With the Read-a-Thon signups coming in everyone's talking about their book list. So what about you? What books are you reading this summer and why? What books do you recommend to others to read if they're looking for material?

This is just a fun, relaxed place to talk about books you're reading. Go!

The Honour of the Knights by Stephen J. Sweeney is a book I would recommend reading! I haven't decided on a list to read properly yet, but that is definitely one I will be re-reading.

I'm going to crack down on some Charles Dickens, Jules Verne, Jane Austen, and Rosemary Sutcliff.

Also some other things. There are some Fantasy books I have my eyes on, but I can't remember their names. <.< I'm also going to read some Ravi Zacharias, C.S. Lewis' nonfiction, and other such things...

Probably some historical stuff, too. I have a lot of things on my reading list. We'll see how far I'll get into it.

When does this officially start?

I always read multiple books at once so right off the bat I plan on reading.
Dracula.
The Cat of Bubasties.
Elementary Surveying: An Introduction to Geomatics.
Martin Chuzzellwit.

That's all for now.

I'm not doing the read-a-thon this summer, but I certainly do plan on reading! (a lot)

China Court by Rumer Godden (one of my favorite authors.)
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Last of the Mohicans by Cooper
Going Solo by Dahl
Where the Broken Heart Still Beats by Meyer (a biography of Cynthia Ann Parker)
Stout-Hearted Seven by Frazier
And others, I'm sure!

Are there any WWII books any of you would recommend? Preferably true, and appropriate for someone under 18. I already know enough disturbing facts from the period to last me a while.
Phylis

I went to our denomination's convention and got a ton of free books But there's others I'm planning on reading.

A Reluctant Queen - Joan Wolf (currently reading; about half-way through)

What Jesus Demands from the World - John Piper

The Pursuit of Man - A.W. Tozer

The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask - Mark Mittelberg

Handbook for an UNcommon life - Tony Dungy

The Aeneid - Virgil

The Art of War - Sun Tzu

Safely Home - Randy Alcorn (reread)


That's all on my list that I own; my birthday is this month so I'll likely have a few (or a lot) more on my list soon

eru

Firstly, I am using the read-a-thon to hurry up my parent's decision on my reading LotR. XD But even if I don't end up getting to read that one during the read-a-thon, I'm going to reread the Inkheart trilogy (again). Lots of pages there, and it's awesome. And after that I'll probably read Auralia's Colors and Cyndere's Midnight for the 32nd time. Then I shall raid the library and my bookshelves for more books (primarily fantasy, but I think I have some Henty books hanging around someplace.... and a Jane Austen book or two, and some sci-fi...).

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara
A Gathering of Days by Joan W. Blos
Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
On the Way Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Blood of the Kings Trilogy by Jill Williamson
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (again)
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Reread a few of Redwall.
And just about any other free book on the nook that piques my interest. Pretty small at the moment.

Oh! Oh! Thank you!

You reminded me of what else I needed to read. I need to finish Cyndere's Midnight. I loved Auralia's Colors. Awesome book. I haven't been able to finish Cyndere's Midnight. Then I'll read Raven's Ladder. And the next one...I can't remember if it's out yet.

Lol, you're welcome. Cyndere's Midnight is just as awesome as Auralia's Colors. (btw, yes, The Ale Boy's Feast is out.)

Elly - Would you tell me how you liked "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge? I really enjoyed "The Dean's Watch" by the same author, and would love to read another book by her!

I know I'm not Elly, but let me just mention that I LOVE THAT BOOK!!!!! It's one of my all-time favorites. If you're one for old-style English countryside tales with some mystical fantasy elements thrown in, but mostly just old-fashioned sweet story, then you'll love it. It's very ethereal and close-to-nature, with a very lovely {Anglican} portrayal of the parson, the church, and religion in general. Biblical morality definitely emphasized. Anyway, it's a great book, although the quaint style's not for everyone.

~ Dawn

Well, you asked for it, so here's the current version of my summer 2011 reading list. There's a backup list too for when I'm through with this one .

Attitude 101 (John Maxwell)
Failing Forward (John Maxwell)
Talent is Never Enough (John Maxwell)
The Servant (James C. Hunter)
Emotional Intelligence (Daniel Galeman)
Success is Not an Accident (Tommy Newberry
Communicate with Confidence (Dianna Booher)
What Every Body is Saying (Joe Navarro)
Common Sense (Thomas Paine)
Words of Delight (Leland Ryken)
The Tipping Point (Malcolm Gladwell)
The Illiad (Homer)
The Odyssey (Homer)
The Republic (Plato)
Politics (Aristotle)
Poetics (Aristotle)
Elements of Geometry (Euclid)
Confessions (St Augustine)
Summa Theologica (St Thomas Aquinas)
The Prince (Niccollo Machiavelli)
Utopia (Sir Thomas More)
Institutes (John Calvin)
Don Quioxte (Miguel de Cervantes)
Paradise Lost (John Milton)
"Of Civil Government" (John Locke)
Essay on Criticism (Alexander Pope)
Critique of Pure Reason (Immanuel Kant)
Critique of Practical Reason (Immanuel Kant)
Elements of Chemistry (Antoine Lavoisier)
Federalist Papers
The Origin of Species (Charles Darwin)
Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy)
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce)
No Exit (John Paul Sarte)
Steering the Craft (Ursula Le Guin)
Stein on Writing (Sol Stein)
The Scaffolding of Rhetoric (Winston Churchill)
The World is Flat (Milton Friedman)
Brain Rules (Medina)
1984 (George Orwell)
On Writing (Stephen King)
Switch (Chuch and Dan Heath)

And my current tally: 1 down {finished 1984 yesterday}; 1 halfway through {The Odyssey, a 1909 version}

Yes, I know, I'm starting early. But I think I'll still have plenty left!

Sure, Phylis!



I'm definitely looking forward to it. I like those type of books, which is why I love pawing through the old book piles that nobody wants anymore!

I don't have an official list.

Thanks Evenstar and Elly! Her quaint style is for me; her descriptions and figurative language are awesome!
Evenstar - What are the fantasy elements?

Evenstar... that is a serious list!

Mine right now is rather incomplete.
Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevsky
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Priest's Graveyard - Ted Dekker
Some series by Peretti I can't remember the name of, but which my mom says we own so I'm going to go hunt it down at some point.

That's all I have on hand, though I plan to hunt down some more. and there are plenty on my "Should read some day" list, just not all of them have made it to my "immediate plans to read" list. Like the great big physics book staring at me pleadingly.

A lot of those are really good books, Lady E. Best of success

@Jaynin: I need to read more Russian authors; particularly Dostoevsky - I find his work intriguing.

@Evenstar: That is a long list. Best of success to ye though!

eru

Yes, I love that style, too! As for fantasy elements... I'll leave that for you to find out. Let me just say it has something to do with this little white horse...which may or may not be a horse... as well as the great dog Wrolf {which may or may not be a dog}. *Plunges into fond memories of The Little White Horse*



Yes, it's long... *gulps* My point is to read them thoroughly, though, so if I don't finish by the deadline then it won't be the end of the world. {It'll just seem like it } Thanks for the well-wishes!

I haven't really given this a lot of thought, but I'll go ahead and list some books I'd like to read this summer.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia C. Wrede)
Thirteenth Child, and if it comes on time, the sequel Across the Great Barrier (Patricia C. Wrede)
Green and Gray (Timothy Zahn)
The Icarus Hunt (Timothy Zahn)
The Squire's Tale and following books (Gerald Morris)
The Great and Terrible Quest (Margaret Lovett)
Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)

We'll see how many of these I actually read. I'll also be reading the textbook for my class, if that counts.

*needs to go back and read previous posts later*

This is the quickest way for me to share my ever-growing reading list: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/54 ... lf=to-read

The books I plan on reading next would be Inkheart, Eragon, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Dragons of Chiril, and the last three books of the Dragons In Our Midst series (and whatever else I can find at the church library). Eventually adding the books that come after the first two if I like them, and whatever I get through the blogging for books program.
If I somehow get all of those finished, then I'll probably start on the classics. But they take quite a bit longer; I've been reading Emma for nearly a month now.

@Evenstar: As weird as this sounds, thanks for posting such a list I don't feel so crazy now. Best of luck to you! (and to everyone participating )

Oh, don't worry, we're all rather batty around here. I'm glad to commiserate in common craziness!

And the goodreads idea is great! {Although for myself I prefer having a simple words-only list.}

My list is so outdated it isn't funny.

((Sorry for double-posting.))

Here are my latest library check-outs:

Two Princesses of Bamarre
Ella Enchanted
The Hobbit
Dear America: Like the Willow Tree
The Royal Diaries: Anastasia
Meet the Austins
Mandy book (Can't remember which one right now)
...and several of the Janette Oke Love Comes Softly 2-in-1 books.

Someone else is reading Hitchhiker's!