It's almost August, the deep exhale of summer. Heated days rest heavily on our shoulders and demand a slower pace, an unwinding, a pause before the bustle of autumn. It is the perfect time to read. One of my great pleasures of summer is to wake up early, pour a cup of coffee, sit on the back deck while birdsong fills the cool morning air and get lost in a book.
The long days of summer afford many of us a little extra time to read. Whether you're reading on a blanket in Drake Park with a bag of farmers market cherries nearby, or unwinding in a camp chair after a long hike in the woods, or while boating around Elk Lake on a lazy afternoon, or just listening to an audiobook while walking the dogs along the Deschutes, there are endless ways to enjoy more summer reading time, and to embrace the dreamy quixotic way of summer.
Looking for that perfect book to read?
Some of the biggest titles of the summer include: "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore, a thrilling summer-camp mystery in which the daughter of camp owners goes missing in 1975; "The Wedding People" by Alison Espach, in which a wedding draws guests and one uninvited stranger together in a propulsive novel about chance encounters; "888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers" by Abraham Chang, a dazzling love story set in the mid-'90s that buzzes with pop culture energy; and "Godwin" by Joseph O'Neill, an odyssey of two brothers crossing the world in search of an African soccer prodigy who might change their fortunes.
Want more ideas? We are perpetually in search of a great booklist, and there is no shortage of good ones this year.
The New York Times recently surveyed more than 500 novelists, non-fiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers to pull together a list of the 100 best books of the 21st Century. The list is wide and varied, full of fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, short stories and more. Literary Hub also compiled The Ultimate Summer 2024 Reading List. Or check out NPR's list of great summer reads from their staffers, old and new.
Another way to motivate yourself to read is to take part in one of the Summer Reading Programs going on in Central Oregon.
The Deschutes Public Library's Summer with the Library program is easy to participate in. For adults and kids alike, sign up online or in any library and receive a free tote bag and be entered into a drawing for prizes. Once you complete your reading log, you will receive a free book!
Roundabout Books is playing Summer Reading Bingo again this year. Choose books that fit into a variety of categories to help explore books you might not have picked up – a book about summer, a classic you've never read, get in the spirit of the Olympics and read a book about sports, or prepare for the upcoming election by reading a book about current events. Once you complete a bingo, you will receive a 20% coupon for an upcoming book purchase. If you black out your whole card, you receive a $20 gift card and get entered into our Labor Day weekend raffle!
Create your own Summer Reading Program. Pick two, three, four or more books that you've always wanted to read but never took the time to try. Read the same book as your mom and discuss it when you're done. Pick your favorite author and read everything they've ever written. Read one really big book that you never have time to get to. Host a book club on your back patio and enjoy a perfect late summer evening surrounded by friends, wine and books.
If your summer doesn't let up and you have no extra time to sit down with a book, then audiobooks are the way to go. Right now, libro.fm has a special offer for new customers. Get two free audiobook credits when you sign up. Bonus, Libro.fm also supports your favorite local bookstore!
Just like the rest of this year, summer will be over before we know it, and the rustling fall breezes will rush in with the bustle of autumn. So, let's all find the space in the next month to carve out one genuinely perfect summer day, a shady corner of the world that is filled with the warmth and quiet and peace of summer, and of course, a really great book to read.
