Choosing a good book

I love summer. Yes, yes, I know. Who doesn't love summer? But I really love summer. In the winter, I hibernate. It's cold, it's dark, it's wet - it's like a really creepy basement. And who wants to spend time in one of those? My husband and I have a long standing joke that I am solar powered. When there's lots of sun, I'm full of energy. The minute that sun starts to set, I literally start to power down. You can see it happening.

So, when that perfect summer day appears - warm weather, about 80 degrees; sunny, cloudless skies; my butt plopped firmly in a lounge chair on the beach - there's nothing I want more than to become immersed in a good book.

I read a variety of books. I enjoy fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, travel writing (check out J. Maarten Troost if you haven't already), young adult....and Harry Potter! Yes, Harry gets his own category. (Side bar: I am counting the days until the next movie is released next week)

Now, how I choose this good book is another story. It's going to sound quite odd but I believe there is a "right time" to read a particular book. When I'm looking for something to read, I will sit in front of my bookcase, take out some of the new books I haven't read yet and skim the first page of each. Whichever one captivates me or intrigues me in that moment, is the one I'll go with. I have books I bought five years ago that I haven't read yet. My husband always laughs and asks me if I'm ever going to get around to reading them.

Absolutely, I say.

It's just not the right time yet.