Summer Reading 2019

Before summer started, I had one goal: Read as much as possible. I was going to spend as much time reading as I could. During the school year, I have a system: I read 3 books 3 times a day. But for the summer, I wanted to read more than 3 books. And I wanted to be reading more than 3 times a day!

Well, it looks like I was able to achieve that goal. I was reading A LOT this summer. And thanks to having books on my phone, I was reading at work during the slow periods, too.

When I chose what books to read this summer, I decided to just put together a mish-mash of books on different topics. I love fiction, so I was sure to include some novels. I also love poetry, so of course I added poetry books to my line-up, as well.

In the end, I had 13 books to read. More were added as I finished books – such as a poetry book. Some of the books I had already been reading and I wanted to finish reading them over the summer. And other books I started reading in late June and finished reading by the end of August. I am so glad and very grateful that I was able to spend so much time reading this summer!

But how did I manage to make time to read? Even though the kids weren’t in school and we were not as busy as usual, how did I make time to read?

Simple: I made reading a priority. Anytime I had free time, down time or even low time, I was reading. Sometimes I finished everything early at work, and I spent those last bits of time until I could clock out reading. I read during meals like breakfast and lunch (dinnertime is strictly family time), as well as at bedtime. I read on my phone during my son’s gymnastics class, while waiting at the hospital, and also when I’d be waiting in the car for one of the kids. Just ANY time I had to wait, really. It also helps that I don’t have a social life. I don’t go out very often. People don’t contact me to see if I want to meet for coffee or just hang out. (Seriously, nobody ever does!) We didn’t have too much going on this summer (aside from volunteering and classes, it was pretty much a lazy summer for the kids) and, besides my youngest needing surgery for appendicitis, nothing major or life-changing happened this summer. So I had time to read! I grabbed that time and did as much reading as I could. And, thankfully, I managed to read at least 10 books this summer, from June 21^st to August 31^st.

Here are my two lists of books read over the summer. First are the books I finished reading over the summer then the list of books I read in entirety:

Finished Reading:

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

Books of Blood, Volume One by Clive Barker

Vampires: An Anthology  Edited by Alan Ryan

Books Read During the Summer:

Broken Baubles and Nuclear Magic by ML John

Windsong by Jenn Nips

George Washington: First Guardian of American Liberty by Michael Crawley

Pronto by Elmore Leonard

The Best American Poetry: 1991 Edited by Mark Strand

Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick

Herbally Yours by Penny C. Royal

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

A Transparent Soul by Brena Evans

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman