What’s on your summer reading list?

I was having lunch with a friend the other day and the talk turned to our upcoming summer holidays. She was off to Norfolk for a week with some friends and a convoy of all their children. They were packing bicycles and kayaks and everyone was excited about having trips on the water and cycle rides on the flatlands and hikes across fields. But, my friend said, a part of her just wanted to veg out on a sun lounger and read the pile of books she’s had by her bedside now for months.

We talked about how much we loved having a good book to absorb us. She laughed, “Are you like me? I just don’t want to be disturbed. Never mind the kids. Never mind Pete (her husband). I just want them to go away so I can just get on with my book…”

Doesn’t it make you wish you were a kid or a student again? With all those long summer holidays - weeks and weeks of nothing to do but read and read? Nowadays, in our busy grown up lives, we all seem to have to squeeze in the pleasure of reading on commutes or in the few minutes before we go to bed.

Flashing through my mind are memories of many summers I’ve passed over the decades and the books that defined those long hot weeks. In my next few posts, I’m going to be blogging about those books and the times of my life that they conjure up for me.

For now, I’ve already started on my summer reading list and thoroughly enjoying it. I’m cheating a little as it’s not quite accurate to say that I’m reading my summer books - I’m actually listening to them: as audiobooks downloaded from Audible. I make sure to get the Unabridged versions so I get full value for money and also the full efforts of the author. Being read a story is one of the loveliest pleasures in life and I’m basking in the indlugence. I’ve ploughed through a few since spring and today, I’ve just started on a perfect summer book - and I’ll be blogging about what that is in a few days…

What I am more interested in knowing right now is: What’s on your list of books to read this summer?

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Photo: thanks to Matt Seppings on flickr.com ((CCL)