The Beginning of the Summer Reading Season!

Here we are, Memorial Day weekend.  First, I would like to take a moment to remember all those in the military who serve so nobly so we can enjoy our Sundays each and every week, and for those who paid the ultimate price.

I also like to think of Memorial Day weekend, not only as the opening of beach/pool season, but also that of the Summer reading season.  While this year, I haven’t put together an in-depth summer reading list, as I’ll be working off my original 2011 Goals list, it should still be a fun summer of reading activity.

I love reading during the summer.  The television isn’t as much of a distraction since most shows are airing re-runs, and hockey season is winding down.  This summer, I’m looking forward to completing my reading of The Arabian Nights, and starting other fascinating books.  Last week I went to the library and managed to pick up a couple of books that I’ll be reading shortly, one a book of short stories, and the other by an author my sister suggested I take a look at.  More on those books in a later post.

I’m hoping to complete my reading of The Arabian Nights in the next couple of days.  I only have two stories remaining, but they’re the longer ones of the book.  Those two stories are “The History of Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp,” and “The History of Ali Baba, and of the Forty Robbers Who Were Killed by One Slave.”  Two stories I’ve been really looking forward to reading from the book.

Even though I don’t have any set summer reading list for the season, there are two books from my list that I’m really looking forward to tackling.  One of those is Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.  Almost two years ago, I read The Fountainhead, and was utterly surprised with how fantastic of a book it is.  Keeping in mind I don’t know very much about Ayn Rand’s philosophical beliefs, but I really wasn’t reading it for those, but for the story itself.  As such, I’m really looking forward to a great story with Atlas Shrugged.

The second book I’m really looking forward to is William Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.  I’ve been really looking forward to reading more about Germany’s Third Reich for quite some time.  I really haven’t enjoyed a great book about German history since I left GW more than 10 years ago, so I’m really looking forward to getting back to some historic reading.

Summer reading season is going to be fun this year, I can feel it.  Do you ever establish summer reading lists?  Or, do you enjoy summer reading more than any other time of the year?