reads by the sea by Joseph Robertson (http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephrobertson)
Ahhhh...summer time. I heart you. While I read a ton throughout the year, summer time is my favorite time to read. There is something deeply relaxing about reading a book while sitting on the shores of an ocean under my big Tiffany blue beach umbrella, wearing my oversized sunglasses, listening to the sound of the waves gently rolling onto the sand. Hours can pass without me never looking up from the pages of the book I'm immersed in. This is the reason why I have not yet invested in a Kindle or another e-reader. I love the feel of a book in my hands, love turning the pages, love the smell of the paper, love using bookmarks to mark my progress, love seeing a book on my bookshelf and remembering where I was in my life when I first read it. A bookstore is also one of my favorite places, so I'm happy to stay behind in the technology when it comes to books and reading them.
I believe I have a diverse reading list. I'm always willing to read books that are recommended to me even if at first glance I'm not so certain I will connect with the story. Some of the best books I've read are not from the best seller's list, but from the "new authors" section. In my research on advice for aspiring writers, the "best advice" I have encountered over and over and over is to read, read, read and write every day. This advice is all the more reason to expand my reading list this summer and experience new authors and their different voices and styles of writing with a heightened awareness of character development. As I begin to visualize writing my first novel becoming a reality, I need to begin really developing the characters and their personalities. The story could take me anywhere as I begin to write, but the characters need to remain authentic no matter where I take them.
So, I was excited today to stumble upon Oprah's summer reading list: http://www.oprah.com/book-list/Os-2011-Summer-Reading-List. I'm excited to spend a lot of time this weekend in a bookstore stocking up on books for my summer reading. What books are on your summer reading list? Please share your recommendations!
I love summer reading too! Nothing better than enjoying vacation with a great book in hand. I just got The Art of Racing in the Rain for our upcoming beach vacation. Can't wait to see others' recommendations.
ReplyDeleteI love the smell of a new book. There is an organic connection that the reader gains with the author that virtual books will never duplicate.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in junior high and high school, we were assigned 6 classic novels to read each summer. I think I was one of the only nerdy kids who read each and every book. And to this day, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Each summer, I would spend hours escaping to the world of Dickens, Hawthorne, and Bronte. Summer reading, here we come!
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