I'm well behind pace in my reading this year. I always say I "average" a book a week, for 52 or so books a year, but I usually exceed that by a fair margin. This year, I'm quite slow. Only 16 so far - even though at least two were "doorstops."

So two weeks ago, when I realized I hadn't even considered my summer reading list, I was worried. But when I finally sat down to compose it, the list came flowing straight out. Easy-peasy, less than an hour's contemplation, for sure.

The fact I've been using the same nine categories for years, I'm sure, helps considerably. Three books for each month of summer. Things that make me happy and better-rounded. Plenty of room left for serendipity and other titles. Here goes:

The list.

1. A baseball book - "Pete Rose: An American Dilemma" by Kostya Kennedy. Reading a baseball book - fiction or non-fiction - is a summer tradition. Thanks, Casey Awards for the ready-made list. 

2. A Michael Chabon book - "Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces." This was both tough and incredibly easy. I've read all of Chabon's books, except some very hard to get screenplays and graphic novels. Luckily, he has a new book out this month. It's an anthology of his magazine essays, in the mode of "Maps and Legends," but it's better than none!

3. An Ian McEwan book - "First Love, Last Rites." I've read all of McEwan's recent stuff, so I have to reach way back into the Ian Macabre phase, which I like less, but it needs to be done. At least there's a new McEwan adaptation coming out in theaters soon.

4. A Neglected Classic - "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket," Edgar Allen Poe's only novel. Not one that was really on my radar, but read entry five for more "why." 

5. A recent "big" book - "Pym" by Mat Johnson. I have the opportunity to hear Johnson read in June, and I think it's time to read his novel, inspired by Poe's, as listed above. 

6. A YA book - "Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld. A steampunk, World War I revisionist novel? Yes, please. 

7. A Play - "Three Tall Women" by Edward Albee. It's in revival on Broadway right now with Laurie Metcalf. You know I won't make it to Manhattan, so I'd better finally read it.

8. A Recommendation from a Friend - "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi. My friend, Laura, suggested it. She didn't have to suggest very hard, because I was already meaning to read it. And she loaned me her copy!

9. The book I didn't read from last year's list - "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte. There's one every year. This year's will probably be the Chabon, just because it's new and might be hard to acquire through library means.

Well, that's it. I'll post a list on the booklikes list app. Will you read along with me? What's on your list for Summer '18? 

-cg

Looking for a book that you can do with your young children or readers. Angel on assignment is a good one. It got a craft that will let your readers or young children create an angel to sit on a shelf.

It tell the story of Jesus and the meaning about angels mostly. Angels are around us everyday and everywhere. We just may not see them until we need them. They are there protecting us and helping us when we need them. All we have to do is ask our lord.

The pictures are down well. The author portray and help teach us and children about angels. This is good for any age group. Parents if you want to get a book that you want your children to learn about or be taught this book is one for them. Even if you do just want it for yourself. It good to have around.

I Love a Book is done well. I love the pictures and it keeps me fantastic. Young Children would love looking at the pictures for hours. It would keep them to turning the page. The story is sweet as well. I believe it rhymes and make it more of a poem for parts of it.

The author does a wonderfully with it. It also might about the author when he was a young boy. You have young children that love books will this book talk about books throughout. It great for readers and parents but also for children that want learn about books a bit as well.

The Englisher appear the focus of this story or mostly part of the story. Beverly does do this gradually. Annie Zook has some struggles to keep the promises that she made with her father who by the way is the preachers.

We go through the struggles with Annie. There another struggle that going on as well. Zeke is struggling with something and it does take the whole book to figure it out. There are surprises and twists throughout the book.

Ben Martin as come to Amish county and has his own secrets. He comes to work in the tack shop. He keeps his secret of what brought him there. He seems to run into Annie. Lou had come and is staying with her pen pal Annie. Lou is embracing the Amish and their ways. Will Lou be back or will she leave.

Ida Sinclair is headed to Cripple Creek. She must first graduate from Business school. There someone that tries and mess that up with her. Her professor see her skills and is intruding and asks Ida to meet him at his office to chat after she done with her duties.

Ida just want a job in the business world? Will she get it in New York or will she go to Cripple Creek? That her plan to go to Cripple Creek to be with her sisters Nell and Kat along. Her father want he to. Her little sister Vivian is to join them the next summer.

Tucker Raines is asked to come to Cripple Creek by his mother. He arrives a day or so before Ida Sinclair. He left his sister to come help out. He finds out his father is ill and he got to take over the family business “The Raines Ice Company”. Tucker finds that having his mother and father stay in Colorado Springs so that his father can stay at the hospital is the best option and care.

Tucker finds out what the real reason and his father is in debt. How will Tucker pull his family business out of debt but also pay for his sister Willow care as well. Tucker runs into Ida Sinclair for the first time at the depot with his mother and father.

There are surprises as you turn the pages. What will happen to Tucker and Ida? Mona get you hooked and you can't be let go. You also learn about the Cripple Creek around that time period in history.