Summer Reading: Not All That Lame

Assigned summer reading is easily one of the most dreaded aspects of summer for students the world over. Sure, you have all that time off—time to sleep in, mucho time for friends and fun, and you might even have a vacation on the agenda. But wherever you go and whatever you do, you have a little stack of summer reading list books waiting for you at home, taunting you from the corner: "Read me! Read me!"

But summer reading doesn't have to be bad. In fact there's a good chance you'll discover an author or genre you wouldn't have found otherwise.

My best piece of advice: Don't wait til the last minute to get it done. I always had three books to read over the summer and being the terrible procrastinator that I am, I'd always wait until August to actually look at any of them. That's not so good, especially if you have to write a report on them.

At my school, you got to choose what books you wanted to read from a giant list, which meant you could tailor your reading to suit your needs. If you knew you'd be away most of the summer, you could pick nice fluff books. If you were an overachiever, you could read some really difficult novels you wouldn't have the chance to look at otherwise. Here are few of my favorites from over the years:

- Dracula by Bram Stoker: The original vampire novel. If you like Twilight, at some point you should read this. It might be way old, but Edward wouldn't exist without the Count.

- The Movigoer by Walker Percy: I'm from Louisiana, so this sweet, soul-searching book set in New Orleans was of particular interest. Hollywood has never succeeded in making a film version of this, so you can go into it sans any preconceived notions.

- Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner: Faulkner isn't for everyone and if you're only planning on reading one of his works, you should go with the Sound and the Fury instead because, well, it is a classic. But, if like me you're a bit of a Faulknerfile, then this will be a real treat. Epic Southern dramz.

- Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Okay, I cheated a bit with this one because I read it during the school year, but it's easily one of my most favorite books and I wouldn't have found it if it hadn't been assigned. Heart-breakingly romantic and mysterious, the prose is so dazzling you'll wish you lived in nineteenth-century South America.

See? Sometimes good books sneak up on you when you least expect it!

Have you found any summer reading books that you just love? Share in the comments so we can all experience the literary awesomeness.