Summer Reading

There's something about summer that seems to call for light reading. Is it the indolence that comes with warmth? Or a sense of holiday, left over from school days? Perhaps it's because we're spending more time outside, which leaves less mental energy to expend on serious books.

Some of my favourite read-every-summer books are by Peter Mayle:  A Year in Provence, Toujours Provence, and Hotel Pastis (the first two are memoirs, the third a novel). Like a good meal, they have lots of ingredients I enjoy: descriptions of food, a bit of cycling, dashes of French conversation, some natural history, a slight but agreeable amount of suspense (in the novel), and a happy air of escapism throughout. They're sunny, cheerful, humorous books - altogether perfect for reading in the sun.

Speaking of the sun, here's another great summer read - "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes. Also a memoir, it too contains some favourite ingredients: cooking, the idea of living in a country not one's own, dashes of foreign language and culture (Italian this time), with some flowers and poetry and house renovation thrown in.  Its sequel "Bella Tuscany" continues the pleasurable journey.

You might think I'd prefer to read these lovely summery books in the wintertime - but the contrast to my own weather situation would be too great, and might lead to discontent. So I save them for warmer weather, when I can revel in their descriptions of shimmering heat while soaking up some long-awaited rays of my own.

A bit of introspection:  I seem to be drawn to books about starting life anew in a different country.  Is this because I long to do so myself - or because I already have?  (Moving from Southern California to Wisconsin was very much like moving to a different country.)  I'll have to ponder that one.

What's your favourite summer read?

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