I’m beginning to think that I failed Summer 101 as a kid. I didn’t go to the beach for longer than it took to achieve a single, scrunchie-faced, dubious toe-dip. I never went to that kind of sleep away-camp where you do crafts and play team-centric games and revel in a teeny-tiny modicum of parent-free independence. I had never been camping in the great out doors, at least, not before last year’s debacle (and believe me, the less said about that humid bug-fest, the better).

Big fat no on that other summer camp staple, horseback riding. To this day, I’ve never experienced the thrill and/or terror of galloping pell-mell across a paddock. Or, you know, sitting atop a semi-comatose horse as it plods along on a trail ride.

Did I do it all wrong?

I did summer-ish things, of course. My brother and I practically lived at the park, playing tennis and basketball, going for picnics, building epic sand bridges and so on. And there was always some friend or other who could be counted on to have a pool when the heat grew too unbearable to do anything but float lazily and soak up the inevitably freckle-inducing sun. Family vacations happened—a whirlwind of museums and theme parks and hokey attractions—but what I remember most about the summers of my youth was, somewhat embarrassingly, the uninterrupted reading time.

Don’t get me wrong—I was a voracious reader during the rest of the year, too. You could count on me to have a book on the go, whatever the season. But in the summer, I was that kind of book nerd who haunted the library and devoured six books a week. I’d read just about anywhere—inside, with a fan blasting; outside, in the shade, naturally; at the park; heck, in the car on the way home from the library. Sometimes I’d read a book in one day, then immediately start on the next.

While I haven’t lost the voracious appetite for reading, I have lost the leisure time to pursue it, as I did, with the tireless obsession of youth. Though I still find that my reading habits naturally pick up as soon as patio weather commences, I miss those summers of endless words. Occasionally I’ll go back and reread one of the slightly tattered childhood favourites that so captivated me. The feeling of nostalgia is strong and sweet.

What’s going on this month?

At PQL.

We’re getting pretty close to releasing our last two books of the Spring 2016 season. Typesetting is done for Wayne Clifford’s The Exile’s Papers Part Four and Michael Lista’s Strike Anywhere, so look for those in the coming weeks. In the mean time, if you haven’t already seen the gorgeous object d’art that is Leon Rooke and Tony Calzetta’s Fabulous Fictions & Peculiar Practices, what are you waiting for?!

In Cobourg.

Cobourg, Ontario’s outdoor music experience SONG (Sounds of the Next Generation) will perform The Spirit Garden, composed by PQL friend and My Life on Earth and Elsewhere author R. Murray Schafer. Tickets and information can be found here.

In Toronto.

Davy the Punk author Bob Bossin is taking Toronto by storm this month, with a number of readings, panel discussions and performances around the city. Visit our events page to get the skinny.

In Brampton.

And finally, if you haven’t yet made it to PAMA to check out Fabulous Fictions, do plan your trip. You’ll get to see the original artists’ book up close and personal, including the amazing and astounding paper sculpture that puts the ‘fabulous’ in Fabulous Fictions.

In the world.

June 4^th is Hug Your Cat Day. Ha! Yeah, go try that. I dare ya. And report back to me if you didn’t get your face shredded by an annoyed kitty.

“Meow. Come at me, bro.”

June 18 is National Splurge Day. Finally! A day when it is OK to spend way too much money on books! Be sure to participate. Your brain will thank you.

June 21^st is National Yoga Day. Go on. Get bendy.

From the porcupette’s corner.

This little porcupette was on the move again this May. This time, it was off to Chicago and BookExpo America—a daunting but worthwhile trip that was full of publishing folk and new books, so, basically the definition of Nirvana for a book nerd like me. (You can read all about what I learned on the blog here.)

I’ve also been getting a crash-course in typesetting, which is actually quite fun in a nitpicky way. (More on that here.) Nothing like a job that indulges two of your passions—books and computer coding—in one task!

What’s next? Well, The American Library Association’s Annual General Meeting is going to be in Orlando, and I’m going to be there. Hoping to get some good, productive face-time with business-y contacts and acquaintances. And you never know who else I’ll stumble into.

If you’re headed to ALA, let me know. I’d love you meet you! And it’s always nice to see a friendly face in a new city.

Happy summer, everyone!