Summer Reading

In between little getaways here and there this summer I’ve been hard at work on a couple of different projects. I've also been reading and tending to my inner self.

If you're a busy woman like me, the more laid-back days of summer may seem like our only excuse to take time for ourselves and nurture our minds, bodies and spirits (though we need to do this every day, all year round).

I love to sit at the beach and just watch and listen to the waves roll--in and out, in and out--like the rhythm of the breath. It not only soothes me, but also takes me to a place deep within. I'll sit there and meditate for awhile. I'll sketch. I'll also read, usually something with a spiritual focus that I can thumb through quickly like 100 Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive, The Celestine Prophecy: A Pocket Guide to the Nine Insights, or a recent issue of Sage Woman. (By the way, if you'd like to see my articles that have appeared in Sage Woman--"Discovering Our Inner Treasure," Issue 67, pp. 29-31; "In the Arms of Mother Earth," Issue 61, p. 65; and "How a Tree Grew Out of a Burning Bush," Issue 60, p. 96--visit http://www.sagewoman.com/ and click on "Back Issues." A shameless plug, I know!)

I really do believe that reading is a powerful action. It takes us up and out of ourselves, brings us to new places, helps us see and understand things in a way we might not have before, or may also affirm an idea or an experience we may have had. Reading nurtures us in a holistic way.

The novels below may not exactly be light reading for the beach, but I thought I'd share them with you because I love them (and each one has influenced me in some way):

• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (anything by Vonnegut rocks!)
• Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
• Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

I'm currently reading Piece by Piece, Tori Amos' autobiography (penned with Ann Powers). The way she engages the creative process is amazing! I'm also reading Ragweed by Avi.

No matter what anyone says, even in our digital age, reading is still fundamental and still fun! And it nurtures our minds, hearts and bodies as much as that brilliant summer sun out there does!