Blogoversary Day One: Joanne Rock's Top Summer Reading Spots + Giveaway

Hello everyone! I have decided to do something a little different this year for the blog's second blogoversary! This year, each day I will have a post or two from authors and bloggers that I ADORE! Many of them will have giveaways specific to the post, as well as the overall giveaway! The big giveaway has tons of prizes, from swag to signed copies of books!

And now, please welcome, Joanne Rock, author of Camp Boyfriend!

So, as a celebration of summer and reading, I thought I’d look for fun and inspiring places to curl up with a good book. Maybe you’ll get an idea to turn an ordinary corner of your room into a great reading space. Or maybe you’ll want to pack you beach bag full of good paperbacks and hit the road to find the ideal spot. Either way, I think you’re favorite pastime will be even more fun when you take the time to really get comfy.

Favorite Summer Reading Spots
By Joanne Rock

I have always found it interesting how reading is such a mental activity that completely transports us to a different place and time, yet the experience is improved when we are doing the reading in a place that is appealing. For example, while it’s nice to have a book to read in a bus station as a distraction from your actual physical space, it’s even more fun to have a book to read in a beautiful reading nook where you can dig in and get comfortable. In the first case, you need to read to forget where you are. In the second, you want to read for a long time because you’re in a place that’s comfortable and inviting.

So, as a celebration of summer and reading, I thought I’d look for fun and inspiring places to curl up with a good book. Maybe you’ll get an idea to turn an ordinary corner of your room into a great reading space. Or maybe you’ll want to pack you beach bag full of good paperbacks and hit the road to find the ideal spot. Either way, I think you’re favorite pastime will be even more fun when you take the time to really get comfy.

Poolside

I love reading by the pool. I don’t even need to swim as long as I have a good book and a little patch of shade. I’ve got an umbrella working here and a copy of I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson. How perfect is that?

Beach

Beach reading is even better than the pool for me because the sound of wind and waves is so relaxing. The laughter and conversations at the shore are even more soothing than the quiet hum of coffee shop chatter, it just fades into a pleasing, happy backdrop for me. And if a cute boy disrupts your reading when his Frisbee lands on your beach blanket… that’s a completely acceptable distraction.

Backyard

You’ll notice all my spots are outdoors so far. But it’s summer! If you spend half the year in cold weather, you’ll want to get outside as much as you can once the temperature stars climbing. My backyard is a great place to read, assuming there are no massive football games or neighborhood-wide basketball tournaments taking place in the driveway. With three active teenage sons, this is always a risk. But on a quiet day, I take my cup of tea outside and pick a shady spot. Sometimes my cat Duchess hangs out with me, which is fun until she steals my seat. 

Couch:

Of course, I don’t have it as bad as my writing partner, Karen. Her favorite reading nook is the couch, but it can be tricky turning pages in a book with a dog cuddled on your arm. Or head! Then again, sometimes a furry friend makes reading all the more fun if they park themselves in a good spot. If there’s a draft nearby or the air conditioning is cranked a little too high, it’s extra nice to have a warm pet covering your toes.

Window Seat:

I don’t have a window seat in my house, but I think they look like awesome places to read. I like going to the Houzz website and searching for window seats. Or Pinterest. How fun is this window seat that’s made up like a full-on bed, complete with teddy bear? You get the fun of the pet with the benefit of it not falling asleep on your pages.



Your Own Fort

Last but not least, I love the idea of building a special fort or tent for reading. I like blanket tents on the living room floor, a real tent outside with lots of pillows, or a special seat inside a treehouse. All of these have that “other world” feel that make it seem like you’re hidden away from everyone while you read. And above all, isn’t that what we want most as readers? We want a way to enter the special world of the story, and the assurance that no one is going to bother us for a long time!


I hope you find a fun spot to read a good book this summer, and if you’re looking for a summery read, I hope you’ll check out our “summer camp” books—CAMP BOYFRIEND, CAMP PAYBACK or—in October—CAMP FORGET ME NOT.

Synopsis:

They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school half-way across the country. Amazing what losing your braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren’s nerves and she can’t wait to return to summer camp where she’s valued for her brain instead of handsprings. She misses her old friends and her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she’s broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn’t begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn’t giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn’t really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she’s more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren’s friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she’s changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

You Can Find it At:

Goodreads
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Website

Author Bio:

J.K. Rock is the partnership of Joanne Rock and Karen Rock, sisters-in-law who decided it would be fun to write YA books as a team. Their first book, Camp Boyfriend, is a Booksellers Best Finalist for Best YA novel. They love hearing from readers and encourage you to download the free prequel to their camp series- Camp Kiss—at the Spencer Hill Contemporary website. Learn more of about their books at the Camp Boyfriend website and follow 

You Can Find Them At:

Joanne-Twitter

Karen-Twitter

Facebook

Website

Tumblr

Pinterest

YouTube

Giveaway:

Print copy of Camp Boyfriend (US)
eCopy of Camp Boyfriend (INT)

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