My summer reading list is, in no particular order, as follows:
- The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
- Emma, by Jane Austen
- Love on the Brain, by Ali Hazelwood
- Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko
- Born on A Blue Day, by Daniel Tammet
- Mad Honey, by Jodi Piccoult and Jennifer Finley Boylan
- Beowulf, translation by Seamus Heaney
- And, as a bonus, Dream Work by Mary Oliver
I am excited to have a summer reading list—it just feels right this year, and it feels a little bit like reaching back to my elementary school days when there was nothing I liked more than reading. I’m exited for each of these books for their own reasons. Classics I haven’t read by famous authors I’ve never read and authors I have, romance and YA with captivating quality, a poetry book, and more. These are all within my typical genres, but they’re pushing me, too. I feel I am in for a treat, for surprises and excellent opportunities to savor and ponder.
I own an impressive number of books, I would say, each one earning its place on my shelf for reasons accumulated throughout the years. A birthday gift from a middle school friend here, a Christmas gift from an aunt there, a thrift shop find in college, a yard sale grab in high school. Every book on my shelf has made a name for itself and sits righteously on my shelf. Even though I’ve only read about half of them.
My eyes are bigger than my stomach, I’ve learned. Books pile into my lineup far faster than I can work through them. I think it’s a reasonable guess to say I’ve only read half of what I own. There is a nebulous plan, somewhere in my brain, to read each one. I fully intend to—honest. It’s why I haven’t gotten rid of any of these, it’s why these particular books survived each culling I had to do with every move.
The books on my summer list, all but two, one which was recommended and loaned to me, the other checked out from the library, are a first foothold in working through my personal library. Most I’ve had for years, a few I’ve only had a few months. I would love to branch beyond this list, work through, page by page, the wealth of words stored on my shelves. I hope this list is my springboard, or, at least, that I can read through this list, which would be a respectable start.
Springboard or not, I am excited. I want to spend summer events reading, marking the pages of my books, jotting down notes and musing on what I read. I want to learn, I want to expand my mind. I want to hear a good story. I’m starting summer today.
