The Simple Joys of Summer Reading

By
It's time to plan summer reading!  Beach reads.  Or maybe for you they're porch reads, or (my favorite) charming-little-café reads.  Wherever you love to curl up with a good book when it's blazing hot (or if you live in the southern hemisphere, cold and stormy) outside.


I'm always on the lookout for a good book, but many of the books that receive the most hype are disappointing for one reason or another.  Leisure reading should be a joy, not a self-imposed obligation to finish the latest "must read" title.  It should be relaxing and enlightening, not a chore.


summer reading



Millions of titles clamoring for attention

According to worldometers.info there were over 328,000 new titles published in the United States in 2010.  That's just one year.  Hundreds of thousands more will be added every year, and that doesn't count all the great classics from the 19th and 20th centuries and earlier.


How many of those books will you actually read?  I'm a fairly committed reader, and I probably read 60 to 70 books per year (plus my Bible, some magazines and about a half-dozen blogs I follow).  A handful of those might be favorites I'm rereading, so not all of the titles will be new to me.  You may read more or fewer books than I, but the comparison is clear.  A million books clamoring for attention vs. fewer than 100 I will actually read.


Obviously, I can't possibly read even a tiny fraction of what's available, so why should I waste my time on a book I'm not enjoying and learning from?  I never feel guilt about deciding not to continue with a book.  I'm anxious to get on to books I will love.


Like a good minimalist, I'm going to use my time and energy wisely to get the most satisfaction and value from what I read.


That definitely means I don't bother with click bait, and I don't spend a lot of time scrolling through social media feeds.  Worldometers.info indicates that so far today (it's 7:17 a.m. as I'm writing this) over 223,000,000 tweets and 76,620,000,000 emails have been sent.  (How much spam is that?)  That's mind-boggling and crazy.  No one can possibly worry about all of that. 


So I'm very old-fashioned.  I call and text and email a few friends and family members, religiously unsubscribe from most email lists, and limit the time I spend on social media.  I want to have time to read my 60 to 70 books.





Here's what I have in mind for summer reading.  


I'll choose about a dozen books, mostly fiction, nothing too heavy.  I used to look forward to the latest Maeve Binchy (alas, she passed away in 2012).  But maybe this summer I'll reread one of my favorites, Evening Class or Quentins or Circle of Friends.*


* This blog is reader-supported.  If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission.

Sometimes an old-fashioned romantic thriller is fun, such as Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca.  This book (and others by the same author) is beautifully written, with taut suspense and tons of descriptive detail that makes you feel that you are there with the characters.


I also enjoy novels about books or bookstores (though I haven't liked all of the titles that fit this description).  My favorites in this realm are Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader (featuring none other than Queen Elizabeth II), and the wonderful memoir 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.


A few newer novels have caught my interest, and I will certainly give them a try (and maybe be rewarded with a great read).  They include Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen, Karen Thompson Walker's The Dreamers (I enjoyed her debut novel, The Age of Miracles), and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, which has been recommended to me over and over again.


There are a lot of classic works I haven't read, and even though they might be a bit more of a challenge, they are often so worth it.  Jean Rhys' prequel to Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea, is on my list this year.  I love the BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, but I've never read the book, so I'm interested in that as well, along with The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017.


And for non-fiction?  Tara Westover's memoir, Educated, has been recommended to me by two different friends.  It sounds both infuriating and inspirational, so perhaps I'll balance that with autobiographies by two smart and funny ladies, Yes Please by Amy Poehler and Bossypants by Tina Fey.


So many people have recommended Brene Brown's work, and I've never read anything by her.  I think I'll start this summer with The Gifts of Imperfection.  And I'm absolutely excited to read Atomic Habits by James Clear.  I think this is one book that will become a permanent part of my home library.


Time to order these books through the inter-library loan system.  Hopefully I'll have one or two to pick up in the next few days!


Are there any books you're looking forward to reading this summer?  Please share what's inspiring you in the comments below.





Updated August 2022

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

45 Useful Tips to Help You Responsibly Declutter Unwanted Items

By
Image
Do you ever drive down the highway or out on a country road and see someone's old couch or mattress?  When driving through the orchards and croplands around my town, I sometimes see stuff like this in an irrigation ditch.  I can't believe people do this, and leave it for the farmers to clean up or pay for disposal. Tossing stuff you no longer need or want into a dumpster isn't minimalism – it's the equivalent of littering , just like the people who throw things out on the side of the road.  It may seem simple, but it's not responsible or good for the environment. Unfortunately, some of what we remove from our homes is garbage , and there's no place for it but the landfill.  But when getting rid of clutter means mindlessly tossing it into the garbage, it becomes too easy to buy more and fill our homes up all over again.   By becoming more accountable, we change our minds about purchasing.  I believe that when you thoughtfully declutter, you'll become very sen
Read more

Why You Should Make "Less is More" Your Mantra for Life

By
Image
Maybe you've heard the saying popularized by architect Mies van der Rohe in 1947:  "Less is more." It's an oxymoron – a phrase that seems to contradict itself.  Others include "old news," "open secret," "unbiased opinion," and "awfully good."  Or the lament, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." What does "less is more" mean?  It's wonderfully open-ended.  Answers to that are as varied as the people who reply.  Consider: Less anxiety, more peace. Less debt, more savings. Less busywork, more substance. Less clutter, more space. Less comparison, more contentment. Less sugar, more vegetables. Voluntary simplicity Back in the 1990s, a fair number of Americans realized that the continual quest for more and better was stressing them out and keeping them from creating lives of purpose.  After the consumerist binge of the yuppie-era 80s, some started wondering if the big house, flashy car, exotic vacation, and Rolex we
Read more

12 Tips to Try When You're Frustrated with Decluttering

By
Image
I won't sugar-coat it – decluttering is a hard job.  The more you're stressed and challenged by your home – the more you need the benefits that come with decluttering – the bigger the job probably is.  The advantages are real, but so is the frustration.  At times, you may feel tired, sad, or overwhelmed.  Letting go of stuff requires constant decision-making, and sometimes you'll need a break. And you deserve one!  You're not just decluttering, you're in the process of changing your mindset and your habits , and that's hard for anyone.  So when you feel like the job is too big, or that you should have everything under control, remember that no one has it all under control.  We're human, which means that we often have to learn the hard way.  But the victory will be even sweeter because you made it through the highs, the lows, and everything in between. When you feel like giving up, on decluttering or anything else, be gentle with yourself, and say goodbye to
Read more

Why You Should Try Wearing the Same Clothes Every Day

By
Image
Wearing the same clothes every day would get boring, wouldn't it? A long time ago, I had a job that required a uniform, and I have to say it did make life easier .  I had three copies of my work outfit, and there was never a question about what to wear.  I never worried whether my clothes were stylish or "right," because everyone else wore the same thing. The same argument has been used in public and private schools in favor of student uniforms.  Rather than constant worries about fashion and comparisons and dress codes, a uniform makes everything simple.  It's one less thing to think about in the complex life of a student. Many people argue that clothes make a statement about who you are.  "I express myself through my clothes" is a comment I've often heard, usually from women.  The idea of a uniform scares them, because how will they make themselves noticeable or unique ? I think we might be imagining some sort of Handmaid's Tale society, where we
Read more

The Hygge Way to Clean and Declutter

By
Image
When I returned home from a weekend trip recently, I immediately unpacked my suitcase, washed a load of dirty clothes, and put everything away.  It made me feel settled and at home.  It was comfortable. A few days later, I felt a bit restless, so I set my writing aside and started cleaning.  I cleaned the refrigerator door and wiped the kitchen counters.  I swept the porch and mopped the floor in our small entry hall.  I decluttered a few old papers from my file box.  It felt good. Self-soothing with home care For me, cleaning, organizing, and decluttering are a form of self-care.  Tidying gives me satisfaction.  It makes me feel that I'm managing my life and ready for what's next. A hygge home isn't dirty.  It's not cluttered with garbage, dirty dishes, or things we never use or put away.  It's not covered in a thick layer of dust.  So don't decide that pouring a glass of wine, lighting a candle, and snuggling under a blanket is hygge, but running the vacuum is
Read more