What does summer mean to you?
For me it brings back memories of playing boardwalk arcade games, barefoot and sand-covered. Of digging through buckets of french fries prepared in peanut oil. Of languid days that never seemed to end, until they did and it was always too soon. And of gaming.
Whether it was in a boardwalk arcade, on a worn GameBoy or sitting in the frigid air of my upstairs bedroom playing NES games with a friend, summer, more than anything, was about gaming.
Which is why we're returning this week to Kotaku's Summer of Gaming, a week-long celebration of fun, sun and video games here on Kotaku. Whether you're preparing for a long trip, heading to the beach, or looking for some great gaming reads, we've got you covered.
We're kicking off Kotaku's Summer of Gaming a bit later today with a great summer reading list of video game books meant to be a handy guide to the novels you should take along while traveling, sunning and kicking back.
Stay tuned throughout the rest of the week for plenty more fun features that tackle everything from game design and summer blockbusters to beach arcade and surfing. And don't forget to check out the stories from last year's look at the summer of gaming.
Who says you can't get a tan while playing video games?
[Art by Luke]