Summer Reading for July

Reading in the summer always takes me back to when I was a kid. Most parents try so hard to get their kids to read during the summer holiday... but reading was my summer holiday! One summer I tried to read as many Agatha Christie books as I could. One summer it was Jules Verne. One summer I read a bunch of classics. This summer it's been a hodge podge of fun and fantasy. Here's what I read...

The Secret of the Golden Pavilion - Carolyn Keene - I tried to get this one to take with me to Hawaii, but couldn't get it. Of course the first time I went back to the library when I got home, it was sitting right there on the shelf! Hooray for Nancy Drew!

Ophelia - Lisa Klein - Yes, it's the Ophelia of Hamlet fame. The story is told from her point of view and I like her story much better than Shakespeare's version. :-) My sister gave this to me and recommended I read/watch Hamlet again before I read it which was a great idea. I could then match up everything that happened in the book with the original play. A great book!

Parade of Shadows - Gloria Whelan - This was one I picked up off the new book shelf at the library. I really liked it! It's set in 1907 and follows a British young woman and her father through the middle east. The history behind the story is fascinating.

Paint the Wind - Pam Munoz Ryan - When I saw this new book by the author of Esperanza Rising I knew I wanted to read it. It's a wonderful girl/horse story! I liked it so much I gave it to my mom for her birthday.

General Winston's Daughter - Sharon Shinn - This was such a good book! It has a distinct British Imperialist feel but it's set in a made-up collection of countries. An 18-year old girl follows her military father to a far off (conquered) country. The political messages are thought-provoking.

The Magician (The Secrets of the Immoral Nicholas Flammel #2) - Michael Scott - Book two is just as good as book one! We continue to follow Nicholas and the twins on their wild adventure. And I've heard that book one has been optioned for a movie.

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer - If an asteroid bumped the moon closer to Earth, what would happen? It does happen in this book and the gas, electricity, food, etc. start to run out. It's an interesting look at how fragile our society really is. I bought more food storage when I finished it!

Ever - Gail Carson Levine - The newest book by this fantastic author (Ella Enchanted). The story is interesting and makes you think. The style was a bit jumpy for my taste; it goes back and forth between two character's perspectives. A pretty good read.

Finally... I'm re-reading Eclipse right now... I have to finish it by tonight because tomorrow Breaking Dawn is out!! I can't wait!!