It always starts with a whisper, an overheard sentence at a coffee shop, a picture that won’t leave my mind, or a conversation that lingers like the aftertaste of an embarrassing moment. Suddenly, my notebook is open, and I’m scribbling like a literary first responder. Mornings are fueled by Gatsby-level ambition, afternoons by too much tea and self-doubt, and nights by a burst of magic. Writing, for me, isn’t just a routine but an old Hollywood love affair.

Bored? Read all of your favourite books? Can’t move on to another book? Sounds like a reading slump. We have all been here—the awkward in-between stage after reading a mind-blowing book or an exhaustingly mediocre book. Don’t worry! There is nothing permanent about this, and it can easily be treated. It’s a great opportunity to switch up your reading habits, try something new, and perhaps fall in love with reading even more.

Sun’s out, books out. While some of us are busy choosing between a beach day or a boardwalk adventure, the Youth Ambassadors of Digitally Lit Our Stories Matter have already delved into this summer's most captivating Nova Scotia reads. With fantasy worlds that beat the July heat to detective stories, they have their bookmarks in the right places. 

There’s a certain essence about summer that invites readers to vanish—not as a whole, just enough to let five books slip into your suitcase alongside a bottle of sunscreen. Enough to make your current read a travel companion for adventures and unexpected airport delays. 

Let’s be honest. Summer is for three things: reading, reading, and—oh wait—there’s just more reading. But when the sun’s out and your to-be-read pile looks like a delicious buffet, there’s only one thing on your to-do list. Whether you're under a tree annotating a book or protecting your paperback from the poolside sprinkles, summer reading is a lifestyle, and this is how you do it right.