I’m going to start lying when people ask me what I’m doing for a holiday. If I answer honestly—that I’m going to sit on my patio, read a book, and enjoy the breeze, and when I’m done with that I’m going to sit on my couch and read a book, and then I’m going to go to bed and read a book—a lot of people seem to feel sorry for me.

“Oh,” someone sadly said to me this week, “that’s too bad you don’t have any fun plans for the Fourth of July.”

The truth is I would rather read than do just about anything else. I’m not sad at all that I’m taking a miss on parades, barbecues, concerts, and fireworks. I’m right where I want to be. I have two books on the docket:

The Queen and I by Sue Townsend
I loved Sue Townsend’s Adrian Mole series, so I grabbed this one at a library sale while on vacation. It’s a clever satire about the British Royal Family who have been forced out of the monarchy and into real life. Hilarity ensues.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
This one is a wicked suspense novel that feels like a Lifetime movie in all the best ways. It’s compelling, but it’s not brain-taxing in the slightest.

Happy Fourth of July. May your day be free of parades.