Summer Reading

Summer is supposed to be a relaxed time of the year. I always picture myself in a hammock in the shade, with a good book and a glass of fresh lemonade.

I live in the mid-Atlantic, though, so you can scratch the fresh lemonade (haven't seen a decent lemon in years), and the hammock would have to be shared with every mosquito in the neighborhood that felt up to wading through the humidity to get there. But there are always books.

So while I haven't had time for a lot of reading this summer I'm enjoying a few books. I always have several going at once- one for mornings, one for evenings, one for snatched afternoon moments, one for... well, you get the idea. So here's what I'm reading this summer:

-CS Lewis- The Weight of Glory
-Dante- Divine Comedy: Inferno
-Nicholas Kilmer- A House in Normandy
-Boswell- Life of Johnson
-Augustine- Confessions
-Suze Orman- 9 Steps to Financial Freedom
-Edgar Lee Masters- Spoon River Anthology
-Alexandra Stoddard- Creating a Beautiful Home

Each is enjoyable when read at the right time of day. Spoon River Anthology is one of those juicy books- you taste it a bit at a time, then keep going back for more. Anything by CS Lewis also qualifies as a juicy book (a term coined by one of my boys in reference to Johnny Tremaine and Mere Christianity).

When I hear people say they have no time to read, I'm reminded of Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Read not the Times, but read the eternities." While I do read the newspaper each day, and listen to NPR when I'm in the car, I don't spend a lot of time with current events. I'd rather be learning from the greatest minds of the ages!

So, what are you reading?

Zeitgeist Literature: Self-Directed, College-Prep, Literature-Based English for Homeschoolers - coming soon!