Summer Reading

I remember, in elementary school, our teachers always giving us lists of books to pick up at the public library and read over the summer. The teachers would encourage us to set a goal for ourselves as to how many books we wanted to read over the summer.

As this semester comes to a close, I'm feeling inspired to do this very thing again. I have compiled a little list of books that I would like to read before the end of the summer. My list varies greatly from different books of the Bible to novels to poetry.

I am a very busy guy and often don't have time to read so my list only contains four books. I work full-time, go to school, teach Sunday school, and spend a lot of time with my family. These things are very rewarding but very taxing also. So, I'm going to keep my goal realistic so I have a better chance of actually achieving it.

The first book I'd like to read is the book of Acts in the Bible. Growing up Pentecostal, I have read through this book more times than I can count. However, I have always read it in "study-form" if you will. I have always taken it one verse at a time, dissecting its every word and adding my own commentary as I went along. This summer, I would like to read the book through like a story. No stopping to do research on every other verse and no internet searches for words in the original Greek text. I'm determined to read it all the way through and concentrate on the actual stories the book contains and not just the doctrines and lessons it teaches.

The second book I'd like to read is a book called "Poems for New Orleans". I picked this book of poetry up when I visited New Orleans last summer and I have still to read one poem. The book seems very interesting. It is a compilation of different poems from various artists around the country. Some are from New Orleans and some are not. The poems are all different styles and the artists vary greatly, from high school students to retired poetry professors. The poems focus mostly on the distinct Cajun culture of the city but also focus on famous landmarks, popular events, and the city's history. This book will be a great way to add some great American literature as well as a little culture to my summer.

The third book I plan on reading is called "Kingdom of the Cults". I love religion and I have always been particularly interested in the study of modern cults. ***Disclosure: I am not a cult-member nor do I ever plan to become one! I'm almost normal!*** This book gives a description of almost every known cult of the twenty-first century and tells the history, the culture, and the doctrines of each. I'm excited to read the book and build on my knowledge of world religion its many, many cults. I just hope amazon.com ships it quickly! I'm already tired of waiting!

The final book I plan to read is "Pilgrim's Progress". Again, this book was required reading in school and I must be honest, I did not read it. This particular book I didn't read even one page of. I have a slight idea of what it's about and that is the extent of my knowledge. This book is often considered a classic and it's one of the few "classics" I haven't read. I plan to change that.

I feel that reading keeps people educated. It reminds us of things we learned in school and may have forgotten about, it gives our brain a chance to exercise, and it builds on our knowledge of history, culture, art, and much more! Call me an elementary teacher but I think three months without reading might do our brains too much damage. I've set my goal to see that this does not happen and I plan to achieve it. Call me an under-achiever but 4 books will be a challenge for me! So, bring it on!