My Summer Reading List

I've been waiting for this summer.  It's turning out to be a lovely season of relaxation and reflection. 


My first free week of the summer I read during nearly every waking minute.  I inhaled words from pages, spending my mornings and afternoons reading and reading and reading until my eyes started to cross and I had to look up to take a breath.  It was lovely.  Now, though, normal life is in session, and although I'm reading less, it's still so much more than I get to during the school year.


I committed to reading 10 books this summer, not too much of a challenge but enough to make me focused.  Then I added another book, so now I've committed to reading 11.


Here it is, my Summer 2012 Reading List, in no particular order:

The Help: This was my first book of the summer, a true gem. Read what I said about it here.

House Rules: My second summer read wasn't quite as poignant as the first, but it wasn't really intended to be.  Here's what I thought about it.

Eat to Live: In Progress. . . 

Anthem                                        These three books are on 

The Alchemist                             supplemental reading list for   

Alas Babylon                              my students.  I inherited the                  

                                                      list, and since I haven't read   

                                                      most of the books, I figured it  

                                                      was time to get started.

To Kill a Mockingbird: I've read this book twice already--once in high school and another time three days before the school year started and I was to teach the novel.  I think I need a slower read through before I tackle it again this year.

The Hunger Games         

Catching Fire                                 I know.  I'm behind.

Mockingjay 

The Poisonwood Bible: This book was recommended to me by a college professor, so I bought it but haven't ever picked it up.  I'm starting it today!

Happy Reading!

Sunday Snippets

I read a lot. It's in my nature, my blood, my DNA; reading is what I do, whether I want to or not. (Usually I want to).

I read textbooks. I read journal articles. I read labels in the grocery store. I read labels at home. I read news articles. I read the buttons on my remote control. I read novels. I read my calendar. I read magazines. I read short stories. I read emails. I read poems. I read the sticker on the side of my wireless router. I read street signs. I read flyers. I read wall posts. I read inspirational quotes. I read blogs. I read websites. I read Daily Factoids. I read descriptions. I read Facebook messages. I read handouts. I read instructions. I read the Bible. I read tweets. I read information. I read license plates. I read text messages. I read syllabi.

I read everything.

I read a lot.

(I told you so).

I read so many things every single day of my life, and all the things I read that I find funny or inspirational or silly or interesting or worth remembering I want to blog about.

This poses a problem. Well, a few problems.

Problem Numero 1: How am I supposed to write a post for every one of the millionjilliontrillion things I read and find funny or inspirational or silly or interesting or worth remembering?

Problem Numero 2: WHEN in the world am I going to craft all of these blog posts?

Problem Numero 3: I would never be able to blog about anything else. My blog would be consumed by the millionjilliontrillion things I read and nothing else. I don't think I want that.

Problem Numero 4: What if I can't think of anything to say about this 'thing' I've read? What if I just want to share it?

See all these problems? (I know it's only 4, but still).

I have a solution.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends and neighbors, I bring you

Sunday Snippets

(This is where you applaud and say "wow" "yay" "woohoo" and excited phrases of the like)

(Yes, you still do all of this even though you don't yet know what Sunday Snippets entails)

(DUH)

Now that you're all calm, cool, and collected again, let me tell you about Sunday Snippets.

I'll post Sunday Snippets on Sundays.

(Maybe that was too obvious.)

Throughout my week I'll collect a few of the millionjilliontrillion snippets that I found funny or inspirational or silly or interesting or worth remembering and post them here. Maybe I'll comment; maybe I won't.

It'll be a great way for me to share snippets of all of my reading that I've enjoyed (or found quite unenjoyable), and I'll always have something to post on Sundays (because I know you can't stand it when I don't post at least once a week ;)

Come back for the first set of Snippets next Sunday.

(If you want to).

I'll get to collecting.

P.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Reading Regimen

That's it; I am hooked.

Not too long ago, I decided that my hunger for reading needed to be satisfied, and I broke my usual pattern of reading one book at a time. I loved it. I love it.

So, I now have a new reading regimen. I read one novel; you know, just a regular old novel for pleasure. Something I'm interested in for no other purpose than I find it interesting. I also read a motivational, inspirational, academic, or otherwise worthy book in conjunction with the simple pleasure. Along with the simple pleasure and the knowledge read, I tackle a poetic or sacred text. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, daily Bible reading (which I desperately need to improve on).

I know it's fairly elementary, but, for me, this new way of reading is a big step. I have been committed to reading only one thing at a time, whether it be for pleasure or other purposes, so that I wouldn't confuse plot lines, neglect important tasks, etc., etc. My excuses were endless. I know; it's pathetic for such an avid reader to stick herself in such a simplistic mindset, but I was ignorant of the bliss that comes from a reading regimen like this one.

I hope that this new regimen continues to evolve so that I can stick to it even when I'm in school.

What I'm Reading Now. . .Satisfying a Hunger

You may have noticed (but you probably didn't) that my "What I'm Reading Now" list is growing beyond its normal size. Here's what's happened to my normal reading habits:

Usually, I stick to reading one book at a time; I don't like to confuse plot lines and characters. Lately, though, it's like I've been hungry to read. Yes, I said it; I have a hunger for reading. This hunger has led me to revise my regular rules of reading.

The dictionary will stay on my reading list for the duration of 2010. (I'm really going to need to get on that dictionary reading to reach my goal, huh?)

I started reading Cleaving before school was out, but in the move home from the dorm, it has gotten jumbled in all of my things and is currently missing in action. So, it's just on my current reading list because I haven't finished it. Lame, I know.

I decided that I needed to read poetry on a more regular basis. If you don't know, I am a HUGE fan of poetry. It's difficult; it's interesting; it's beautiful. Poetry is my thing. Don't be mistaken, though. Poetry being my "thing" doesn't mean I claim to be a scholar; I just enjoy working through poetry. So, I decided to read Colossus again. I read it for an American Lit class while I was at Harding, and I really enjoyed it. I want to read through it again just for pleasure; I definitely won't be as rushed.

I've been reading and enjoying Women Food and God, but it's not exactly a novel that I would confuse with another, so I decided to add Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging to my list. I'm planning on starting that one right after I finish this post; I borrowed the book from a friend who promised it wouldn't disappoint, so I'm pretty excited to get going.

I've never had a current reading list be so long, but I'm really very excited about it. In school, I always enjoyed reading multiple works at the same time and juggling my reading schedules, so it makes sense that I would enjoy that in my personal reading schedule, right? Yes. Okay, so it definitely makes sense in theory, but I'll let you know how it goes in practice. I'll either fall in love with this whole idea, or I'll drive myself insane. Either way, I gave it shot.