Ye gads! Already? Yep; summer's danged close. Teachers are whipping out their summer reading assignments; vacationers are picking through paperbacks (or downloading to their ereaders) in anticipation. What are you going to read this season? Whittle down the stack of dusty magazines? Spring for a NYT Bestseller? Peruse the stacks at your favorite used book store?
Of course, I have a few suggestions...
1. Read about reading
How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas Foster, adds some insight to your reading, whatever it is. It doubles as a refresher course in interpretive literature, but in a good way. I'm still reading slowly, a chapter or so at a sitting... fortunately it's on loan from a very understanding and patient friend. (Thanks, Chris!) I recommend it. Even though I haven't finished it. :D
2. Support your local bookstore!
Pick up those summer reading assignments for your students at an independent book store. They'll love you for it, and probably offer a discount. Plus, remember you always get "free shipping" when you buy from a real, bricks and mortar retail store.
3. Spread some good karma.
Traveling? Try this: pick up some used paperbacks before you go, knowing you'll finish them and not want to bring them home. Strike up a conversation about reading with a stranger (making a friend in the process) and leave the book with him or her. Alternatively, ask the management if you can donate the book to the hotel's game/reading room, or just just leave it by the pool with a post-it-note saying "free book- enjoy."
4. Switch gears.
Always seeking a legal thriller? Give your brain something else to chew on. A romantic comedy. A graphic novel. A translation. Something your parents didn't want you to read, a hundred years ago, when you were a kid. Something you loved as a kid, but you can't remember why.
5. Stretchhhhhhhhhh.
For real, stretch. Your brain loves it when you get so absorbed in a book you just can't put it down. Your spine hates it. So stretch, already.
6. Share it.
Share it by reading it with someone. You don't have to join a book group; just make a pact with a friend, your daughter, sister, spouse, or a neighbor that you'll read the same book and discuss it this summer. Then do it!
7. Share it again.
Share the book, yes, by all means! But also, share your reading pleasures with us here (guest posters always welcome) and with readers elsewhere. Reading (usually) is a solitary activity, and that's part of its allure. Sharing what you've read adds another dimension to your understanding - and enjoyment - of the book. So dish!
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