One of my very favorite things about summertime is summer reading. I was always one of those nerds that loved 
to devour the list of summer reading books, was a member of the library summer reading club and read as much as I could during those long, quiet days. I would get up early and read in my bed, read lying in the grass, on the beach and stay up late reading by flashlight under my covers. I still do some of those things and I also love going over my boys’ summer reading books and choosing books to read along with them.
I also have some books that are mandatory Brooks’ summer reading. Sometimes I am appalled at the lack of great classics on the reading lists of these students now. There are sooooo many books that I consider “must reads”, so I have to force them on my boys so I know they can have them under their belt.
When the boys were younger, one thing we had every single day was “reading time”. It was that time after lunch, when it was blazing hot outside, and everyone relinquished electronics, computer and TV time to reading. Each boy, and I, would find a quiet corner in the house or in a bedroom to read from a book. I loved it when they were all actually old enough to enjoy books themselves so that I could also sneak off to read. Sometimes when it was a particularly long day, when tempers were a little on edge and folks a little edgy (you all with younger children know those days I’m sure!) I would decide to get us out of the house. I’d would load everyone up and haul them off to the public library. There, I knew, there could not shout at each other, call each other names, or touch each other. It was a nice, cool, place to go for a little peaceful reading.
This was such a summertime routine for us that I even instilled it as recent as last summer. Now, last summer, mind you, the First Son was driving and getting ready to begin college. This particular afternoon I imagine I thought he was with friends, so the Second and Third Son accompanied me to our public library. We each carried in our own books and sought our own spots for the next hour. As I walked through the library, over to a corner o the far side, I rounded a bookshelf, and was blown away to see someone I knew sprawled out in a chair, nose deep in a book . . . lo and behold it was the First Son. It made my afternoon!
In light of all of this book talk, and because I am always interested in another book to read and what other folks are reading, here are some of my most recents:
If you like history and historical fiction these are my latest:
Then comes more modern day fiction such as:
I also got totally HOOKED on the SERIEL Podcast and could not stop listening until I had completed all 12 episodes. If you haven’t gotten hooked yet, I suggest you get right on it!
Recently I began a new novel I am having a hard time putting down:
And I am listening to The Nightengale which is also beginning to really such me in!
Whew! I think I have covered most of my most recent finds – that are worth sharing! If I didn’t like it I don’t share it!
What do you think about Summer Reading? Are you a fan? Do you read your children’s summer books? What are your favorite books to share? What are you reading now? Suggestions for me?
Enjoy Your Day!
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