Summer's Approach

As a kid I could always feel summer approaching as I looked forward to the last day of school and the first day of summer. As an adult, who's been out of school for a few years, it's been a lot harder, except for one thing .... the "Summer Reading Challenge". Every year around May I start to feel a desire for a Summer Reading Challenge, and not just with myself. I always seem to try bringing my siblings into it. I believe my youngest sister, 'Bubba" is usually the victim. I beg, bribe, harass her every year to join me in a reading challenge. To my recollection I was only successful once. Don't get me wrong, she's an avid reader, just not into my "challenges" as much as I am. (Bubba is a nickname I came up with her, that's another story)

The one year I was successful with getting "Bubba" to join me, I came up with a good incentive, a trip to a local amusement/water park. Loser pays for the winner. Not sure who actually won because the true success was we both actually did a lot of reading that summer (as well as enjoyed a sister's day at the amusement park.) I do remember there being 3 ways you could win: 1) Most number of books read; 2) Most number of pages read; 3) Most number of "new" reads. I bought notebooks for us to keep track of our reading. That notebook as become quite special to me. With each book I read that summer, I would create a page with the title, author and a quote from the book. I added stickers that related to the book and at the bottom I wrote the date finished, and the number of pages and whether it was a new read or a re-read. I can tell which books were really enjoyed cause there's 3-4 pages of quotes.

As I look through the book, I remember so much. Shall I share?:

"The sad thing about women is that they believe so much that a man tells them with his lips, and will not listen to what is told by his actions" pg. 77 "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" Josephine Leslie

"Our return journey occupied two days and was as filled with adventure as usual. We are all becoming accustomed to adventure" pg 100 "The Land that Time Forgot" Edgar Rice Burroughs

"Let in the Jungle, Hathi" The Jungle Books - Rudyard Kipling

Those were just a few of the shorter ones. It's amazing how much my reading influences and teaches me. I even have a page for one book that I really didn't like. There's no quote and even now I wish I could erase the memory of that read. I'll not tell you which book it was cause I know others have liked it.

One page lists two years summer reading, I only kept track of the date, title, author, total pages & whether it was new or a re-read. It's got the facts but no real feeling so I'll not track that way if I can help it.

So what do I do about this year. I have a couple of ideas. One came to me while browsing my parent's bookcase. I started pulling out all the books I remember reading when I was younger. I thought it would be fun to revisit and see if I still enjoy the stories.

The 2nd idea has already begun. It's a result from reading "The Pilgrim's Progress". I remembered how much that book was a part of "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. Having finally read it, I decided to read "Little Women" again and see if I uncover more to the story. And I DID, for instance this sentence makes so much more sense now. "Mr. Brooke looked so strong and sensible and kind that the girls christened him "Mr. Greatheart" on the spot."
I was so excited when I came to that point, because I knew who Greatheart was and the title fit so well. So the 2nd idea is to see if I can't connect books from each other. That will be a little harder but I've already got two jumping off places. Off the top of my head I have five "connections" already.

Maybe I do a little of both this summer. So what reading do you have planned this summer and how do you or do you track your reading. Also are you as big a sucker for "Summer Reading Challenges" as I am?