What are you doing this summer?
I have a lot of travel plans, so my primary focus is going to be taking care of myself.

TCB
I’ve gotten a lot of business stuff done and automated, so I can be available for the things that inevitably come up. I’ve got several projects at various stages of completion, but that can be a good thing this time of year. I usually have the energy to start projects in the summer and sometimes I even finish them.
It’s easy for me to get overloaded with all the energy I have in the summer, and usually, that’s a good thing, but it’s also more difficult for me to make road trips than it used to be. There will be a lot of social time and a lot of road time, two things that tend to drain my energy.

So what how am I taking care?
R&R
It’s been a pretty intense year so far with teaching, and I have a bit of a break for the next month. I’ve decided to take it. I’m going to slow down on my commitments to others and prioritize what brings me life. One of those things has always been reading.
I’m taking a little R&R from streaming and the Creative Collective, but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.

TBR.
That’s my “To Be Read” list for the uninitiated.
As you can see, I have a lot to catch up on. That’s ok. I’m establishing some early rules.
- I must WANT to read it: no “needing” to read or finish anything. I have plenty of reading time for the things I need to read. This is a time for entertainment and getting back into the habit of reading for fun. I have gotten so sick before that I was unable to read and that is a scary and dangerous place for me. I don’t even want to flirt with it, and that means taking a break from the things I read for work and research.
- It must KEEP me entertained: again, I don’t “need” to finish. A writer has the responsibility of keeping a reader engaged throughout the story. If a writer fails to do that, I won’t be held responsible for finishing the work. I refuse to dread this process.
What are your reading rules? Do you still do summer reading? What’s your TBR pile look like?
Let me know!