Summer Reading 2018

*the lights begin to glimmer and a girl with a gavel appears*

I call this meeting of the Bookworm Society to order! I propose a motion to change the name to the Book Dragon Society!

*lights fade*

Haha! I just love to read and discovered a few new titles this summer and can’t wait to share them with you! Summer… where I actually have time and energy to read for leisure. I’m too tired and busy during the school year to read much. On to this delightful treasure trove…*spoilers ahead*

• Troubling a Star by Madeleine L’Engle
  • This book is the 6th in the Austin family series.
  • It was my first time meeting Vicky Austin and her family. I just LOVE Vicky! I think she’s one of my favorite female heroines. It centers around Vicky’s trip to Antartica and close brushes with danger.

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
  • This is Harry’s 4th year at Hogwarts.
  • Danger seems to follow Harry and his best friends Ron and Hermione. Rita Skeeter finally makes an appearance and immediately hits the wrong note with Harry and his friends. The Triwizard Tournament happens for the first time in a century and Harry’s name was mistakenly entered in despite being underage. The ending is SO SAD!
  • Um…I listened to this as an audiobook, read by the brilliant Jim Dale. It’s still a BOOK!
  • Warning: do not try to read the chapters with Voldemort before bed. Same effect as reading Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien.

• Under Drake’s Flag by G.A. Henty
  • A journey from youth to manhood and a roaring adventure. This book is one of the many Henty has written.
  • This book follows Henty’s basic story plot (Young man goes out in the world to make something of himself and rescues a young maiden and eventually marries her or his best friend’s sister/cousin). Despite the “basic story plot,” I really do enjoy his books from time to time. This time I met Sir Francis Drake and battled pirates, swam with sharks, and met the Spaniards!
  • Check out the great audio adaptations by Heirloom Audio Productions.

• Princess Before Dawn by E. D. Baker
  • It was just released this year! This book is #7 in the Wide Awake Princess series.
  • This book is what I’d call reading candy or a “read-in-one-afternoon-er”. The writing style is very easy to read. I enjoyed catching up with some of my favorite characters. Characters from Baker’s other series, the Frog Princess, appeared. I’m not sure how I feel about characters from different sets crisscrossing into others…one hand it’s nice to hear from them again…on the other hand, it’s irritating when you wanted to catch up with one set only.
  • I also re-read the entire series to refresh my memory. A nice, light, and quick read!

What books did you read this summer? Have you read any of these books?