A Summer Full of Busyness

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A week ago, I was recovering from the four day affair that was my birthday, my daughter’s graduation, her graduation party, then Memorial Day. All week, my children have been home. The house has been loud. I’ve been trying to do “all the spring things” that I couldn’t do while I was preparing the house for my daughter’s graduation party. Oh well, we’ll be harvesting sweet corn in September. It probably won’t freeze…

At the last minute, one of our family members messaged me to let me know they couldn’t come. They had just gotten over being ill and weren’t feeling up to the drive. With that, we were looking at our respective calendars and trying to figure out when we are all free to get together. What we figured out is that summer is about 5 weeks too short.

Do you feel this way? Like every week and ever minute is planned? All of a sudden you look at things you wanted to do and realize the time is literally spoken for? Just about every weekend is taken from now until the weekend after I drop my daughter off at college and I even canceled a few things!

I know myself. If I don’t take some time to recharge, I’ll get sick. The older I get, the easier I hit burnout and I can’t go through that again. Burnout is a pit of despair coated with tar and deeper than the ocean.

One thing I’ve done this year is to give myself reading challenges. I read a book from my own library that I haven’t read yet (free entertainment when gas is so expensive). I already paid for it, I should enjoy it! Then, I read a book in Kindle Unlimited. I got a free 3 month subscription with the new Kindle I just got for Mother’s Day. I don’t normally splurge on KU, because I don’t have the time to enjoy it. I might decide to keep it this time. Then, I’ll read a book for endorsement or one that my friends have recommended. You can see my new TBR here.

Since I haven’t made enough time to read extensively in the past few years, this new “take time to read” plan is helping to keep me grounded. And, I can read in the car as we take my daughter off to college (and blame my tears on the book).

I’m currently writing the 4th book in the Belle Fourche Chronicles. Book 2 comes out this Friday. Grab your copy HERE.

For a chance to win an ebook copy of Valley of Promise, tell me about your reading plan for the summer. Happy reading!

43 thoughts on “A Summer Full of Busyness”

  1. I am an arc reader for several authors so that usually keeps me supplied in books but I also have a TBR list. Right now these books are the earlier books from my favorite authors that I haven’t read yet, I have at least three authors that I am determined to read everything they wrote and some have more than 50 books out there!

    • Rhonda, I LOVE my ARC readers (and when I was a new author, I did that a lot) but I had personally had to stop. I never had the chance to read books on my own shelves! The more I wrote, the less time I had. I’m ashamed to admit that I have over 2,000 books (I’ll never catch up) in my to be read pile between my print books and ebooks. I do still read endorsements or recommendations, but I can’t read only to review these days (which is why people who can are so precious).

      • @kari Great blog from you this morning… As far as reading, when my dad passed away he had about 10,000 books in his library, 99.9% were hardback and he had so many that he wrote the Dewey Decimal number on the spines. Anyway, he taught us to speed read and to this day I hear him saying ‘Only read the first and last sentence in each chapter and for the rest of it…look down the center of the page! Don’t read! Just look at it!’ hahaha…

        But I like to read every word and if an audiobook is available, I’ve gotten to where I prefer those. And no Dad….I don’t speed up the audio either. I’m not sure if he actually used his system because he had handwritten notes in pencil all through his books.

      • @Rachel Thank you! Your dad certainly had an interesting method. I don’t think I could do that. I’d be too certain that I was missing something! What a great library though!

  2. I intend to read daily, usually at night.

    Happy Birthday! Congratulations on the graduation!

    My summer is pretty spoken for, too.

    • Summer is just crazy! I didn’t even “try” to make it that full. I turned around and BOOM, full. LOL. Thank you on both counts. My daughter is very happily making her list for college as we speak.

  4. I always have 3 books going – a clean or inspirational fiction, an Audible, and a Christian nonfiction. So far this year, I have posted a new review on Amazon each day. My reading doesn’t really change over the seasons, because I read regardless.

    • That’s excellent! Since starting this, I have three going at all times (four if you count the one I’m writing, LOL). I have my fiction for enjoyment, my non-fiction for writing craft, and my Bible. I also have a few Audible books that I need to listen to. Perhaps now that I have Alexa, I can listen to those while I cook supper or fold laundry!

  5. Kari, I can relate. I have two books releasing within two weeks — a novel July 22 and a nonfiction local history book Aug. 8. Two completely different PR campaigns, two completely different audiences. and then there’s summer itself…For me it’s trying to catch up on all the things I DIDN’T do during the pandemic because everything is closed. I live in New Hampshire and we have ocean, lakes and mountains. I want me a SUMMER! But I’m like Janice, I read year-round, so that’s not gonna change.

    • Congratulations, Kathy!! I hope your releases are blessed! I know what you mean about the summer. This will be the first summer I won’t go to the Black Hills since 2018 (minus 2020, we won’t talk about 2020). I’m so bummed to be missing my Black Hills, but with gas so expensive, I simply can’t justify the trip. Next summer, I’ll make it doubly great.

  6. I’ll mostly be listening to books this summer (2-hour daily commute), but I do have two weeks of PTO where I might pack some good, old fashioned paperbacks. On the other hand I might just download some Kindle and audio books. I’ve been reading, or listening to, a lot of history of the places I’ll be visiting this summer. I love the Great Courses for that. Then I read/listen to my sweet romance, old west, and fantasy books inbetween. I look forward to a lot of book time this summer. 🙂

    • Kristen, I both love that you have so much time to listen and cringe, because of the cost of gas right now. Good for you for reclaiming that time! I hope you enjoy your PTO no matter which type of book you choose.

    • That is exactly what I have done in the past. I have to “feel” like reading a book to enjoy it fully. But with writing right up until it’s time to wind down for the night, I had to have books chosen in advance or just choosing felt like more work. That’s why I had to make guidance for myself. It’s like when your house is a mess after something big, there’s just too many places to start the cleanup and you feel overwhelmed. That was my TBR stack. Now, I have smaller lists to choose from and it’s more manageable for me.

  8. I read some everyday most of the time. I enjoy it whenever I get the time, mostly after 7:00 in the evening.

    • I’m an evening reader too. After the day is done and I’ve accomplished so much, I’ve earned a few minutes to myself. I don’t always get it (I wish I did) but sometimes I’ve just given too much and I shut off my brain with a few of my favorite bookstagrammers.

  9. Hi Kari … when the mosquitos make it unbearable to be outside, I generally come in and embrace a book. It is my quiet time. I especially love to read in the evenings. I appreciate your next to read book pile too.

    • Aren’t they just Awful this year?!!? Good gravy. I’m out there trying to plant a garden covered in chemical warfare. Makes me want to cringe. But I also don’t want to be covered in welts for the next four months. I think we both need screened-in patios, so we can enjoy reading outside in the evening.

  10. I don’t have a reading plan. Right now, I’m reading a paperback and doing two proofreading jobs, with a third waiting in the wings and more coming! I’m also reading a nonfiction book, which is slow going because of the content. I have to take a bit to digest it. I’m already on my 96th book for the year, which is a bit off, since some of the books I proofread I read twice.

  11. I read everyday.

    Just a tip to save on Kindle Unlimited buy yourself a gift subscription to Kindle Unlimited. You will have to call or chat with Amazon on the day you have scheduled it to start so payment is taken off your payment method immediately. You have to contact Amazon because their system does not recognize that humans buy themselves gifts. For example, a 24 month subscription costs $151.71 which works out to $6.32 a month in the US versus the regular price of $9.99 + tax/month.

    Also, you can track kindle ebooks or authors by using the Ereaderiq website. There is free kindle ebooks everyday. Cherished by the Rancher by Jen Peters is free today. There is a US and UK version. All genres including cookbooks.

    I hope that no one minds that I posted these tips for Kindle Users.

    • I’m not sure where Tattie over at ChristianBookFinds .com finds her books, but she lists free and on sale Christian books every day except Sunday.

      BookBub.com also send emails of free and on-sale books.

      I’ve been using them and eReaderIQ for years.

      Of course, signing up to the newsletters of the individual authors you like can also let you know when their books go on sale or are free, but you can sometimes get an opportunity to sign up to ARC read for them. (My favorite thing!)

  12. I have taken two off to college. It is a bittersweet time. Prayers for you and your heart. It is ok to let her know that you are crying. We are honest and open with our children. It is good that they see how we feel about things that happen in our lives. I know that my two were grateful that I cared so much for their next move in life. They also knew that I was crying happy tears as well as “Im going to miss you” tears. Best to you all

    • Lori, I completely understand. My girl is uncomfortable around people who are crying, so I generally play those off around her (because I cry at everything). My others are open about hurts and frustrations. I’m going to miss her tons but I do hope that her college experience is as good or better than mine.

  13. Hi Kari, no doubt every day is just keep going by way too fast!! I always read every night unless I’m visiting with a family member . Have a great week and stay safe. ( I am not entering this giveaway, I don’t read ebooks at all, I am not tech savvy at all, I Thank you though).

  14. My reading plan is to, hopefully, work my way through all my TBR books that I want to read but just haven’t gotten to yet.

    • That is a good plan. I think I probably need to weed through mine like an overgrown garden and admit that I will never read all of them. But there are some I just can’t put aside. Happy summer!

  15. I am trying to actually read all the books in several series from favorite authors. Rarely do I ever manage to do that!

  16. I keep my kindle with me at all times. When I am at appointments where they are running late, traveling and before I fall asleep. It is a great way to pass time.

    • It is! While it’s not optimal (I’m getting to the point where reading on my phone is difficult) I will often pull up my Kindle app on my phone. I love that all my Kindle devices sync.

  17. I have been having problems getting through my books seems like it is taking forever. I think I just having to much going on right now to spend a lot of time reading.

  19. No real reading plan, just grab the time when I can. Health issues and trips have taken up much of the time this Spring and Summer. Big appointment this week that could upend any plans for a long time. I got behind with things this Spring and am still playing catch-up. I am just now getting my flower beds weeded and plants in – 2 months late. We are getting too old to keep them all up. I did play hooky last two weeks and read 3 books. Now to find time to write the reviews. We are going to NYC for a week (a big splurge) to take our granddaughter to see The Cursed Child on her 11th birthday. (Harry Potter fans will understand). We are taking the train up and back from NC, keeping in the Harry Potter theme (and not having the expense of driving and parking). Will do some long anticipated site seeing with our daughter and granddaughter. I will be bringing my kindle just in case there is down time to read plus for all the time on the train. Might even bring a few books I have been trying to get to. I will read whenever and where ever I can.

  20. I love your cover for Valley of Promise. He reminds me of Owen Wilson!

    (I know the drawing’s already over; I just wanted to say great job on the cover!) XD

    I have so many books to read this summer–I just got a huge box from my library’s book sale, and then I always get an armload every time I go to Goodwill…it’s to the point where it’s kind of overwhelming. I don’t know where to start!

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