Ah, summer. It's one of my favorite times of year. I'm convinced I'm secretly a sun witch because the moment the days get longer, I find myself getting happier and busier and perkier. Nothing brings me more joy that spending my days outdoors in a tank top and shorts, my hair piled into a bun on the top of my head.

Are you, like me, distracted by the endless, boundless summer days filled with lazy heat and warm, honeyed sunshine that seeps into your skin? I've found a few surefire ways to get me to refocus on my reading goals. Here they are, in no particular order:

- Give up on the books that aren't keeping your interest. It might seem paradoxical that the first tip to encourage you to keep reading is actually one on giving up, but the truth is life's too short to spend it doing things that don't bring you joy. If that book just isn't connecting with you right now, set it aside. Maybe it's not meant for you at this moment. Pick up something else you're brimming with curiosity about.

- Don't shame yourself for reading "light" books. The term "beach read" gets a bad rap sometimes, but there's a reason people take fluffy page-turners to the beach! Summer is a time of year when many of us just want to reset, whether we're at the ocean or at home in our backyard gardens. If what you're gravitating toward right now are easy, breezy and/or fast, page-turning reads, give into the urge. You'll go so much faster that way. (Some of my favorite "easy reading" authors: Sophie Kinsella, Ruth Ware, Jasmine Guillory, Helen Hoang, and Christina Lauren!)

- Go to bed just a bit earlier. Now, if you're like me and want to stay up as late as you can enjoying those balmy summer nights, hear me out: You can go to bed as late as you like, but just budget in about thirty minutes for reading time. Often times, I'm so active in the summer (hiking, camping, swimming, taking my dog places, family game nights, etc.) that I collapse in a heap in my bed at the end of the day. However, I've found that even forcing myself to get into jammies thirty minutes before I usually would just so I can have some quiet, unwinding time to read does wonders for my mental health--and my reading goals!

I hope you've found my tips to keep reading helpful! Above all, reading is such a joyous, soul-refreshing activity that I hope you make time to connect with the book of your heart. Enjoy!

‍

Don't forget to check out Sandhya's new book, 10 Things I Hate About Pinky, on sale tomorrow, July 21! You can find Sandhya online here.