The season of sunshine, tanning, parks and beaches has officially arrived, upper hemisphere, so grab your floaters and let’s roll!
In an effort to spread the reading cheer, I thought it’d be helpful to compile a tiny stack of advice that might assist you to increase casual reading and join the book squad. Ever since I was a small kid, running around the family farm, sunshine meant adventure. Sitting outside, breathing the fresh air, playing games under trees and reading stories for everyone to hear – those were my early days and some of my most treasured memories. As I grew older I continued clutching to the association between novels and childlike joy, and if I can help create that in somebody else, then count me in, buster.
So, what can you do to increase the reading count this summer?
- Make a brunch club.
Yeah, you heard me right! Sometimes books can be a team sport and discussing a great plot hole or a handsome main character between your friend group is the most rewarding thing. It feels like gossip without harming anyone’s actual life, and connecting over the same thoughts can be a fun and bonding experience. Especially when there are drinks involved. Hot city, cold drinks, light snacking and a laugh over the ending of a romance novel, or the twist of the latest crime flick – those are just some of the rewards to reap this summer.
2. Try audiobooks.
According to science, it’s about fifty-thousand times more tempting to walk places during summer than it is any other part of the year. So why not incorporate some reading while nipping to the store, or strolling home from work? Or grab a coffee at the local shop and scroll through social media while listening to “Leah on The Offbeat” by Becky Albertalli! It’s easier to read more when the activity does not feel like picking up a physical book, and the brain does not associate that with the chore of reading a certain amount of pages or chapters. Plus, Audible is majorly affordable and well-stocked on new releases. And should you prefer something for free, grab an app for your local library and check audio files out.
3. Read about vacation spots.
Let’s say you’re working through the summer and haven’t planned a nice vacation yet. There’s an easy way to transport yourself to pretty much any holiday spot, whether it being adventurous or relaxing, through the pages of a book. You were hoping to chill on an Australian beach? Pick an Australian romance flick. More of a hiking fan? Grab a climber biography. The imagination is an amazing thing. It can give you the sensation of a certain place without physically witnessing it, and there are so many choices for pretty much any popular location. So travel all over the world from the comfort of your own local park or the sofa in your living room.
4. Learn to associate sunshine with reading.
It takes approximately two weeks to begin forming a regular habit. Try and get your brain used to the idea of warmth and reading as companions instead of mutually exclusive particles. Waiting for a friend at a coffee shop? Whip out the book real quick. Walking to work in the beautiful weather? Grab your headphones and press play on an audiobook. Any format counts, any effort is better than none. Any given stretch of time that you’d be spending alone with your thoughts (without needing to) can also be used to digest an amazing story. Give it about fifteen days and filling random gaps with novels will be second nature.
5. Visit bookstores.
I know, can it get more obvious than this? As a person who has spent a large amount to time in bookstores, and worked in one too, I can tell you that most weekdays – they remain empty. Trust me when I say that the more time you spend in a bookstore, the more excited you’ll get about books. Those are two things that grow together exponentially. Plus, summer is release season, because the human population is headed for a break, so many new and different stories are coming out on the market. There is almost no better time to peruse books than a nice summer day. The more you’re around books, the more comfortable you get with them.
Give these tips a try and visit my YouTube channel to tell me if any of them worked for you. I adore the summer and all the amazing ways it can connect you with books, so don’ be shy – grab a novel. Live a story. Read yourself a vacation.
Book Me Up Scotty 