Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you all had a great week and are gearing up for some weekend fun, especially here in the U.S., where today kicks off the Memorial Day weekend and marks the unofficial start of summer.

Now, summer’s arrival with all of its various entertainments and distractions is no excuse for slacking. Rather, take advantage of those longer days and clear summer nights to find a quiet corner to plot you next book or work on your current project. Writing is a year-round endeavor, so while it’s great to take a bit of time for a BBQ or pool party or family vacation, make sure to schedule in your writing time around those new diversions.

Of course, summer is prime reading time as well, so along with quality writing efforts, I wish you some wonderful literary finds that inspire and entertain. There might just be a few to check out in this week’s links. But whatever your plans for this weekend, I wish you good reading and writing. Enjoy!

17 of the Best Books of Summer – The first of what I’m sure will be many lists of recommended summer reads.

Diversity in YA: You’ve Got Mail, Young Writer – On the importance of inspiring the future generation of writers and giving them a reason to believe they can be writers, too.

The Big Idea: Naomi Novik – The author talks about the role of memories, faulty and otherwise, in writing her latest book.

Diary of a First-Time Book Tour – Entertaining anecdotes and lessons from the road.

A New Series from The Paris Review