Summer reading

As usual, I'm writing ahead of the seasons. My editor at the Ledger just sent me a glorious pile of YA fiction to read, to create a summer reading list that goes against the grain of the typical assigned high school books.

I've always been an avid reader. A fairly eclectic reader, too, even in high school. But I remember there was something about assigned summer reading that chafed my spirit. I loved to read of course. I was at the library twice a week for stacks of fiction (science fiction and fantasy, especially in high school.) Traditional fiction and YA fiction, too.

But... some of the assigned books were so awful. I remember kicking myself very hard for accidentally reading the wrong Hemingway, and then having to go read another. (Still not a fan.) I remember that my Uncle Ron, who taught high school English,  read Far From the Madding Crowd in tandem with me. That made it sort of better. I had someone to growl to about the things I disliked. I remember that Member of the Wedding gave me a nightmarish, claustrophobic feeling. Which might have been the point. Wide Sargasso Sea was spooky too-- but, because so much about it was tropical, it made for all right summer reading I think.

Which brings me to my two lovely boxes of YA novels that I get to read and write about and recommend to teenagers who are probably suffering the same books I remember. I'm glad it was hot and summery weather today. Puts me in the right frame of mind.

I feel like a happy bookish teenager myself.

Or-- the cool, slightly nerdy younger aunt to all of New Jersey's teen population. Thus far... no contenders for the Stephenie Meyer award for sparkly vampire insipidity.