Now that it’s officially summer, how is your summer reading going? Are you spending time reading? And, are you enjoying what you are reading?

Let’s go back to that first question, though, and expand on it. I asked: are you spending time reading? But I think a better questions is: are you making time for reading? There are a limited number of hours in a day and many of those hours are consumed by chores and tasks. There’s work, of course. And chores, like making the bed or laundry, cooking meals, caring for children, weeding that garden (so many weeds!) and more. And then there’s leisure time. Time to do what you want to do and not what you have to do.

How do you spend that leisure time? Are you doom scrolling through news sites? Mindlessly checking social media? Watching TikTok videos? Binging Bridgerton or Stranger Things? Those are all perfectly fine ways to pass the time and I throw no shade on anyone for any of that. But. I frequently hear the lament: I just don’t have time to read. And to that I say: bullshit. We all know that we make time for the things that matter and if reading matters then you will make time for it.

Here are a few quick tips for making time to read each and every day:

• keep your book with you at all times, you just never know when a spare 5 minutes will present themselves
• listen to an audiobook while you’re doing those mindless chores like weeding and cleaning the house
• read during breaks at work, at lunchtime or breaktime
• read instead of watching television

And, my number one, most important, most likely to bring more reading time into your life tip:

read what you love!

If you are reading a book that you love you won’t be able to put it down and you will reach for it every chance you get.

So, friends. I hope you make time to read what you love this summer. And tell me how it’s going for you in the comments.

We’re a week into summer reading and today I want to talk about what makes a book a good summer read.

I am fairly certain the answer to this question is different for everyone. Some people want to read light books, romances and chick lit and fluff. Others see the long stretch of summer as an opportunity to dig in and read something long or challenging, a book they’ve put off for a long time or always meant to read. Maybe memoirs or biographies are your summer jam. Still others want a paperback over a hard cover or an ebook over a physical book. There are as many choices for summer reading as there are books to read!

Personally, I don’t read any differently in the summer than I do during the other seasons . . . other than the fact that I probably read more because vacations. I might read a light book or two but then I’ll be itching for something with more heft. I might read a really long book but then I’ll be ready for a few short ones to move things along. I really just go by my mood and whatever becomes available from the library.

Having said all that, there are some reading lists for the Summer of 2022 that you may be interested in perusing. Check out these lists for some recommendations that run the gamut from light to heavy and everything in between:

Ultimate Beach Reads 2022: The Hottest Summer Reads

10 Books for Your Book Club in Summer 2022

Let me know in the comments what sort of books you like to read in the summer. And remember, every comment left on a post about summer reading will be entered to win some fun prizes.

It’s the first of June and I’m taking full of advantage of that by posting today about what I read in May. Here they are:

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
there’s another kind of hole, and that is the wound that divides family. Sometimes this wound occurs at the moment of birth, sometimes it happens later. We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime. We’ll leave much unfinished for the next generation.
This book came highly recommended by a friend and, I have to admit that if it weren’t for that I might have stopped reading it as it felt slow to me. Verghese wanders off on some tangents I sometimes felt were unnecessary, but I’m truly glad I stuck with it. The writing is exceptional and those tangents enriched the story and rounded out the characters. I think this will stick with me for a long time.

Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this insightful and fascinating look into Paul Simon’s life and music. The conversations were nuanced and thoughtful and enhanced beautifully by clips of Simon’s music, both past and present. Highly recommended for fans hoping to further understand this master songwriter, musician, and humanitarian.

Good Intentions by Kasim Ali
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Can two people from different cultural backgrounds fall in love and stay in love? That is the premise of this book, but it is decidedly not a romance and more of a contemporary character study. I’m probably not the intended audience and, while I enjoyed the story, I would have liked more background and less dialogue. I generally don’t mind a timeline that isn’t straightforward but, in this case, it hopped around too much and it felt contrived. Recommended as a fast read.

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The sequel to Good In Bed is ejoyable, the writing is even, the characters have evolved, and I enjoyed seeing how Cannie adjusted to being a wife and mother and her relationship with her surly and confused teenage daughter was very realistic. It’s an easy read, with moments of joy and sadness, mistakes and triumphs, and a big twist that I never saw coming. In other words . . . it’s a lot like . . . life.

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a bitingly honest and beautifully written book on living with mental illness. The characters are real, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the whole thing comes together perfectly. It’s particularly poignant if you or someone you care about has dealt with mental illness. It’s a story of love, family, forgiveness, frustration, pain, and ultimately hope. Highly recommended.

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An alluring and powerful debut, this book gave me all the feels. I loved the atmospheric setting, the rich characters, the charming magical realism, and the beautiful lessons of love, hope, and forgiveness.

I read some pretty good books last month and I hope, like always, that there’s something on this list that sparks your interest. The best news is that anything I finish now is part of my free-wheeling no-rules summer reading!