Okay, so vacation has not even begun and already someone is telling you to read something over the summer!! You are tired! You have been reading nothing but textbooks and information for your courses and research projects! You do not want to think about reading! I figure that will last about a week. Then, unless you are really busy with a stressful summer job, you will need to have something to do that requires just a little brain power. Doing, “Absolutely Nothing!” never feels as good as it sounds! So, here are some suggestions from a Librarian who has several hobbies—one of them being reading for pleasure.
 | If you have not read Twilight, then get with the program. Everyone who is anyone has read it! It is an easy and entertaining read. The characters are engaging with lives that are so much more interesting than our own. You get lost in their world for a time. It is thoroughly enjoyable! If you think vampires are scary, then this will convince you that they are not all that way. |
 | I am reading a new non-fiction book, Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals. Two of the subject headings for it are: emotions in animals, and animal behavior. It is available in print as well as an Audio Book through NetLibrary. This is the first time that I ever started a book at the end. The afterward is titled: “Why Do I Still Work for the Industry?” That grabbed my attention, so I started reading there. The author, Temple Grandin, works for the meat industry. She discusses the fact that there are those who raise animals for food that are doing it the decent, humane way. In the end, she relays the fact that many cows have better lives than a supposedly pampered dog that is left alone all day. Dogs can suffer from separation anxiety when left on their own while the owner is at work. A good life for pets requires: health, freedom from physical and emotional pain, and lots of interaction and activities with humans. Read it to learn how to treat your pets and give them the best life possible. |
 | Are you serious? You have not read any of the Harry Potter books? Even if you have seen the movies, you are missing out. The book is always better! Take time this summer to read the first one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is available at Steen Library. The Nacogdoches Public Library also carries print and audio book versions. Your local Public Library is likely to have a copy as well. It is the shortest at 309 pages. I promise you will be hooked! You will understand how Harry Potter became sopopular. |
 | One last suggestion is called The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. It would be a great “take on a week at the beach” as it is over 500 pages. However, it is so well written that it is hard to put it down! It is about a girl who loves books and is sent to live with an older couple during World War II. It does not sound too exciting, but it is! Try it out. |
Have a Great Summer!
Do you have any summer book recommendations? Post a comment and share some of your favorite summer reads.
 | Tina Oswald toswald@sfasu.edu rm. 202f 936.468.1861 Subjects - Elementary Education, and Secondary Education/Educational Leadership |
