Hey, let's write an entry. Sorry to be away for a while.
I could blame the weather, as it has been crazy hot the last couple of days - in the mid 90s. Which for Maine is somewhat of a departure from usual June temps. Last August it got to 100 and I am fairly sure people were pulling lobsters out of the ocean fully cooked.
I could also blame the Trek Across Maine, as I still want to put together a nice long post with pictures. But I haven't actually been doing much there aside from checking the photographer's website a dozen times a day to see if they have properly indexed the photos by participant number yet (they haven't, but I did manage to find one pic of myself so far anyway).
But I will blame summer, in general, and summer reading, in particular. As we try to cram as many walks, bike rides, ice cream shop visits, trips to the beach, free concerts, etc. into summer days and evenings things really don't wind down for the night for an extra hour or two. So once the kid is in bed and the dishes are cleaned up and so on, there is less time to surf around and be inspired to write anything.
Then when I get to that block of time I think about getting a nice cool drink first, then I ponder the relative comfort levels of sipping a cool drink while sitting at the computer vs. sipping a cool drink while lounging on the couch reading a book. More often, the book (and couch) win out.
So here is a post about summer reading and basically it will be the same sort of rambling but with less links.
My first read of the summer was The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho. This is a quick read. Actually, I was taking a quick glance at the book while moving it from the coffee table to the bookshelf and accidentally read the entire thing. So this is the perfect book to kick off your summer reading list, because it is an easy win and will fill you with the confidence you need to tackle the next book on your list. Content-wise, it is enjoyable and lightly philosophical, as is befitting a fable. It imparts a fuzzy glow that might inspire you to finally get started on that thing you've been meaning to do.
Next up, The Ruins by Scott Smith. This is a fast-paced horror/suspense story seemingly designed for summer beach reading - as long as that beach is not in Mexico, or anywhere else within 50 miles of a tropical forest. Or a houseplant. In much the way I would not recommend Jaws for anyone headed for a weekend at the Jersey shore, I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone planning a hike through the rain forest. Otherwise, put this near the top of your reading list and you'll have no problem finding motivation to keep up with keeping your hedges trimmed and weeds pulled this summer.
Currently, I'm reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. It's one of those classics that you assume you read at some point, but mostly you remember movies/comic books/other adaptations. I was drawn into reading this by a version of the book with wonderful illustrations by Robert Ingpen. It's an engrossing read and a good adventure that easily lives up to its reputation as a classic. The downside at reading it this late in life is the tendency to think things like "Ah, I see where this diverges from the character treatment in Muppet Treasure Island..."
Next up? I have Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants on deck. I picked up a copy of The Mermaid Chair for a dollar at a library sale. I think I'll also go back to another classic, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.
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