What's on your summer reading list?

What's on your summer reading list? I must admit that I don't really have a "list," but I should have some books in a stack that I want to read. At least that would be some type of organization system and I could just work my way down through the stack. I tend to use the scatter method whereby I put books at the bottom of our stairs, on the dresser, in the car, or just about anywhere. And I always have one in my bag for work, just in case I have a minute at lunch when I can read. You may be wondering, "Where does she get all of her books?" Well, I get many of them from my mother in Kentucky, an avid reader herself. It's not unusual for her to get a bag full of books for Christmas, and after she reads them she's always willing to share them with us.  I get most of my books from the public library, so I rarely purchase a book. Although I don't spend money on books very often, I still like to wander through the aisles and see what is available so that I can search for them online at the library. 

"You are as close to us as breathing, yet

You are farther than the farthermost star."

-Gates of Prayer: The New Union Prayer Book (as quoted by Poliner) 

This weekend I will finish reading a novel by Elizabeth Poliner, As Close To Us As Breathing (2016). This would be a good book for summer because much of is takes place on a beach in Connecticut. The story takes place in a small part of Woodmont, Connecticut at "Bagel Beach," a Jewish community where a family has a cottage that they enjoy together for many years. The women and children spend the summers there, while the men come after work on Fridays to spend the weekends. Ada, Vivie, and Bec are the three sisters who are the backbone of the family after the death of their parents, and they enjoy their tradition of going to the cramped cottage for many years to come. But life isn't easy for them, and they struggle with career choices, marriages, guilt, grief, and forgiveness. But they always look forward to repeating the same traditions each and every summer because this is comforting to them. For example, the children enjoy buying ice cream every summer from the Good Humor man, so this is just part of what they do at the beach. Poliner does a nice job with her characterization. She depicts the characters as being like all of us, people who have great inner qualities but also have flaws. I think you'll enjoy this book this summer, so pick it up somewhere and read about Davy, Mort, Nelson, and Leo. You'll learn about Jewish traditions along the way and you'll enjoy the ride. 

Now I have a fun anecdote to share about something that happened to me yesterday at the school where I teach English as a Second Language. I was reading a skit with a group of second-graders. One of them read their part and it went something like this, "And the farmer brought 100 ears of corn to the feast." The kids started laughing and a flag immediately went up in my mind. I love it when they laugh (as long as it's "appropriate" laughter!) so I asked them, "Are you laughing at the phrase 'ears of corn'"? They admitted that it was funny to them because corn cannot have an ear! It was so cute, so funny...one of those cherished moments when I get to teach them something that we take for granted. I acted out how an ear of corn grows, how you shuck it, and how you cook it. Then I asked them what they like to put on their corn-on-the-cob and they said things like mayonnaise, crema, and cheese. Yes, they mixed in a little bit of Spanish but I knew what they meant. They definitely eat their corn a little differently than the way I eat it! And that, my friends, is why I LOVE TEACHING THESE CHILDREN. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo, and have a great weekend!

-Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
www.onegoodbookblog.blogspot.com