How do I Make a Summer Book List?

For adults, summer may no longer signal the beginning of a long vacation, but the season remains a time to rest and relax. Making a summer book list is a great way to plan for any hours you can steal for yourself, whether you are relaxing by the beach or simply sitting outside on a warm evening. You can create a summer book list by focusing on subjects you want to learn more about or places you'd like to visit, or embrace the season by choosing books purely for entertainment.

One excellent way to plan a summer book list is to choose a subject you want to learn more about. If you want to learn about things like Greek philosophy, Shakespeare, or gardening, check bookstores or online sites for titles on that subject. Summer books should be somewhat relaxing to reflect the season, so do not weigh yourself down with too much ponderous information. Instead of reading dense historical analyses or technical manuals, try finding stories set in the time period you are interested in, biographies, historical fiction, or books that involve the hobby you are interested in.

If you can't make it to the Caribbean or Hawaii this year, make your summer book list a vacation-on-paper. Read several books about the place or places you’d like to visit. Travel memoirs are particularly interesting, as they can give you a real feel for the place. Try reading a book about the history of the area, or even take a leisurely browse through travel guidebooks. If you have a trip planned months ahead, this can give you a chance to learn local information and discover what you would most like to see on your vacation.

Never underestimate the power of a good trashy novel. These books, available by the hundreds at most bookstores, are not generally considered excellent examples of literature, but they can be quite entertaining. If you find your attention drifting while trying to concentrate on heavy ideas, there's nothing wrong with a completely shallow adventure, horror, or romance novel. Authors like Stephen King, Maeve Binchy, or V.C. Andrews can provide you with more than enough lazy reading material to last a dozen summers.

If you have an author you particularly enjoy, try reading as many of his or her books as you can for your summer book list. If you have already read everything by one author, you can find great new writers by asking other fans for recommendations of similar authors. If you don't have a particular favorite author, choose one at random from your favorite genre. You never know when you will discover a treasure.

A summer book list can be a great way to get young people excited about reading. Many libraries publish lists of age appropriate material for children. This is also a wonderful time to introduce children or young adults to your favorite books from your youth. Make weekly library trips with your children, and choose a subject together to read about. Instilling a love of reading in kids will benefit them for their entire lives.

Your summer book list does not have to cost you a lot of money. For free books, join a local library or set up a book-exchange deal with one of your friends. Used books are available inexpensively at secondhand book stores and some antique shops, as well as online.