Remember Those Summer Reading Lists?

I was talking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago about the books we've been reading over the summer and I was telling him the titles of the three books I'm currently working my way through. He looked at me like I was looney.

"Three books? You're reading three books at the same time?"

"Yeah. I always have at least three books going during the summer."

"Three?"

"Yeah. You know. One. Two. Three."

After explaining the method to my madness, I think he finally understood and decided I hadn't gone off my rocker. Well, he's always thought I'm a little off my rocker, but he seemed reassured that I hadn't done any more damage than is already there! ;-)

For some reason summer has always been a time to bury my nose in two or three books at once. Maybe this goes back to those inevitable Summer Reading lists we had to get through for school.

When I was a little kid, we had to keep a list of all the books we read during the summer and would turn it in when school began the next term. I remember my mom explaining it wasn't a contest and I had to slow down so I could take in the story being told.

Plus she explained something I've never forgotten. She said something like, "Books are like special friends. You can't show disrespect to them by rushing through the story. When a friend is trying to talk to you, you should always pay attention to what they're saying."

Well. The part of my brain that controls attention and concentration is not made like that. I tried to slow down. Couldn't do it. Didn't work. Plus I already had three or four really good friends and I could pay attention to all of them at once. I didn't see why I had to just concentrate on one friend at a time, whether they were friends of the human kind or friends of the book kind.

So when I was little and people asked me what I was reading, I would only name one book. Everybody seemed pleased with that answer but inside I secretly worried that the other books I was also reading would have hurt feelings because I didn't name them. Silly, I know. But that's how my brain worked.

Now that I'm an adult I still hesitate to tell others that I usually have two or three books going at the same time. The reason now is that I usually have to go into this explanation about yes, I can keep all the characters straight. And, yes, all the right characters stay in their own book and don't cross over into another story.

And, yes, somehow I seem to keep everybody straight, like in one book "Eric" is vacationing with "Marc" in Italy while "Eric" is still daydreaming about "Tom" back in New York while "Tom" is thinking about that time he dated "Marc" when they were in Hawaii and had that big flare-up over "Jon" when they went drinking and dancing.

Meanwhile, in another book, "Josh" is hoping "Greg" will finally realize he's really gay so "Greg" can stop pretending he has the hots for "Cindy" which will allow "Cindy" to be free to return to "Jeff" who is actually the love of her life. Then "Josh" and "Greg" can go visit "Greg's" mom "Lucille" in Wyoming who just dumped "Roger"... etc., etc., etc.

Anyway, I thought I'd share the three books I have going right now. These are not reviews since I haven't finished them. Well, the third book is one I'm rereading and I've already discussed it in the past.

Book #1: Show Me Yours, by Kaje Harper

Here's the blurb:

Josh and Trey have been friends since they were kids, but Josh moved away when they were both seventeen. Their bond has been thinned by distance, by the weight of secrets withheld and a trust betrayed. For years now they've only exchanged short emails and occasional calls, over too many miles to cross. Trey's been willing to live with that, even encouraged it. Because letting Josh get close again might make keeping Trey's secrets impossible.

When Josh shows up on Trey's doorstep with a request for help, it could well be an unmitigated disaster. But Trey finds he can't say no. This is Josh asking Trey to lend a hand. Josh, the guy who still pushes every other man Trey ever looked at to second place. So Trey's going to take the chance and say yes. He's going to grab a few days with the straight guy he never stopped loving, take what crumbs he can get, and damn the consequences. Although those consequences may not turn out to be the ones Trey's expecting.

Book #2: Zombielicious, by Timothy McGivney

Here's the blurb:

Amidst a zombie outbreak, Walt, athletic and confident, meets shy and quiet Joey, the attraction between them both instant and electric. With strength in numbers, they band together alongside fellow survivors; Jill, an ex-porn star turned nurse who's made a startling discovery about her past; Ace, a disgruntled security guard who just can't live up to certain short comings; and Molly, the fiery redhead unwilling to give up on her dreams of stardom. In this apocalyptic new world of the dead, an anything-goes attitude has become the law of the land and lust, betrayal, true love and redemption are all just a gunshot away.

Rainbow Award Winner 2011--Best Gay Debut Novel/Book
Rainbow Award Winner 2011--Best Gay Paranormal/Horror

Book #3: Clear Water, by Amy Lane
(This is my third reread and one of my all-time favorites)

Here's the blurb:

Meet Patrick Cleary party boy, loser, and spaz. Patrick's been trying desperately to transform himself, and the results have been so spectacular, they've almost killed him. Meet Wes "Whiskey" Keenan he's a field biologist wondering if it's time to settle down. When the worst day of Patrick's life ends with Whiskey saving it, Patrick and Whiskey find themselves sharing company and an impossibly small berth on the world's tackiest houseboat.
Patrick needs to get his life together-and Whiskey wants to help-but Patrick is not entirely convinced it's doable. He's pretty sure he's a freak of nature. But Whiskey, who works with real freaks of nature, thinks all Patrick needs is a little help to see the absolute beauty inside his spastic self, and Whiskey is all about volunteering. Between anomalous frogs, a homicidal ex-boyfriend, and Patrick's own hangups, Whiskey's going to need all of his patience and Patrick's going to need to find the best of himself before these two men ever see clear water.

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So, what about you? Are you reading three books at the same time?!

Or, what three books have you read so far this summer?

Or, what are you reading now? Share away!