Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Who's got time for summer?

It's Summer Reads month at RTG, where we celebrate cool (or hot!) books to get stuck into over the next little while.

 I'm kinda confused, though. Is a good 'summer read' no good at any other time of the year? Are there some books which are better in summer than they would be in winter? Surely quality and enjoyability aren't seasonal...



Or are they? Food and drink can be situational, after all. Some drinks only taste good in the right surroundings. Ouzo, for instance. Nauseating stuff. Yet by the waterside on a lazy afternoon on a sunny Greek island... well, an icy aniseed tipple is a bit more appealing.


Kebabs, for another. It's a scientific fact that kebabs (or gyros, if you prefer) taste way better at 4 am after a night at the pub. It's the culinary version of beer goggles.


But the most vexed question of all: who the hell has time to read in summer anyway?

Especially here in England. 'Summer' (and I use inverted commas with the greatest of respect) is short. Like, a few weeks, maybe, before the weather turns to crap again. So everything - all the events, festivals, fun, games and culture - is packed into those few short weeks. You've barely got time to breathe, let alone sit down with a nice fat book.

And work doesn't stop over summer. At least, not for me. It's just as busy as any other time of year, with the added complication that you can't get a seat at the coffee shop because it's full of schoolkids on holidays. Bah humbug! Don't you know this is my office?

So should I be recommending short books? Ones with big writing, maybe? Stories that you can skim-read?

Not sure. But never mind me. I'm just envious that everyone else seems to have so much time to read!

xx
Erica
www.ericahayes.net

P.S. If you really are looking for something to read? :) I have a new release this week... it's a superhero fantasy called SCORCHED. Cool action adventure with a bit of romance on the side. You can check it out on Goodreads here.

3 comments:

Diana McCollum said...

I know what you mean, Erica! I hardly have time to read, summer, fall, winter or spring. It's all about choices. Do I read or do I write? Do I read or do I have coffee with my friends? etc. I did add "Scorched" to my tbr shelf at Goodreads. Good luck with sales.

Sarah Raplee said...

I love superhero stories! Can't wait to read Scorched.

Hope you get a few reads in this summer!

Judith Ashley said...

Wow, Erica!!! Your "Scorched" cover is amazing! When I'm really busy I like Anthologies because those stories are shorter and I've a chance to finish one in bits and pieces while waiting for an appointment, etc.