summertime

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How to make the most of summertime readin' and relaxin'

Ask a bookworm what they most look forward to during summertime and they will undoubtedly answer: More time to read! If your idea of the perfect summer day includes relaxing with a good book and a cool drink, here are a few tips to make the most of summer reading.

1. Organize

Create a TBR list and prioritize which books you most want to read. It can also be helpful to organize books by length, genre, standalone vs. series, etc. You can write out this list or organize content on your ereader.

2. Diversify

There are lots of ways to enjoy books nowadays and each form offers a different  experience. Mix it up with print books, ebooks, audiobooks and reader apps on your smartphone.

3. Indulge

Treat yourself to a bookish delight, along with a double scoop of pistachio ice cream! Maybe that’s a visit to the bookstore with an extra $20 to spend. Maybe it means rereading your childhood favorites. Maybe it’s a subscription to Audible or Kindle Unlimited. It could even be a new hammock or beach tote. Whatever makes reading more enjoyable for you!

4. Connect

Some of my best friends are readers and readers are some of my best friends! Share your love of reading by starting or joining a book club, attending a reader/author event, participating at events hosted by your local library or organizing a book swap.

If you haven’t started your summertime TBR list, here are a few suggestions from my list.

The Bride by Julie Garwood

By edict of the king, the mighty Scottish laird Alec Kincaid must take an English bride. His choice is Jamie, youngest daughter of Baron Jamison—a feisty, violet-eyed beauty. Alec aches to touch her, to tame her, to possess her…forever. But Jamie has vowed never to surrender to a man she considers a highland barbarian.

Alec is everything Jamie’s heart has warned her against—an arrogant scoundrel whose rough good looks speak of savage pleasures. While Kincaid’s scorching kisses set fire to her blood, she is determined to resist him…until one rapturous moment quells their clash of wills, and something far more dangerous than desire threatens to conquer her senses…

Hot Addiction by Lynn Raye Harris

When Dex “Double Dee” Davidson was abandoned at the altar by the woman he loved, he threw himself into his military career, training hard enough to get accepted into the elite Black Ops unit known as HOT. The love he felt for Annabelle Quinn burned to ash in the face of her betrayal—so when she crashes back into his life and begs him to save her, he has no problem laughing in her face.

Blackmailed into jilting Dex and forced into an abusive marriage, Annabelle never thought she’d escape the hell of the last five years. But her husband died a month ago and she’s finally free. Except she isn’t. Someone claims that Eric stole a fortune—and they want it back. If she doesn’t return it within twenty-four hours, she’ll be dead—and so will her young daughter. With time running out, Annabelle has no one to turn to. No one except Dex.

When Dex learns that Annabelle’s husband committed treason against the US by selling a top secret military project to the Russians, he has no choice but to get involved. He’ll protect Annabelle and her child, and he’ll find out who’s threatening her. But he won’t fall for her intoxicating sensuality ever again. And if he discovers the secret she’s been hiding from him? It’ll be game over for good…

Mackenzie’s Mission by Linda Howard

Night Wing—the revolutionary test plane with a top secret weapons system—is Colonel Joe “Breed” Mackenzie’s number-one priority—and weapons expert Caroline Evans his number-one distraction. When someone on the inside sabotages Night Wing, Caroline’s late hours and expertise come under suspicion, forcing Joe to choose between allegiance to his country…and love for his prime suspect.

A Spicing of Birds: Poems by Emily Dickenson

A Spicing of Birds is a unique and beautifully illustrated anthology, pairing poems from one of America’s most revered poets with evocative classic ornithological art. Emily Dickinson had a great love of birds—in her collected poems, birds are mentioned 222 times, sometimes as the core inspiration of the poem. However, in existing anthologies of Dickinson’s work, little acknowledgment is made of her close connection to birds. This book contains thirty-seven of Dickinson’s poems featuring birds common to New England. Many lesser-known poems are brought to light, renewing our appreciation for Dickinson’s work.

The editors’ introduction draws extensively from Dickinson’s letters, providing fascinating insights into her relationship with birds. The illustrations, by late 18th century to early 20th century artists/ornithologists, are often so apt as to seem to have been created with the poems in mind. Included are beautiful watercolors by Mark Catesby, engravings of John James Audubon’s paintings, illustrations by Alexander Wilson, chromo-lithographs by Robert Ridgway (curator of birds at the National Museum for some fifty years), paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, and some of the earliest bird photographs by Cordelia Stanwood. The editors also discuss the development and growth of birding in the nineteenth century as well as the evolution of field guides and early conservation efforts. Brief biographies of the artists are included in an appendix. This book is an eloquent tribute to the special place held by birds in our lives and imaginations, and will make an ideal gift for both birders and poetry readers.

Need more suggestions? I can help. Check out my Code Breakers series for Regency romance and intrigue. Like military heroes? Download my Impossible Mission series. Want a combination of military romance, romantic suspense, dogs and an incredible cast of characters? The Grayce Walters series is just what you need!

What’s on your summertime TBR list?