There's a Japanese word that's been making the rounds on social media: Tsundoku. It means the condition of buying too many new books to keep up with, resulting in huge piles of unread paperbacks and hardcovers. I'm sure this is a familiar word to many of us authors and bibliophiles. Here's a photo of my nightstand:

Guilty as charged.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we're planning a big move to Chicago this summer, so I have to pare down my book collection. Many of the books that, sadly, I know I will never get to will be headed for a donation pile or Little Free Library. It does my heart good to know they might actually be read by someone else instead of gathering dust with me. And I think clearing space on your shelves helps you prioritize what to read next, rather than viewing it all as an unconquerable mess.

And I have to get reading. I committed to twenty-five books via the 2017 Goodreads Challenge. Other than research for my next novel (which I don't count for the challenge), so far I've read only eight books for pleasure this year--one behind schedule! If I can get through seven by August 31, I'll be back on track. What do you plan to read this summer? Do you choose warm-weather, beachy books, or will you read about winter in the Alps while on vaca in Rehoboth?

Here are the seven I plan to read this summer. I like plot-driven, faster-paced books in the warmer months. I wouldn't say they're all summer-themed, but I did rule out chillier scenery for the most part (The Snow Child is high on my list, but it feels right to wait till fall.)