky notes, chocolate, and a gift card to Half Price Books. It was a solid week before my merriment finally died down. I realize that summer is no longer a break or three free months for most of us out there now. It’s still fun to challenge ourselves to make reading a priority, and it is nice to know that others out there are joining in on the literary jollification.

Current to-read shelf. House rules dictate no new purchases can be made if there is no room left. I've still got space!

Check your local library to see if they offer a summer reading program for adults as well as the kids. If you do have children, Half Price Books also offers a free summer program where they can earn Bookworm Bucks to apply to future purchases. If book contests are more your thing, one of my favorite authors, Sarah Addison Allen, is co-hosting a Summer Reading giveaway. You can enter by clicking here. 

Books and hammocks are best friends. I hope you enjoy their friendship to the fullest extent this summer. Do it for the books. They are the least expensive vacations you will ever take and their destinations are unlimited.