Remember way back at the beginning of the summer when I talked about doing a summer reading program for adults? No, probably not. Just trying to keep up with the news is enough to boggle the brain at times. If you want a refresher, you can read all about it here.
Sadly, the summer is almost over now. School will be starting again here in a couple more weeks. Last night we had our party to celebrate the end of the summer reading program for adults and give out the prizes.
I chose some fabulous pink flamingo decor.
Rather than bore you all to tears with way too many details about it all, I'll just say it rocked. Everyone made ice cream sundaes and chatted about books, and some lucky people won some pretty sweet prizes!
Being me, I had to complete the challenge even if I couldn't win any of the prizes. I mean, it would be pretty sad if the staff running the program didn't do what we were asking all of the patrons to do, right? Lead by example and all that jazz.
I will confess to using my own "quick and dirty" method to hit all of the categories in the challenge. Totally fair since I did announce to everyone at the launch party that it was possible. I don't know that anyone else chose to go that route. Doesn't really matter since my only prizes were the enjoyment of reading and getting to have ice cream for dinner. (Hey -- you work until 9 pm and you can eat ice cream for dinner as well. No judging.)
At the launch party everyone had been given a little notebook to keep track of the books they read, what categories that filled, and any notes they wished to make about whether they liked the book or not, any random thoughts the books brought to mind, etc.
I chose to write down a snippet from each book that I really enjoyed. There isn't any specific criteria for it when I choose them. Some might have struck an emotional cord with me, or were amusing. Maybe I just liked the language and that particular phrase stood out. There wasn't a set theme is the point I'm trying to make. I've saved snippets from books for years -- I have notebooks filled with them. If you've been hanging around long enough you might recall that I have shared some of them with you before: Snippets.
So, I'm going to provide a link to Amazon for each of the books mentioned. I feel the need to clarify the following, Friends:
I am not partnered/affiliated with Amazon or in any way making money from this. I get absolutely nothing out of it if you should choose to buy a book. I'm simply providing a link to the book for those who are unfamiliar with the title and want to read more about it. If you are really interested in reading a title, I encourage you to go to your local library and check it out for free, or buy it from a local book store. Hell, buy it at a garage sale for all I care. The link is just for your information, not to sell you anything.
Are we all clear on that, kids? Excellent. Now on to the book snippets.
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
"The pause makes you think the song will end. And then the song isn't really over, so you're relieved. But then the song does actually end, because every song ends, obviously, and THAT. TIME. THE. END. IS. FOR.REAL."
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Listen to the Mustn'ts
Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
the IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me --
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.
One More Thing by B.J. Novak
"He said he didn't know: on one level, his heart believed that he should help as many people as possible, which was exactly what he was doing now. But another part of his heart really wanted to see where this music thing might go if he put everything he had into it. Couldn't your heart tell you more than one thing? If you were truly confused about something, which he was right now, wouldn't that mean your heart was, too?"
"Perception is reality, and reality is whatever I decide it to be."
"This town is a sinkhole of leeches. Everyone's trying to manipulate the political system to his own special advantage, often to the detriment of the country."
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
"Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve."
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
"Once you've seen how broken someone is it's like seeing them naked -- you can't look at them the same anymore."
There you have it, Friends. My summer reading at a glance. The Hate U Give was by far my favorite of the books I read this summer. Everyone should read it. (One More Thing by B. J. Novak was really good, too. The story about the girl on a date with a warlord was hilarious!)
Any of you read anything this summer that you thought was fantastic? I'm always looking for recommendations!
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