Summer, Summer, Summertime…Time to Sit Back

and Unwind – With a Great Book!

I’m an avid reader.  I actually devour a book and like to think I hold the record time for reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  It arrived at 4 pm, I was finished by 2 pm the next day, and I took time out to go to a Harry Potter festival at the Birmingham Zoo.  What can I say, when I get down with a book, I get down with a book.

So, we decided to put together a list of our favorite books, and a few of yours too.   Let us know what we’re missing and why, as we are always anxious to get a good book recommendation!

Adults:

Our Favorites (in no particular order):

1. Atonement – Ian McEwan
2. Bonfire of the Vanities – Tom Wolfe
3. Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
4. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter – Carson McCullers
5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
   
7. A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
8. Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
9. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius -Dave Eggers
10. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
11. The Awakening – Kate Chopin
12. The Sookie Stackhouse Series – Charlaine Harris

• Guilty Pleasure – The Twilight Series.  Swoon.

Children’s Books

Reader’s Picks:

Ages 0-3

The Little Train That Could

Goodnight Moon – Margaret Wise Brown

Thomas’s Christmas Delivery  – Rev. W. Awdry

Ten Little Ladybugs – Melanie Gerth

Milly Waits For the Mail – Alexander Steffensmeir

Llama Llama Books – Anna Dewdney

Green Eggs and Ham – Dr. Seuss

Mama’s Little Duckling – Marjorie Parker

Love You Forever – Robert N. Munsch, Sheila McGraw

Are You My Mother? – P. D. Eastman

There’s a Monster at the End of this Book – Jon Stone

Best Word Book Ever – R. Scarry

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go – R. Scarry

All Asleep – Joanna Walsh

Mama, Do You Love Me? – Barbara M. Joosse, Barbara Lavallee

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? – Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle

The Cat in the Hat – Dr. Seuss

Fox in Socks – Dr. Seuss

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? – Dr. Seuss

Veggie Tales  – God Made You Special – Greg Fritz

Giraffe and a Half – Shel Silverstein

I Love You Through and Through – Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, Caroline Jayne Church

Roar of a Snore – Marsha Diane Arnold, Pierre Pratt

The Good Humor Man – Kathleen N. Daly

Goodnight Gorilla – Peggy Rathmann

Mommy Kisses – Melissa Miller

Wibbly Pig is Hiding – Mick Inkpen

ABC God Loves Me – The Land of Milk and Honey

Ages 4-6

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus – Mo Willems

Pigs Love Potatoes – Anika Denise

There is a Bird on Your Head – Mo Willems

Froggy Books – Jonathan London

The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson
and Axel Scheffler

I Spy – Jean Marzolla and Walter Wick

Fancy Nancy Series – Jane O’Connor

Dinosaurs Dancing at School – Luella Connolly

Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak

There’s a Wocket in my Pocket – Dr. Seuss

The Wizard – Jack Pelusky

I See a Monster – Laurie Young

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell – Lucille Colandro

A Light in the Attic – Shel Silverstein

Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen

The Wide Mouthed Frog – Keith Faulker

Thanks to the following readers for input on this great list: Shelly G., Jennifer C., Donna S., Lelia M., Elizabeth C., Lindsay W., Melissa R., Courtney G., Sonya L., Kona R., Melissa D., Tiffany P., Aimee G.,
Gloria W., Mandy M., Lee F., Candace S., Amanda Z., Elizabeth W., Holly S., Carolynn W., Elizabeth A., Vanessa J., Kristen B., Kate S., Brandi B., Brandy B., Amanda B., LeeAnn S., Monica H., Kristen L., Carolyn P., Melissa R.

Children / YA

Ages 7-10

My Father’s Dragon – Ruth Stiles Stennett

The Boxcar Children – Gertrude Chandler

A to Z Mysteries – Ron Roy

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series – Jeff Kinney

Goosebumps Series – RL Stine

Magic Tree House Books – Mary Pope Osborne

American Girl Series

Hank, The Cow Dog – John Erickson

Ages 11-14

Twilight Series – Stephanie Meyer

Harry Potter Series – JK Rowling

Sisters Grimm- Michael Buckley

Percy Jackson Series – Rick Riordan

Thanks to the following readers for this great list: Sonya W., Brandi C., Monica E., Shawn S., Brandy B., Melany G., Amy B., Becky C., Tandi S., Holly S., Ruth D.

Got something to add?  Tell us all about it in the comments!