What I've been reading so far this summer...

I've been reading some pretty interesting books so far this summer...each very unique to its respective genre.  Love them all!  First, I reread Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby so that I would be well prepared to see the recently released movie.  I could only get my hands on the school library's copy, which is missing it's jacket.  I had however, ordered a shirt from my favorite tee shirt shop, Out of Print, and so decided to use the cover that matched my tee for this blog entry.  Although I had read Gatsby in college, I had been asked to read it and it wasn't anything I was excited about.  At that point in my life, I admit to being addicted to romance novels and so Gatsby's premise didn't appeal to me at first.  I read it and liked it.  However, upon this second reading, I picked up a few more of Fitzgerald's subtle details and was shocked to realize the narrator, Nick, was a gay man.  All the signs are there.  Also, most people get caught up in the opulence of Jay Gatsby.  Not me.  I was engrossed in the tragedy of it all.  No spoilers here, but I will say that I had Gatsby's secret figured out long before the author decided to reveal.  I still haven't seen the movie.  :$

Immediately following that classic, I picked up an autobiography my parents donated to our school library... Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson.  I enjoyed reading Phil's perspective of his life with Kay as they raised their four boys and started their Duck Commander business.  It's a quick read, full of voice and humor.  Phil is always inspiring and entertaining, but in this book, he opens up about how his family has evolved over time and why they take such a stand to be conservative Christians.  I admire his candor and loyalty, but especially his honesty.

And finally, I'm finishing up Scarlet, the second book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.  I absolutely LOVE this sci-fi series that spins fairy tales into tales that my young adult readers will not want to put down!  It's a planned 4 book series and I'm so excited to introduce books 1 and 2 to my students this fall.  Scarlet is the Red Riding Hood tale spun in with the first book's Cinderella tale.  Currently, I'm at that point in the plot where everything is falling into place!  I can't wait to finish!  

Happy Reading!
I'm gonna go finish the book now!  
RC