There’s something about summertime that makes me feel a little extreme. Think about it. The sweltering heat and humidity of a Southwestern Ontario summer juxtaposed with the simple pleasure of a frosty iced coffee. The long, sunny days practically beg you to keep busy and fill your day with activities, whether they be out in nature, or inside, in air-conditioned comfort. But then again, the short, quiet nights are a perfect chance for calm recuperation.

If this isn’t a graphic representation of the kind of extreme reading mood swings I’m talking about, I don’t know what is.

Is it any wonder that my reading finds itself going to extremes also? I find myself yearning to delve into a long, juicy read—a doorstop of a book full of complex characters and rich descriptions. Maybe it’s a remnant of those school-free summers of childhood, where I devoured library books at a rate that I’m sure alarmed my parents. But with all that time on my hands, what could be better than immersing myself in a time-consuming read that might otherwise feel rushed or unappreciated? Tackling a weighty tome from the to-read list is definitely a necessary summer pastime.

On the other hand, I’ve also been craving the quick thrill of a short read. Something that I could consume in small sips should I choose, but equally something I could down in a gulp if the mood strikes. A novella perhaps, or a collection of short stories would fit the bill. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of turning the last page of a book and indulging in that moment of quiet reflection. With the often hectic pace of summer, sometimes crossing an item off your to-read list is exactly the form of productive satisfaction needed to keep summer lassitude from setting in.

Perhaps going to bookish extremes isn’t a bad thing. Perhaps I’ll take a page out of Mother Nature’s book and enjoy in my reading life some of those wildly divergent juxtapositions so evident during the summer months.

What’s happening this month?

At PQL…

Summertime is catch up time. After a month of administrative drudgery (thankfully not so much on my part!) a lot of the paperwork is out of the way for the next while, which means we’re back to doing the fun stuff of building lists and printing books. Rerouted is still on the docket, and we might even make it to Margin of Interest in the coming weeks.

In Toronto.

Don’t miss an exhibition of the art of the late poet and visual artist Joe Rosenblatt (whose book Bite Me! we recently published), on display at yumart July 6-27.

In Detroit.

If you’re down in my neck of the woods and are looking for something bookish to do on a Sunday in July, stop on by Detroit’s famed Eastern Market for the 3rd Annual Detroit Bookfest. Stop by Shed 3 and visit the PQL table for some new releases and a few old favourites.

In the world.

Don’t forget to pick up a few extra hours on July 5th. How else would you celebrate Work-a-holics Day?

😮 Did you know that July 17 is World Emoji Day? The 🌎 world is full of people who ❤️ emoji, so of course they’ll 🎉🎊🎈 all day long.

And June 26 is System Administrator Appreciation Day. Given the way everything seems to just grind to a halt when technology stops doing our bidding, this holiday needs more recognition!

From the porcupette’s corner.

Quill fans, I feel like I’ve caught a peek into the future. In a way I have. Last week, I devoted almost all my time to reading submissions and beginning to sketch out what the next few seasons will look like. There are still a few question marks here and there, but honestly, there’s so much to be excited about! Can’t wait to share them with you in the coming weeks and months.

Me, peeking into my magical telescope (my email inbox) and seeing the future (in terms of books to be published by PQL in the next short while). It’s a very narrow range, so please don’t ask me for lotto tips.

This week, it’s back to my regularly scheduled programming—which is to say I’m once again attending to all the editing tasks that seem to pile up on my desk this time of year. Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by to see what’s in store for the coming month. We hope you’re enjoying your summer so far, and that you’re finding lots of time to tackle your summer reads—be they long short and steamy or long and literary!

Cheers,