Summer Reading List

Summer is practically here! One of my favorite things about this time of year is coming up with a list of books to read. I used to love my summer reading when I was in school. Now I get to pick the books. I may not get through all of them, but it is still fun to try. This year I have two reading buddies. My kids Ivy and Albert will be joining the challenge. They love going to the library and picking out new books. I have already started reading to them one of our summer picks, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. If we can finish that one together, then we will read Matilda by Roald Dahl. I’m excited for Ivy and Albert to hear these stories for the first time. I will also get to re-live them and enjoy them all over again.

My grown up reading list looks a little different. I would love to get lost in a good book as I sit out back in the sun. However, I will have the kids to entertain, all my chores, and writing projects to keep up. So many books, so little time! I have promised myself a good read as a reward for finishing the rough draft of my book. That title will be at the top of my list. Here goes:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Breathe Devotional by multiple authors

The Abbey Mystery by Julia Golding (Tween fiction research. By research I mean fun!)

Amazed by Jesus by Simon Ponsonby

Finding the Peacemakers by Dan Morrice

I still have a lot of work to do before I can begin. I can’t wait. My list is a nice mix of fiction, Bible study, and non-fiction. Do you make a summer reading list? What have you picked this year? I would love to swap titles. If you don’t have a list or have never made one up for yourself, I hope you feel inspired. My goal is to never stop learning. We learn so much from exploring a good story or studying someone else’s experiences. It’s how I like to beat the summer heat!

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  My reading buddies.

Some of my Favorites

The European Championship football tournament has begun. (That’s soccer to my Americano friends.) Needless to say I will have a lot of time to read on the couch while my husband watches the games. (In between tending to my little one of course.) Though I will miss my sweetheart, time to read is every bookworm’s dream.  It’s what every rainy day was made for. This circumstance prompted me to write an index of my favorite books. I’m sure I’ll leave something out in my sleep-deprived state, but here we go anyway…

For Adventure:

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

The Harry Potter series by J K Rowling

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Oliver by Charles Dickens

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

For Drama:

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Othello by William Shakespeare

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

For Family:

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

For Growth:

Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer (I am currently reading this one as a summer Bible study, but I can already tell that it is a good one!)

Believing God: Experiencing a Fresh Explosion of Faith by Beth Moore

Book of Esther

Book of Ruth

Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman by Beth Moore

God Is Not Mad at You by Joyce Meyer

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

For Laughter:

Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding

Emma by Jane Austen

Is it Just Me? by Miranda Hart

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

For Love:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

For Teen Angst:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

 

There are many more books that I have loved over the  years. This is just what comes to mind at the moment. So, if you are as tired of politics as I am or need a break from bad news headlines, grab one of the above books. You won’t be disappointed. Are you a reader? Please click on the comments above and name some good reads that I have missed!

Book Lover

Ivy Grace and Little Miss Giggles by Roger Hargreaves

You are never too young to start reading. (That’s my girl!) I love books. I can’t imagine my life without them. Can you? Even if you have gone to the dark side and purchased a Kindle, it isn’t really dark since you are experiencing an adventure of the mind. I love that you can have your own interpretation of an author’s world. The reader and writer are co-creators. It is one of humanity’s oldest collaborations: storyteller and audience. We have an inherent need to tell and take in stories from the mundane to the fantastic. It drives our souls to be heard and share experiences; to examine ourselves through the filter of a tale.

Books have shaped my life and view of the world. Reading expands the world around me introducing diverse ideas, new places, and unknown societies. If I really love a book, I will re-read it. You gain so much more on the second visit. It’s like meeting an old friend for coffee. I’ve read all of Jane Austen’s works more than once. And I’ve re-visited the Harry Potter books an embarrassing amount of times. I do love a Dickens. Who doesn’t? It is no wonder I wound up living in England. I admire so many authors that I would struggle to name just one favorite book. Perhaps my next post will be an index of great reads. One day I would like to add my own book to this list. I have no delusions that it will be great. I can only hope that I can write something readable.  As you already know “there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) I can only hope to add the filter of a unique perspective to the universal experience.

We readers are drawn to books because words are powerful. After all life on earth began when the Creator said, “…’Let there be light’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) The spoken word becomes even more powerful if written and rehearsed. We influence the very outcome of our own lives by how we think and speak about ourselves. It is part of our design. Communication with one another is equally as important. We have the power to build each other up or take each other down. ” The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” (Proverbs 18:21) Those consequences can be an encouraged friend, a happy spouse, or the courage to complete a task. On the flip side you can wreak havoc in your relationships or stop yourself from meeting a goal with one dismissive word. We have the power to choose. Likewise, the information we take in will influence our focus. Books, films, shows, websites, texts, articles consumed often direct our thoughts. As I get older (hoping to be a grown up any day now) I choose my reading material more carefully. This is due partially to limited precious time. (See photo above.) But also because I am more aware of where I want my mind to go. I want the worlds I visit while reading to be inspiring and uplifting.

In closing, I ask you, do you have a favorite book or many favorite books? Which books do you hope the children in your life will one day read? Please click on the comment button above and share your list with me, a fellow avid reader.