Thoughts On: Summer Reading

Ah, summertime. It’s the season of a thousand vacations, whether near or far. At the very least, it’s a time to take walks, have picnics, and generally spend more time outdoors. For an avid reader—or for those who enjoy reading but typically don’t have the time to partake in the activity—this is the perfect opportunity to pick up a book or two (or three, or thirty) to pass some of the time in the warmer, more pleasant weather. I myself have just returned from a vacation, one that was all too short but afforded plenty of time to read uninterrupted.

And on that note…thank goodness for e-book readers! If nothing else, they’ve completely changed the way I’m able to travel. Because the thing is, I don’t just travel with a book. As a voracious (though somewhat slow) reader and a highly indecisive individual, I simply must have a number of books on hand when on holiday; if I don’t, I just end up making a side-trip to the nearest book store to pick up a few titles. Inevitably, this means that a sizable chunk of my baggage is taken up by reading materials. An e-reader makes the same tendencies much less of a hassle; on this last vacation, for instance, I had my Kindle in my bag at all times and was able to read several books.

In the past, I’ve noticed that I read mostly light, fun, and irreverent books during summer: chick lit, humorous nonfiction, movie magazines, and so forth. Many people talk about how their preferences for entertainment (movies, sports, cuisine, etc.) change with the warmed weather. Perhaps, just as many blockbuster movies are released over summer, the ideal time for lighter book releases is during this season?


What about you?? Do your reading habits change during summer, either in the volume or selection of books you read?