Do you have a summer reading list? I haven’t for many years, not since that summer between junior and senior year of high school where I had to read 10 literary classics...yes, 10...before the start of the new year. That was a lot of mandatory reading, considering all the dark, heavy themes in the list. But I spent my summers reading anyway so it wasn’t a stretch for me. (Although it definitely was a stretch to switch from my favorite Gothic romances to serious literature for the summer.)
I wish I could find that list, but off the top of my head, it included:
- “The Ugly American” by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick (1958)
- “Profiles in Courage” by John F. Kennedy (1955)
- “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck (1937)
- “All the King’s Men” by Robert Penn Warren (1947)
- “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding (1954)
 |
Photo of hubby's well-read
copy of GATSBY |
I also remember reading others around that time, although I don’t remember if they were on the official list – several by Hemingway, Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
(which hubby considers to be THE “great American novel” and Nabokov’s
“Lolita” (which I'm pretty sure was my pick; I wanted to see what all the fuss was about).
So the other day when I ran across this list of classic southern summertime reading (from Southern Living), I had to take a peek. I live in the south these days, after all, and wondered how close it was to my own experience.
Their list encompasses the younger grades through high school, and I was surprised at how nostalgic it made me feel just looking at the children's titles, like:
- “Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder (read the whole series)
- “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White (oh, how I sobbed)
- “Old Yeller” (more sobbing)
- “Nancy Drew" (of course!)
- “Misty of Chincoteaue” (again, read the whole series and dreamed of going to see the ponies myself one day. Hey, I just realized I don’t live too far from there now! Road trip!)
I did a quick count and think I’ve read a little more than half the titles from this list. Hmm....maybe I’ll take part of this summer to tackle the ones I’ve missed.... Or maybe not. I have some pretty great "beach reads" on my Kindle right now. :-)
Which of these get your memories stirring, and what’s on your list this summer?
Happy summer reading!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Leah writes stories of mystery and romance, good and evil and the power of love. Although she appreciates the literary genius and important social/moral themes in these literary classics, she'll still opt for a love story/romance every time. Please visit her on Facebook ... she loves meeting readers! Learn more at leahstjames.com.
