Summer is nearly upon us and it’s that time of year again where I compile a complete list of all of the books that I intend on reading over the summer. During the school year, it can be difficult to find times to curl up with a good book, but during the glorious months of June through August, reading time is prime.
The Book of Negroes – Lawrence Hill
After seeing that CBC was going to be airing a mini series based on the book by Canadian novelist Lawrence Hill, I decided to pick up a copy to read before watching it. You can stream the entire series from CBC here.
The Lord of The Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
I know what you may be thinking, “YOU’VE NEVER READ THE LORD OF THE RINGS??” Fine, I’ll admit that I’m very behind the times. In my defence, I have read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of The Ring, so you can’t give me too much flack. I tried to read the series a few years ago, but it just kept getting pushed to the bottom of my list. However, when I got a single-volume copy of the entire series at a used book sale, I have set out on a mission to finish what I started (and to be able to compare the movies to the book, which, by the way, I have seen more times than I care to admit).
T
he Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ok, this one wasn’t completely by choice. I have to read it for a novel study in English next year, so I figured that I might as well get ahead on it. This is not to say that I’m not looking forward to it, because I am. The Great Gatsby is a classic, and I’d really like to turn a little bit further away from mainstream literature to broaden my reading repertoire a bit.
Safe – Aviva Bel’Harold
I met local author Aviva Bel’Harold a few years ago at Chapters. At the time, I was probably eleven or twelve years old and the material treated in her 2009 novel Safe was a bit dark and beyond my grasp. Now that I’m older and have found more reading time, I’m finally going to read the story about fifteen year old Mariah, who finds herself deterred from her plan to take her own life by the appearance of Toby, the ghost of another teenage suicide.
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
Already a modern classic, The Book Thief is yet another book for which I must use the excuse that I just haven’t gotten around to it. I started reading it a few months ago and then it just kinda went off of the rails. I hope to get back into it because I really enjoyed what I had read up until the point where I stopped.
Othello – William Shakespeare
Alright, alright, yes, this is another one I need to read for school, but I’m not going to let that deter me. I got my own copy, so at least I can write notes in the margins if absolutely nothing makes sense. Here’s to hoping.