Best summer reads 2015 - win £500 of books!

What a great collection, will keep me going for a long time.

My favourite thing about summer is the long evenings, sitting outside after work with a good book and long drink!

Comfortable clothes! Shorts & sandals & a tshirt or simple cotton top will do for everything but smart events like posh parties or weddings.

when I was growing up outside fort william we had a hill behind house and beach opposite (no sand though) and played outside a lot. We used to go for picnics when we swam in the river, and played among the haystacks. Sometimes went on the steam boat to oban for the day. My granny used to go outside her house and wave a tablecloth so we could see her from the boat. She also used to take us to Portobello sometimes for a few days.
We also went to Bournemouth a few times. the 1st year the 5 of us plus mum and granny went all the way by train!! mum always had to persuade conductor to accept scottish bank notes as soon as crossed to england.
I have not been abroad recently but in the summer I like to meet up with family and friends, go on day trips and try and see some Edinburgh Fringe shows. I was involved in a production which took place on Portobello beach last year and we are planning a reunion. I am looking forward to seeing them all again
Oh and I hope we have nice weather sunshine

I just love everything about summer, I think the lighter and brighter days and evenings lift my spirits. I can be outdoors a lot of the time enjoying the company of friends and family, taking part as a member of a team of bowlers and having lots of social interaction in a very relaxed way. And being lucky enough to live on the cliff top in Bournemouth, walking along the promenade seeing the sea breathing in the sea air.

What do I like about summer? Just about everything (assuming it's a warm one). I love the heat, the light, the sounds of the birds, the butterflies flying round the garden drinking the nectar, the flowers growing in the garden and reading a new book, with a drink on the side, on the patio. Everything is better when the sun shines.

I love to sit under a parasol in the garden with a good book, listening to the birds and occasionally sip a nice glass of wine (not necessarily in that order!)

The lighter evenings and being able to go camping!

Picking strawberries then raspberries and making jam, so that every jar tastes and smells of summer.

The lighter,warmer evenings when I can sit in my garden reading, with the chirping of birds, and scents of glorious flowers around me.

I love sitting in my "sitooterie" with a good book or playing with my granddaughter and her teaset. The view over the Firth of Clyde to Arran helps too !

For me it is a toss up between not having to don wellies, gloves, hat and coatjust to go outside to put my goose to bed and the longer days when I feel I can achieve so much more.

I love when the sun is touching my skin. You breath positivity and happines in. Reading in the garden, cycling on the seaside, walking in a forest, bbq, everything outside.

Love been able to wear my flip-flops, Pimms, Wimbledon :-)

My favourite thing about summer is sitting in the sun on the beach wearing my sunhat, the warm sand around my feet, hearing children playing and watching the waves.

My favourite thing about summer is the quality of light: everything looks bright, clean, sharp & alive and that reflects on our faces & lifts our spirits!

Sunshine!

Long, warm summer days which enable me to sit outside with a glass of wine, listening to my bees pollinating the beans and the fledgling blue tits working the fat balls with assiduous help from their parents.

Sitting in a beautiful garden that you have planned and worked on.

The long nights sitting in my summerhouse, listening to the sound of the sea and watching the last light fade. It's beautiful even when it rains...but then, this is Cornwall, also known as paradise.

We lived for years in the almost perfect family house but it was on a hill and so the garden was down steps. When we downsized I was determined that I wanted to see the garden from the kitchen and therefore be able to step out with food, drink etc. So that's my idea of a perfect summer day - reading in the garden with a glass of chilled wine in hand if the time is right! Friends and family are welcome too!

Ooh so many things... what I really love is listening to a blackbird singing on a warm and balmy Summer's evening whilst lying in the hammock, sipping chilled champagne and eating strawberries and cream. Happy sigh.

The best part of summer is being able to walk out into my garden and pick fresh vegetables. Nothing tastes better than a just picked tomato that is still warm from the sun.

My favourite thing about summer is the way people seem much friendlier - a bit of sunshine brings the smiles out!

I love going to the seaside and feeling the sun on my face and smelling the fresh salty air. Walking hand in hand with my hubby along the beach, feeling as though I don't have a care in the world x

My favourite thing about summer is the conviviality it produces in people: passers-by greet each other and sometimes stop and chat; people sit outdoors and share their enjoyment of nature's abundance. Sunshine lifts the spirits and we are all the richer for it.