Summer Reading

Some freebies for you—a bingo card and a reading log

Does anyone else miss summer reading? Just me?

I loved filling out those forms (I think completing the form was as much fun as the reading) and turning them in at my local library. Not to mention Pizza Hut’s own BOOK IT program (which they’re bringing back!).¹

Source

If you’re like me and enjoy summer reading challenges and/or logs, I’ve created a bingo challenge and reading log for your summer enjoyment! No prizes come with it, alas; I’ll leave that up to you.

One of the bingo squares does suggest reading a book pictured in one of the ALA Celebrity READS posters that were oh, so popular in the ’90s and ’00s; for inspo, consider one writer’s amusing take on “100 of the Greatest Posters of Celebrities Urging You to Read.” (I have not vetted the books mentioned, aside from any spotlighted below, and recommend doing your due diligence prior to reading.) I was always partial to the Orlando Bloom poster, and might have had it on display in a prior apartment. 😇

Need some recommendations to fill your bingo card? Read on!

ALA Celebrity READS books

• J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan (the audiobook is delightful)

• The Story of Ferdinand, The Little Engine That Could, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree

• J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

• C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

• Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham

• J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

• Beatrix Potter, The Complete Tales²

• Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (also excellent as an audiobook narrated by Tim Curry, or in this hardback edition illustrated by Joe Sutphin)

• Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (also excellent as an audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens)

Short story

• O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi”

• Joe Wheeler, “Christmas in My Heart” series (I’m partial to “Evensong,” in volume 30)

• Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” or “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”

Funny book

• Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

• Pepper Basham, Some Like It Scot

Fairy tale

• Emma C. Fox, The Carver and the Queen

• Allison Tebo, The Reluctant Godfather

• Suzannah Rowntree, The City Beyond the Glass

Translated from another language

• Tonke Dragt, The Letter for the King³ and The Secrets of the Wild Wood

Graphic novel

• John Hendrix, The Mythmakers

Dystopian novel

• Megan Schaulis, The Susa Chronicles series

• Sara Ella, The Curious Realities duology

• Kristen Young, Collective Underground series

• Kara Swanson, Heirs of Neverland duology

• Keira Cass, The Betrothed series

Book with magic in it

• C. S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia series

• Lloyd Alexander, The Chronicles of Prydain series

• J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

• J.D. Peabody, The Inkwell Chronicles series

Book set in the Pacific Northwest

• Daniel James Brown, The Boys in the Boat

• Elizabeth Goddard, Hidden Bay series

Nonfiction book

• Daniel James Brown, The Boys in the Boat (also great as an audiobook, narrated by Edward Herrmann)

• Joseph Loconte, The War for Middle-earth

• Andrew Peterson, The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom

Book set in the American South

• Elizabeth Musser, The Swan House series and From the Valley We Rise

• Kimberly Brock, The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare

• Mary Ellis, Secrets of the South Mysteries series

Book about a form of art

• Erin Bartels, The Lady with the Dark Hair

• Cary Elwes, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride (excellent as an audiobook)

• Diana Pavlac Glyer, Clay in the Potter’s Hands

• Andrew Peterson, Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making

Biography

• Alfred Lansing, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage

• Diana Pavlac Glyer, The Major and the Missionary: The Letters Of Warren Hamilton Lewis And Blanche Biggs

• Harry Lee Poe, Becoming C. S. Lewis, The Making of C. S. Lewis: From Atheist to Apologist, and The Completion of C. S. Lewis: From War to Joy

Audiobook

• Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Richard Armitage narrating)

• Bram Stoker, Dracula (full-cast narration)

Book set in summertime

• (fiction) Rachel Hauck, The Best Summer of Our Lives

• (nonfiction/memoir) David Shalleck, Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France’s Côte d’Azur and Italy’s Costa Bella⁴

Book that became a movie

• Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion

Mystery

• Jaime Jo Wright, The House on Foster Hill

• Lorena McCourtney, The Ivy Malone Mystery series

Classic book

• F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

• John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley: In Search of America

• Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Book set in Oceania

• Kara Isaac, Then There Was You and Close to You

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Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Other ways to support The Chapter House include buying me a book—literally! This wish list allows you to do just that—and odds are good that your selection will show up in one of my monthly book roundup posts.

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1. If only my adult metabolism and cholesterol levels would allow participation without repercussions.

2. I love that Ewan McGregor is holding a Beatrix Potter book. If you’ve not seen the movie Miss Potter, that’s an absolutely worthy movie to see.

3. I sadly cannot recommend Netflix’s series based on The Letter for the King, which is unfortunate. The book is incredible; the series is only based on it in the loosest sense of the word, and changes the book so much, I had to stop watching. I was doubly sad because it stars David Wenham. #FaramirFangirl

4. I’ve read this book at least four times—I love it. I also must add it has some language and allusions to on-shore “activities.” Just want to toss in that disclaimer so you know.

That aside, much like Kathleen Kelly is “always in agony over whether Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are going to get together,” I always wonder if Shalleck will be able to satisfy the demanding la Signora; if he’ll survive the summer onboard Serenity (and what will happen if he doesn't); and how long it will take before Captain Patrick and First Mate Kevin will just come to blows in the tiny fo'c'sle (or maybe in the even smaller galley).