Summer Reading

It's my favorite time of year. Sure, the weather, the pool, the freedom and laid back feeling of summer are all great. But those aren't the primary reasons I love summer.

Summer is the perfect time for reading!

Here's what we're working on right now and in the months to come:

For the Kids:

1. The Fly Guy Series - These are books Jack is reading aloud. We had a friend lend them to us, and at first I was unsure because I was afraid they would be twaddle, but they are perfect chapter books for a budding, and sometimes reluctant, reader. He reads 1-3 pages a day, so it feels like slow going to me to make it through each one.

2. Roald Dahl Books - I read through most of our local library's collection of Roald Dahl books with Jack several years ago, so I figured it was time to do the same with Mattie. We started with "The Witches," which is an interesting take on living with and getting rid of those pesky creatures. We finished "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" last week. It might be the most well known of his stories, but it's my least favorite of them all because that nutter Willy Wonka grates my nerves. We are currently on "James and the Giant Peach," and have a stack of others including, "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Esio Trot," and, my favorite, "Danny, the Champion of the World," among others, to work our way through.

3. The Lemony Snicket Series - We are listening to these on Audible. We started them when we drove to DC, and now we can't stop. There are 13 in this series. The language and narration are superb. I'm so glad we ventured into the audio foray with these.

For Me:

4. "A Dance with Dragons" - I don't know why I do this to myself. These books drive me crazy, but I have to find out what happens to the Starks. And that's why I hate them because George R.R. Martin is all about killing off that family. I almost put this book down three chapters in because it felt like the same old routine. But some old, and new, characters were introduced, and I plodded along. I can't tell you who I'm rooting for anymore in this Game of Thrones.

5. "Someone" - I had this on my book list for a while. Compared to "A Dance with Dragons," it was a speed read. It's not so much about the choices we make in life as the things that happen, and don't happen, to us and how those define our lives. A simple, yet deeply moving and poignant story.

6. "Super Sad True Love Story"- All I can say is think "1984" written in the tech age. I'm about a hundred pages in. Sometimes I shake my head in agreement. Sometimes I want to cry for the protagonist because he's such a glutton for punishment. Other times I'm afraid of what the future holds; by that I mean our future.

Other reads on the list for the summer:

"Freakonomics"

"The Wealth of Nations"

 
"The Opposite of Loneliness"
 

"You Should Have Known"
 

"Bittersweet"