What's Your Favorite Summer Read?

Guest blogger Charity Kinneer teaches high school reading and literature. Normally she comes up with creative ways to entice students to read over the summer. In this blog post, she ponders and shares her favorite summer reads. Read through it yourself and share what your favorite books are.

The question is always inevitable whenever people find out what it is exactly that I teach.  They always ask, “What’s your favorite book?”  It was this very question that got me thinking about my newest blog post.  So I’ve decided to give you a list of my five summer must- reads and why I love them.  I hope that you find at least one in this list that suits your fancy. 

1. 1.) Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  Okay, who am I kidding???  ANYTHING by this woman will do.  She is by far one of my all time favorite authors and if I ever finish writing a book or get up enough courage to start one, I hope to write like she does.  She is AMAZING!  This book is actually over 20 years old and I originally read it as a teenager.     "Redeeming Love" is set in 1850 during the California Gold Rush.  The story follows Angel (a prostitute) and Michael Hosea (a farmer).  This tale is not a new one and is actually an allegory of the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible.   http://francinerivers.com/
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   2.) Matched by Ally Condie.  I first found this book in my school’s library when I was trying to find something to read because I was bored.   Did I just admit that??  "Matched" is actually the first in a trilogy with the last one due out in November of 2012.  If you enjoy the dystopian books of late, you’ll enjoy this one.  (Think "The Giver")  It is the story of Cassia and her disillusionment with her seemingly perfect society.  In this society officials decide everything about your life, who you marry, your job and even when you die.  Cassia is content to go along with the flow until during her partner matching a ”glitch” in the system is made.   This glitch causes her to question everything about everything she’s always known.  http://www.matched-book.com/book-matched.html
3. 3.) One for the Money by Janet Evanovich.  If you are looking for a funny, complete escape from reality, this is the book or series for you!  I find it hard to believe that there are still people out there that haven’t heard of Janet Evanovich.  This series has been going and going for years now.  I think "One for the Money" is probably my favorite because most of the books after about the fourth in the series seem to start recycling ideas and quotes.  There is some raunchiness in the series so if you’re not into that, don’t read them.  My favorite character is probably Grandma Mazur.  She reminds me so much of my own grandmother!  Completely hilarious and full of spit and fire!  Gotta love it!  http://www.evanovich.com/novels/plum-series/
4. 4.) Ciao, Bella by Ryan M. Phillips.  I stumbled upon this book after a friend gave me a gift card for Barnes and Nobel.  (She knows me well!!)  This is the story of Isabelle Mackenzie, a 30 year old single gal who undergoes a nationally aired makeover campaign at the request of her two best friends.  She decides to take the opportunity to reinvent herself and in the process she realizes that the life she thought she wanted could not compare to the one that she already had.  http://www.ryanmphillips.com/
5. 5.)  The Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker.  This book will make your head hurt but in a good way.  I consider myself pretty intelligent but when I read ANYTHING by Ted Dekker, I expect to have to reread passages a couple of times just to get them to make sense.  He fully stretches your mind and imagination while reading and it’s a surprisingly enjoyable experience.  This particular story follows Seth, a genius, and Miriam, a Saudi princess as they become fugitives fighting for survival, armed only with Seth’s uncanny ability to see the future in the blink of an eye.  http://www.teddekker.com/library/blink-of-an-eye/

I hope that somewhere in the list you find at least one book that calls to you!  And don't forget to tell me what your favorite books are here!