Summer Reading List...

As we head towards Memorial Day weekend, I can't help but think of it as the start of Summer Vacation, although school days are way behind me.  Just as the first few crisp days of fall make me nostalgic for the smell of fresh crayons, and picking out a new backpack, June's approach triggers thoughts of summer...
Growing up, we had a wonderful screened-in porch filled with super comfy furniture, and I spent my summers living out there drinking orange Tang, and sharing space with the cats and dogs.  The cushions were a cheerful yellow floral fabric on the front, and vinyl on the back that "squeaked" when you sat down.  It was here that I could seek protection from the bugs, and the angry summer sun that just loves to fry my fair Scottish skin.

My parents always encouraged us to read, and we had all the books we could devour.  As a young child, I did the reading program at Thomas Ford Library library (Back then, the library got most of my allowance money in the form of book fines.  I've since graduated to the upper level of parking violations, and, a few times, ventured into that rarefied arena of speeding tickets.  But I digress...)  The reading program was always full of titles that were age appropriate and expanded our horizons.  Harriet the Spy was an obsession one summer, and Little House On the Prairie was followed by Anne of Green Gables read until my eyes fluttered shut every night.  Later summers yielded a steady diet of classics like Gone With the Wind (my Grandmothers battered copy) The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and To Kill A Mockingbird along with frothy romances and TONS of English mysteries that were voraciously read cover-to-cover.  Finding a good book is like making a new friend, and I'm always on the hunt for the next one.

So, tell me clever girls: What are you going to put on your reading list this summer? 

We're starting a book list at the counter here at Clever Girl, and we want to know what book you suggest for our Summer Reading List.  You can also reply in the comments section of this blog or click here for our Facebook page.  We'll gather up all your suggestions and post them in a few weeks.  I can't wait to see what you all recommend, and discover some new favorites to read on the porch!

"The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade."         ~Anthony Trollope