Bookworm

I used to be the biggest book worm. I would read all day, especially before I started high school. I would hide out in my favorite reading spots and stay there all afternoon (unless I got caught to finish my jobs). Some of those favorite places were the house roof, the old camper, sitting on the bathroom counter with my feet in the sink, the barn roof, the trampoline, and my bed. I would get so enthralled in the story that I would get cold or hot depending on the season in the book I was reading, feel happy or sad or frustrated or twitterpated along with the main characters of the book, and learn the lessons they learned. To give you a sense of how much I actually read...I read the whole 9 books of the Work and the Glory series in one week. I got quite sick of certain phrases the Gerald Lund uses, but I loved the books :)

However, since I began college I've probably read 10 (or less) non-assigned books. I've been working straight ever since the summer of 2009 and going to classes year round except summer of 2010. So Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, break (but still working ~35 hrs/week), Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Summer 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, and then Spring 2012. I've been just a touch busy. But I've realized that that is no excuse for not reading because I (obviously) spend lots of time on the internet, fb, blogs, etc. So I am going to make a book list that I can start on to read over this next summer. I don't have a ton yet, so I would love suggestions :)

Finish 1776 by David McCullough. I've started this twice and just haven't ever finished it. So I want to do that. I also have a really cool version of the book that has copies of all the famous documents/letter/maps from the revolutionary war. It's great.










To the Rescue: the biography of Thomas S. Monson. I have also started this book twice (I'm currently working on reading it right now) and really want to finish it. Even the few pages I read every couple days make me inspired to be a better person. It took me a while to like it because the writing style is very different than the biography of President Hinckley (which I LOVED) but it is definitely growing on me.







Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I have, once again, already started this book before but I never finished it. I've heard so many good things about this story. I know brief sections of it, and I know some of the soundtrack from the musical (and I love that) but I have never seen or read the whole thing. So I definitely want to finish this one over the summer.








Those are the three that I've been wanting to read for quite a while now. All of those are rather time consuming reading though. Any suggestions on good books that aren't quite as heavy reading?

I'm really excited to start reading again. I've been missing it in my life for a long time. I've had emphasized to me so many times in the last few weeks that life long learning is a fundamental part of being a member of the Church and that reading is one of the best ways to continue to learn. I know it helps my vocabulary, and my writing, and, obviously, my reading skills. So here's to a more literary summer! ;)