Reading books is kind of one of my favorite things. That doesn't surprise anyone who's spent more than about 5 minutes near me. I can use my job as an excuse for why I need to read a lot, but I would do it anyway even if I didn't teach. Sometimes though, I forget how much I enjoy reading. It's easy to get caught up in important things that take up my time - like work - and then fill all of my free time with media - like netflix and cat videos on youtube. In my defense, I do really
I've been making an effort to read more over the past two years because time spent reading makes me less distracted and less stressed.
As strange as it may sound, the thing that encourages me to just sit down and read is actually other people. Being able to talk about books with other people who are just as enthusiastic about them as I am can be as much fun as reading. I've spent hours in bookstores with friends and taken group trips to libraries. When I go to someone's house, I will be looking at their bookshelves. Not because I'm judging, but because I am looking to see what I might be able to borrow. I love it when friends bring me a book (or an impossibly large stack of books, no names) that they think I'd enjoy. Reading seems like a solitary past time, but, in my experience at least, it's a social activity.
I have more free time during the summer. Which means that I have time to catch up on books that I've been meaning to read and to work on a few book challenges. Even though I didn't read as much I as would have liked, I have read some good books over the past few months. If you're looking to do a little (or a lot) of reading over the summer, here are a few books are interesting/entertaining.
The Books
Entwined - Heather Dixon
Good fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite books. This one is based on the twelve dancing princesses. Each of the girls has a distinctive personality which is one of the best parts of the book. It's not a difficult read, and I completely got lost in the story.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon - Kelly Barnhill
If you keep up with children's lit, you might have already heard of this book because it won the 2017 Newberry Award. A witch rescues a baby girl left in the woods as a sacrifice, and she accidentally gives the girl magic. This book has witches, dragons, monsters, and magic. Basically all of the necessary points for a good story. The book is intended for middle grades, but even if you're not ages 8-12, you can still enjoy it.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling
Celebrity memoirs can be annoying because the celebrity tries so hard to be relatable, and sometimes it just doesn't work. But, Mindy Kaling actually manages to get this right. While reading her book, I came to the conclusion that Mindy Kaling and I should probably be best friends. This book and her other book Why Not Me? make perfect, hilarious beach reads.
Paris, My Sweet - Amy Thomas
Another memoir. This book sends you back and forth between New York City and Paris, and it includes descriptions of sweets that will make you incredibly jealous. This book was right up my alley in every possible way. At one point, she mentioned Valrhona chocolate, and I could barely keep from pausing to take a look at trans-Atlantic plane tickets. Read this one if you're prepared to deal with some wanderlust.
Maus I and Maus II - Art Spiegelman
Change of pace from the rest of the books on this list. This book is not a light, fun read. It's a graphic novel based on the experiences of the author's father during the Holocaust. The book isn't easy to describe because it doesn't fall into the format that I typically read and I don't have any references within my reading to compare it with. The main characters are difficult and real. Sometimes, the story feels overwhelming. I had to take breaks. I wouldn't have picked this one up on my own, but it's worth reading.
Hope that you've got some good books lined up for your summer reading. Also, I'll always happily take book suggestions (and offers of armfuls of books to borrow).
