The start of June has always been the identifier of summer for me, even though the season doesn’t technically start until June 21. But Memorial Day feels like the end of spring for me, and—after recently returning from a trip to Myrtle Beach (see the picture on the right)—it feels like summer.

So now that summer is here, I’ve made some decisions about things I want to do over the summer months. Some of those things involve reading, some involve writing, and some involve enjoying life as much as I can.

Reading

I’ve been chipping away at my 2013 reading list, and I’m satisfied with the progress I’ve made so far. In addition to those books, I’m adding:

• The Ender Quintet — I read Ender’s Game and part of Speaker for the Dead in Myrtle Beach and I’m hooked.
• The Icarus Deception — Because Seth Godin.
• Batman R.I.P., Batman: Battle for the Cowl, and more — I asked for Batman graphic novels for my birthday, and I got plenty! I’d like to read them all before asking for more this Christmas. (I’m also considering a summer project of finding a special bookcase just for graphic novels.)

Writing

I’ve hit a good amount of my writing goals so far this year, but I’ve had two new ideas.

The first idea is for a web series. I’m still figuring out a lot about what that entails, but I’m currently working on a script and I plan on getting help from some good friends. (Sorry I’m not including details. It’s super secret.)

The second idea is for a book. The idea hit me while on vacation last week, and I wrote down three pages that are the general plot points. I’m not sure if I’ll save the idea for NaNoWriMo in November or not. We’ll see. (Again, no details. Super secret.)

Enjoying Life

If I get reading and writing in this summer, then you can bet I’ll be full of joy. But that’s not all I plan on doing this summer. I also plan walking all over downtown Chicago with Erin, cooking out with friends, watching fireworks, etc. This summer is going to fun, and I’m so glad it’s here!