The days are getting longer, the heat is starting to creep in and the sun is finally coming out! Finally! It sure has taken its sweet time. And now all I want to do is spend as much time as I can outside, enjoying everything that I missed throughout this long winter. And because of that, I almost feel guilty spending any time reading during the summer. For avid readers like myself this is a conundrum I face every year. How to still get time to read and make the most of summer before the cold of winter sets in again?
Well, here are a few ways you can enjoy literature and still make the most out of this summer!
Audiobooks
Every year I see an influx of runners on the roads as the weather warms and I always tell myself that I am going to be one of them. As you can imagine, that very rarely happens and I curse myself time and time again for not investing more in my health and fitness. But really, can you blame me? The sweaty, out of breath wheezing that comes with running is just not something I enjoy. And as for that so-called runner’s high? Well, let us just say that it is as elusive to me as a unicorn. But no one can argue that getting outside for some exercise is a great way to enjoy the summer weather. So, I tried something new.
For some reason distracting or motivating myself with music whilst running just did not work. So, I did the next best thing. I turned on an audiobook, plugged in my headphones and took off running. And, trust me when I say, this is a game changer. Not only can I continue to ‘read’ in some way or another, but by getting myself lost in a novel and someone’s voice I distract myself from the pain of running that I actually run more. Especially if I get so invested in the story I am hearing, I push myself further and further just because I do not want to stop listening and go home just yet.
If you struggle to run as well, give this method a go and I guarantee you, you will want to wake up every day and go running just to have the chance to listen to more of whatever audiobook you are listening to.
Reading Picnics
If you are in the mood to sit at home and read but you feel the pressure to be outdoors and spend some time with your friends, most of whom have been cooped up hibernating all winter, just as long as you have, this is a great idea. Get yourself a picnic together! Take some blankets, even a cushion, or two if possible, make yourself some great finger foods with a tub of hummus or sandwiches and get out to the biggest green space you can find. Once there, lay out all your blankets and food, have some good chats with your friends to catch up and then relax back onto the cushions with a great book and just spend time together reading.
Why do we not do this more? As much as I love hanging out with my friends, sometimes all I really want to do is sit with someone in relative silence which reading, just enjoying each other’s company without conversation. I am a big believer in the fact that some of the best memories can be created without speech.
And as the afternoon winds down, you can even take it a set further, invite some more people and have yourself a great outdoor BBQ and drinks! You’ve got the wonderful connection to nature, your friends, a book and great food to accompany it all in one!
Coffee Shops or Patios
I personally like to do this one all year round, but in the summer when outdoor seating becomes more prevalent and the patios start to open it’s a great idea to take yourself on a little date with a great book. Settle yourself down in a lovely outdoor café, get some good coffee or tea and a cheeky bite of something sweet and get reading. I can honestly do this for hours on end, just drinking some tea or even a good ol’ afternoon pint and reading away in the sunlight.
And the best part about this one is that you end up meeting and talking to some really interesting people. People are naturally curious and when you have been sitting in one place reading for long enough, it can grab their attention and is a wonderful conversation starter. But if that is not your cup of tea (pun intended) you can always just put on your best resting bitch face, put in your headphones (even if there is nothing playing) and send them on their merry way without bothering you.
Find outdoor Book Fairs
Every year, I will be walking around the city, any city, and I will inevitably walk past some outdoor book seller. Sometimes it is as simple as a book swap rack, and sometimes it is as extravagant as a whole secondhand book shop set up outdoors. Either way, it is one of my favourite things to come across.
I absolutely love searching the racks and flipping through books, occasionally spotting a hand-written dedication to the original owners. There is something incredible about previously owned books and piecing together the story of its ownership prior to you having it. And being outdoors in the sun and finding something like that makes the day feel on the more magical, so get out there and go find some outdoor bookshops!
Try Writing
Lastly, give writing a go this summer. Take a notebook outside and get inspired by all you see. The bustle, the energy. Even if you decide to write a novel that is based in the dead of winter, the energy that you see can be a huge motivator for writing.
Or if you just want to journal, take the time to do it outside and get in touch with yourself and your potentially in the hot sun. It is so easy to fall into a routine of mediocrity in the winter when you have not seen sunlight in days on end. So, take advantage of the sunshine and remind yourself why you are awesome and remember to look back on whatever you have written in the winter months when motivation is slightly lacking.
I hope this has given you some new ideas of how to enjoy both the sun and continue to be a book lover this coming summer season! Let me know what other ways you enjoy the sun with your book, I would love to try out some new ideas!
~ S ~
