It's hard to believe now, but our house at the time didn't have central air-conditioning—just a small window unit in my parents' bedroom. I would park myself in a chair in that room (with Nancy, Ned, George, Bess, Hannah ...) and read all day long—or until my mom made me get up and go outside for some fresh air.

As a mom now, I realize she probably just wanted some of her own quiet time in that chair!

Knowing that I'll be traveling a lot (and vacationing a little) in the summer, I start building a reading pile in early spring, pulling together a mix of work, business, self-help, fiction—I like a variety of topics and authors! I anxiously await the moment I can give myself the treat of a good summer read!

Here are a few things I've been reading this summer:

Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence by Chalmers Brothers and Vinay Kumar. All tradespeople have tools. As leaders, our tools are our words. How can we use them most effectively?

Appreciative Leadership by Diana Whitney. I like to call it "positive youth development" for grownups. How can we apply the principals of positive psychology to our interactions with others to improve their performance—and our own?

What a Great Idea! by Chic Thompson. I love ideas—and Chic has a great formula for putting those ideas into action! (Spoiler alert: You're going to hear a lot more about Chic and his work as we start getting ready for NAA18 and our association's 30th anniversary!)

Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective and Inclusive Networking at Conferences by Robbie Samuels. Speaking on NAA18, some of you had a chance to listen to Robbie share these secrets as a lead-in to NAA17. He's sharing all of his great networking ideas in this new book—perfect for afterschool leaders who want to grow their community.

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. Because some days I just don't feel like I am.

Rad Women from A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History and Our Future and Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by Kate Schatz. These are the bedtime books my daughter and I are reading together. Talk about inspiring!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I started this series in anticipation of our 2017 NAA International Learning Exchange trip to Finland and Estonia, knowing I would be staying over in Sweden for a few days. Billed as an "atmospheric" novel that combined murder mystery, family saga, love story and financial intrigue, how could this Nancy Drew fan say "no"? It's dark ... but thrilling.

What are you reading this summer? I'd love to know so I can add it to my pile!

Written by Gina Warner, NAA President and CEO.