Reading is not something most teens associate with summer. The majority would be perfectly happy to let what remains of their burnt out brain cells atrophy from disuse over the course of summer vacation. However, reading does not have to be as painful as Dickens’ Great Expectations or Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Summer reading books should challenge and intrigue without making the reader reach for a glossary of lit terms. Besides, what else does one have to do while getting sunburned by the pool?
There is no reason to completely swear off reading for the summer. Now there is time to read all the books that had to be waitlisted in favor of assigned literature books. Media specialist Mrs. Pati Olton says students should “take their time to read books with a less than literary value. It’s good to balance out all the serious books read during the year.” No one expects Tolstoy’s War and Peace to appear on a student’s summer reading list.
However, do make a long term commitment this summer. Pick a novel that is part of a series. A Great and Terrible Beauty is the first in the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray. When the heroine, Gemma, is sent to boarding school, she discovers a secret, magic world hidden in the caves near her school, but Gemma and her friends are tempted by the magic of the new realm and find out that yielding to this temptation leads to disaster. While this is definitely more of a “girl” book, it is imaginative and romantic, and Bray puts the reader in Gemma’s shoes as she and her friends learn to control their newfound magic.
For a more gender-friendly summer series, check out the nine part Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer. Mary “Jackie” Faber is an orphan in 18th century London. She dreams of big adventures on the high seas and disguises herself as a boy to get a job as a ship’s boy on the HMS Dolphin. The rest of the series follows Jackie’s restless wanderings and time spent as a pirate, young lady, ship captain and spy. Meyer created a larger than life character in Jackie, whose hard work, optimism and generosity get her out of, and into, many adventurous situations. Though the main character is female, the series appeals to both males and females because Jackie is anything but lady like. All teens will enjoy reading about Jackie’s adventures on the high seas.
For a more mature read, Honors American Lit teacher Ms. Susan Greene recommends The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. This is the story of a woman whose search for her missing father uncovers the sinister nature of his work as a historian. Ms. Greene raves, “This is a book for anyone who wants Twilight but without all the teenage angst. It explores the history around Vlad the Impaler and his fictional counterpart Count Dracula.” Kostova masterfully intertwines a narrative with the dark history and surprisingly factual information.
No summer reading list would be complete without a Sarah Dessen mention. Dessen’s books are so quintessentially summer because they are all girly, feel good, coming of age stories. If longing for summer love was transformed into a book, it would be written by Sarah Dessen and called The Truth About Forever. The book opens on Macy Queen and her expectations of a very boring summer. Then she meets Wes and his friends at Wish catering business and learns about love, living and herself. The Truth About Forever is an easy, feel good book that will appeal to teenage girls’ secret belief that life can be like a romantic comedy.
Suppose a reader’s tastes were less fluffy “chick lit” and more literary in nature. Some books are definitely more accessible than other when it comes to the classics. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller tells the very fragmented story of a fighter pilot who tries to get out of flight duty. Heller’s twisted logic will keep readers on their toes. For a novel that’s slightly more readable, check out One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey; it is a comically dark novel about a remarkably sane man put into a mental hospital ruled by a tyrannical head nurse. The reader cannot help but cheer for McMurphy, the protagonist, as he fights the system and Big Nurse Ratched. For a novel that’s slightly less depressing, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is an Arthurian nerd’s dream. The ever amusing Mark Twain tells the story of a 19th century man who is transported back in time to medieval times and amazes King Arthur and his court with modern 19th century, Yankee technology. As a bonus, classics may help in lit class once summer’s over, so get a head start and read one this summer.
Finally, if nonfiction seems more suitable, check out the Post Secret books. Post Secret is a compilation book of postcards sent in by readers. People create artistic, funny or painfully truthful postcards and anonymously send in their inner most secrets to the Post Secret Blog. Some are hilarious, some are sweet and some just make the reader grateful for the things and people in their own lives. Or, for the more cynically inclined, The Official Handbook of the Filthy Rich by Christopher Tannent takes a humorous look at the lives of the wealthy 1%. With chapters about the problems with country clubs, plastic surgery and the trials of being indecently wealthy, Tannent gives an inside look into the lives of people most can only imagine in Gossipgirl. With Gossipgirl in mind, check out Fashion Game Book: A World History of 20th-Century Fashion by Florence Muller. This book is exactly what it says: a history of modern fashion with a twist. With quizzes and activities throughout the book, it is more entertaining than Sudoku any day.
Summer is a time to read any of those books that have been neglected in favor of required reading. Senior Abby Robbins will be reading “Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It’s awesome.” This definitely sounds like something that would not be on any teacher’s required reading list. So go ahead and read that fluffy chick lit novel that has been wasting away on the bookshelf. Who cares if it has absolutely no literary value? Enjoy it, because remember, no one is getting a grade for it.