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Yes, we all know them, and most of us hate them. What have you had to read this summer?

Me? I had to read FIVE books. 2 for English, and 3 for AP History. I had to read The Scarlet Letter and Farenheit[sp?] 451 for English and for History I had to read Decision In Philidelphia; The Constitutional Convention of 1787 [which I still have yet to read] Triangle, the Fire that Changed America, and Fallen Angles. And write a report on each of the last three.

THe last two weren't that bad; I especially loved Fallen Angels, which was a fiction novel about the Vietnam War. I disliked both The Scarlet Letter and Farenheit[sp?] 451. The former was too dry and wordy, and the latter just didn't sit right with me.

So what books do you have to read this year, and what do you think of them?

I loved both A Separate Peace and Fahrenheit 451. I think it's just a matter of personal taste. I didn't start on the classics until my later teen years. That's probably why I'm such a Vonnegut/DeLillo fan. Then again, I spent two years reading dog/cat breed books. Anything with fiction is probably a relief for me.

I would love to be assigned large, weighty books and told to dissect them for themes and stylistic choices. Hand me a math textbook, and I will sit on the floor and cry.

I'm reading Peeps and The Secret Hour, both by Scott Westerfeld for novel research. I love that I can do that. Justify buying good books for the sake of getting a clearer understanding of my subject matter.
However, I Am Legend will have to wait until next paycheck. (I didn't find out until after we watched the movie that it was based on a book.(I also need to pick up my own copy of Dracula.))

Have you ever assigned books to yourself? Did you find it fun, or did it turn you off from the books you wanted to finish?