23 Comments
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Katherine May's avatar

Miiiiike! I can’t wait to chat tonight - and yes, I’m convinced we’re kindred sprits. I’ve stood down my team of lawyers, just this once.

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Mike Sowden's avatar

This is EXACTLY the kind of thing a team of lawyers would advise you to say, in order to lower my defences - but I'll trust you this time...

Thanks so much for the conversation, Katherine - it was such a joy. Also, I'm upgrading my Bookcase Life Goals, based on yours in the background.

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Anne Kadet's avatar

This summer reading thing is so weird. Reading on the beach is an absolute nightmare. It is the WORST place to read!

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Mike Sowden's avatar

The weirdest! Maybe a big part of it is the travel and the idle-time around those beach visits when on holiday?

What is it specifically about beach-reading that feels worse, to you?

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Anne Kadet's avatar

The GLARING SUN. The sand all over everything thing. The lack of proper end table for drinks and snacks and stack of books. The WIND. The friend who keeps pestering you to jump in the ocean because it's really "FUN."

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Michele Marshall's avatar

Ditto, plus too many distractions - noise, frisbees, people in general. I walk on the beach, then go back to the cool room with and iced drink, low light, and my book. It's like the book is the reward for walking on the beach!

Whoever thinks "idle time" is part of vacations hasn't travelled with my husband, either. *smirk* Definitely not happening. If we've stopped, and I could consider reading, I'm probably falling asleep instead.

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Heather Wall's avatar

I agree with you - I read much more during the winter for the same cozy reasons as you. Maybe what the research means is "people who otherwise don't read or can't find the time to tend to read more in the summer when they're on vacation."

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Mary Hutto Fruchter's avatar

The pages always get wet!

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Justin Difazzio's avatar

Bought Enchantment and Wintering today, as both caught my eye. Can't wait to dig into them after the nightmare-inducing post apocalyptic novel I'm reading is done. (Two books, The Ark and The Anvil by Christopher Coates—not well-written, but interesting)

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Wendy Padley's avatar

Well, I wrote a teensy bit about that last week! I call them book seasons. I hadn't realised that people read more in summer but I' going to tuck that piece of information away. For me it is more about winter. Nothing like a rainy afternoon and a book.

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Mike Sowden's avatar

This is such an interesting idea - not just reading less or more according to the time of year, but reading *differently*? I was chatting with Antonia Malchik about something similar recently - how to build creative rhythms that fit the natural ones happening all around us (which Katherine explores in her previous book, "Wintering": https://katherine-may.co.uk/wintering). So many fun experiments to potentially fool around with here, maybe?

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Wendy Padley's avatar

Yes definitely!

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Lohi Journal's avatar

Thanks for the tip, it sounds like a very interesting read!

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Michael Edward's avatar

I’m looking forward to checking out Katherine’s book, you sold it well - what with your good writing about stuff “she said”.

Thanks :)

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Freya Rohn's avatar

I adore both your and Katherine's writing--love that you were both in conversation, just marvellous. ✨

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prue batten's avatar

Enchantment is on my list for my local bookstore!

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

I wholly devoured all three of Katherine May's books and plan to re-read them again soon, starting with Wintering. I too identify with and connect to many of the same things Katherine does.

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Tad Thurston's avatar

I'll have to check that book out -- thanks for the rec. Looks like she's got my sub, anyway! :)

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Asha Sanaker's avatar

Hey, Mike. Will the hang out today be recorded so that those of us that register can watch it later? Am at work during that time and it would be better to watch this evening once I get home.

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Mike Sowden's avatar

Yes, there's a replay! Apparently it's up right now.

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Asha Sanaker's avatar

Fantastic. I caught a bit of it, but the phone kept ringing so I'd like to go back and watch uninterrupted.

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Susannah Fisher's avatar

Thank you for the book recommendation! It looks good. "See" you at the hang out - looking forward to the discussion, too.

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Jessica Maybury's avatar

Really looking forward to the chat! Hopefully my screaming offspring will be faaaaast asleep by then. Wintering was such a wonderful, wonderful book, wasn't it? Hope you hear you both soon!

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