2014 Summer Reading List

I love to read, but with all the writing I do, plus homeschooling, plus my part time job, I don't really get a lot of time to do so. I have found that this has made my writing suffer, reading and writing go hand in hand. So I decided I'm going to have to find the time to read.

Since Sam doesn't really like to read, I decided to make both of us try a summer reading challenge. We're both going to try to read seven to 10 books, and we'll be keeping a log for accountability.

Sam actually reading!!

I've been wanting to try this since last summer, but I hadn't found any books that actually looked interesting. But yesterday, I got an email from Jungle Deals with the usual Free Amazon Kindle books. I ended up finding eight books that I couldn't wait to delve into, one of which was Eden, Dawn: The Chronicles of Paradise.

I'm in love with this book.

It's a sci-fi novel that takes place on a different planet that we have colonized after the Earth blew up. Literally. The colonists, or clans as they're called in the book, have survived on this planet for 10 years, but have had to endure attacks by humanoid aliens and large vulture-like birds of prey.

The book has a Lord of the Flies feel to it. It is a coming of age novel, but the age bracket is between about 15 and 25. I wasn't a fan of Lord of the Flies, but I can't put this book down. The author has done an amazing job telling the story from the main character's perspective. You feel like you're in his brain having his thoughts. It's really a great read. Highly recommended.

What else is on my summer reading list? Here's what I'll be reading in no particular order:

1. Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner

2. Edge of Light, The (At Home in Beldon Grove Book #1) by Ann Shorey

3. Blindsided (A Thriller) by Jay Giles

4. Watershed: A Memoir (Homeless Teen's True Story) by Stefan Magi Fionn

5. Have Mercy by K. Trace

6. Revolution in the Underground by S.J. Michaels

7. Service: A Soldier's Journey: Counterintelligence, Law Enforcement, and the Violence of Urban Education by Dennis Nappi II

8. The Death of the Wave by G.L. Adamson

9. The Decay:A Post-Apocalyptic Tale of Survival by Roger Hayden

10. Flare by Paul Grzegorzek

11. Crash (Book One) by Michale Robertson

12. Alien Species Intervention: Books 1-3 by J.K. Accini

13. Dangerous Evolution (Sector Series: Book 1) by Gregg Vann

14. The Samantha Project by Stephanie Karpinske

15. The Settlers: Book 1 of The Movement Trilogy by Jason Gurley

16. The Star Agency (The Star Agency Chronicles) by R.E. Weber

17. Fire Mage (An Epic Fantasy Adventure Series) (Blacklight Chronicles Book 1) by John Forrester

18. The Cerulean Star: LIBERTY by Sharon Cramer

19. Everflame by Dylan Lee Peters

I've alread started Eden, Dawn: The Chronicles of Paradise, so I haven't listed it, but it will be on my finalized reading list. (I should note that the links in this post are affiliate links; however, I got all of these books for free, and most of them are still free, including Eden, Dawn.)

You may have noticed an overall theme here. I've never really been a fan of reading science fiction. In fact, I've never really enjoyed sci-fi TV shows or movies until about 10 years ago when I met my hubby. So when I went looking for books to read this summer, I found myself gravitating to the dystopian sci-fi novels over the medical thrillers I typically enjoyed. I was also shocked by how quickly Eden, Dawn grabbed my attention. Apparently, my husband has had more of an influence on me than I'd like to admit.

Of course, Sam won't be reading all of the books on my reading list, although she may finish Eden, Dawn. I'll be honest, I really don't care what she reads, as long as she's reading. She's free to pick out any book she wants, as long as she actually reads it.

I know what you're thinking. "But what about the violence and sex?" I typically don't read anything that would have a gratuitous sex scene in it, and if I find one, I lose all interest in the book. It's just not for me, and Sam isn't remotely interested in that kind of thing yet. She still thinks people kissing is gross. So sex isn't really an issue.

As for the violence, I let her play Gears of War 3 and Call of Duty. Any violence in a book isn't going to be any worse than what she has seen in a video game or even on TV. We've made sure that she understands that what she is seeing/reading/watching isn't real, but what she does in video games and what she sees on TV is unacceptable behavior.

That said, I did help her pick out a few books that she was interested in, and then I added a few I thought she might like. Here's what Sam's list looks like, again in no particular order.

1. I'm Only Human After All (The Empowerment Series) by Alex I. Rogers

2. Andy Smithson: Blast of the Dragon's Fury, Book 1 by L.R.W. Lee

3. Fierce Winds and Fiery Dragons (Dusky Hollows) by Nan Sweet

4. MYSTERY OF THE EGYPTIAN SCROLL (Zet Mystery Case) by Scott Peters

5. Guardians Inc.: The Cypher (Guardians Incorporated) by Julian Rosado-Machain

6. Wings of Fire, Book One: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

7. Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner

8. Flare by Paul Grzegorzek

9. The Samantha Project by Stephanie Karpinske
   

   The Chronicles of Dragon: The Hero, The Sword and The Dragons by Craig Halloran

You might have noticed a bit of theme here too. Sam loves dragons, and she seems to have picked books that involve dragons in one way or another. I picked out a couple of them, including The Samantha Project. Okay, I admit it, I picked that one just for the title, but then I read the synopsis and actually sounded pretty good.

I'm curious to see how many of these books Sam and I will get through this summer, but I'm really excited about it. Mainly because it's like we have our own little book club!

What are you reading this summer? I'd love to hear your suggestions!