At The Beach

That's where I'll be when you're reading this. My best friend and I are taking two boys, four yoga mats, art supplies, Stargate Atlantis on DVD and some killer tunes with us a for a week-long getaway on the beautiful, quiet and wild North Coast of California.

We could be in for sun or fog, maybe a day or two of blustery wind. It won't matter; the little house we rented has a fenced yard, a nice deck (perfect for daily yoga), a wood-burning stove and a hot tub. We're a short 1/4 mile on a trail through the dunes to beaches with no public access whatsoever. There's a full moon rolling in and we'll be out underneath it in a circle of candles on the sand, making magic and celebrating life.

I'm bringing some books along, naturally. I was just packing them up, which got me thinking about summer reading. I admit - I don't read nearly as much as I used to now that I'm a full-time writer. At the end of a day's work, the last thing I want to look at are more words. I try to keep up with my blog mates' books, and my CPs are pretty darn prolific. So when the opportunity to snag something off the shelf just for the heck of it arises, you'll usually catch me grabbing non-fiction, poetry, or YA/UF. I'm not sure the latter qualifies as "free reading" though, because I'm writing in the genre so I read with a clinical eye. Also, a lot of the non-fiction is research related; does that count?

So what am I taking on vacation?

1) Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. My 6-year-old loves the movies and is dying to hear the book. He's a great reader for his age, but that's still above his abilities. So the rest of us will be taking turns reading aloud.

2) The White Page: Twentieth Century Irish Women Poets (I love a little poetry with my morning coffee. It's kind of become a habit of mine.)

3) Voodoo and Hoodoo. (Okay it's research. Don't you know writers never really take vacation?)

4) The Bushido. (Also research. *rolls eyes at self*)

5) Yeah Dave's Guide For Livin' the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate and Your iPod Playlist. (So NOT research! *laughs* Unless researching a healthy life-work balance counts.)

6)My current WIP. (Remember that thing about writers not taking vacations? Um, yeah.)I'm at that sticky mid-point where fogwalkers start to get seriously lost. It always helps me to go back and read the whole thing through before I continue and besides, I'm hoping that will keep the Insidious Other Story from sneaking into my brain and latching on like a barnacle. Normally, I don't worry about stuff like this, but the IOS takes place in the exact part of the world I'll be visiting, so ideas are bound to come up. And up. And up...

For my eldest, I'm taking the final two books in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He's completely nutso about these books - just read and re-read the first three back-to-back. If you have a middle school aged boy in your life, I highly recommend them.

My youngest gets Mo Willems latest - Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed - and Lois Elhert's Feathers for Lunch. Both of these authors write terrific picture books. I've never met a kid who didn't love them. This rounds out our collection of both of their works. It's exciting that my little one can read books to me now instead of the other way around. Bedtime is always my turn, though. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Your turn! Tell us what you're reading this summer. I won't be here to respond today, but I'll definitely be eager to see what books all of you are digging these days.