Thursday, June 21, 2012

What Are You Reading This Summer?

One of my favorite memories of being a kid in small-town Wisconsin was checking out books from our local library and reading to my heart's content. While everyone else was swimming and tanning and spending every second possible outside, my nose was always in a book.

Of course, my summer reading experience wasn't complete without a tall glass of icy lemonade by my side—even if I was reading indoors, it was a must.

And it was during those hot summer months (and yes, it gets quite balmy in Wisconsin, too) when I discovered Judy Blume and Jane Austen, and later on, "The Babysitter's Club" series and Robin Jones Gunn. I'd read books about places I wanted to travel to someday and biographies of the professional athletes I liked 'cause I was really into sports at the time.

Funny thing was, no matter what I was reading, my thoughts would inevitably turn to the book I wanted to write someday. In fact, I'd get downright giddy thinking about my byline on the front cover of my very own novel—and what font it would be in (yeah, I'm a giant dork).

Reading is such an important part of writing, and I still credit my summer adventures in reading to why I love to write so much today.

So with that said, I'm dying to know...what are you reading in your downtime this summer and has it inspired your writing?

I'm reading a new novel called "Apron Anxiety" at the moment and am totally loving it.

5 comments:

  1. I just finished The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck and Teri Wilson's Alaskan Hearts, and now working on Karen Witemeyer's Short Straw Bride :)

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  2. I loved BSC too when I was younger :) Claudia was my favorite!
    I just got the newest books by Robin Jones Gunn, finally and forever and am in the middle of twenty-somewhere.

    I always think it's funny when ppl look at reading as something to do in the summer bc reading is year roud for me, lol!

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  3. Robin Jones Gunn has been a favorite for (ahem) 20 years now! I cycle what i like by my mood or season. Dee Henderson is another favorite.

    Right now, though....well, when I finally felt ready to sit down and write I discovered I cannot concentrate on other books for more than a few pages and suddenly I'm putting it down daydreaming about what my characters are doing instead. I returned more than a half dozen good reads to the library after renewing them twice. Unread. :( I did put them on a list for when I finish my first draft and need a breather, though. haha...

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  4. I love Robin Jones Gunn, too. Christy Miller is my favorite! I started reading them when I was in 8th grade and five years later, it's still my favorite series. One day I glanced at the copywright page because I wondered why no cell phones were mentioned anywhere and why "awesome" supposedly wasn't the "in" word and saw that it was published in the late 80's... I was shocked. I thought it was more recent.
    Right now, I'm reading He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado and the Mercy Falls series by Collee Coble. I, too, understand about trying to read and getting distracted by my own story. I have to remind myself that good writers are generally good readers, so I'm trying to buckle down and do it.

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  5. I read Robin Jones Gunn's latest book too! I love her Christy and Katie series and it was so fun to read the final book. Also a tad sad too.

    I've also read Half Broke Horse (it was really good, but not as good as the author autobiography The Glass Castle) and Loving by Karen Kingsbury.

    I'm in the middle of The Poisonwood Bible. It's really interesting, but sad and frustrating how the main characters, missionaries, are so messed up and how they truly do not understand the Gospel that they are shoving on the natives. It's really well written though.

    I hope to read many more before school business starts again!

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