Summer Reading Challenge 📖🌞📚

Join me on a journey at a library.

Hello summer vacationers, jugglers, and book lovers of all ages,

As a child growing up, I loved the vacation break from school; swimming at the pool, playing games and sports with friends, and the reading challenge at the local library. I would jump on my bike, pedal to the local library, and check out a stack of books to enjoy.

I would challenge myself each season to reach my book challenge objective. Some of my favorites were Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, sports and fun activities such as learning how to juggle, and mysteries from the Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie.

Some of my favorite childhood books | © Kacey Carpenter

The Summer Tradition Continues 📚

Fast forward to the present, my passion for warm weather outdoor activities, juggling, and reading has persisted for nearly six decades.

This year, I’m off to a great start enjoying the warm weather with forest hikes, lake paddles, riverside walks, juggling, and reading as much as possible.

I joined my local library's Summer Reading Challenge with programs for kids, teens, and adults. I even stand a chance to win prizes with a weekly gift card drawing and a grand prize for two nights on the Oregon coast at the Sylvia Beach Hotel.

Let’s go!

Summer Library Challenge | © Kacey Carpenter

My Summer Reading Goals

I have a long list and a big stack of books on my desk, by my bed, and around the house, immersing myself in mysteries, thrillers, courtroom dramas, and non-fiction. My goal is to read more than 50 books.

Here are some of my favorite reads so far:

• A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz: This murder mystery follows Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and his biographer, Anthony Horowitz, as they solve a brutal crime at a literary festival. The festival takes place on Alderney, an idyllic island off the south coast of England, where a local grandee is found dead under mysterious circumstances.

• Alex Cross’s Trial: This novel, part of James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, is a historical mystery set in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. The story is told by Alex Cross to his children, recounting the tale of his great uncle Abraham. The protagonist, Ben Corbett, is a lawyer who takes tough cases, many opposing racism and oppression.

• The Breaks of the Game” by David Halberstam: This sports history is a well-written and detailed account of the Portland Trail Blazers’ 1979–1980 NBA season. It offers a history of the NBA, discusses the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers NBA championship squad, the life of departed star Bill Walton, and the struggles of Kermit Washington after his 1977 suspension.
  

  What are you reading this summer?

Books for summer | © Kacey Carpenter

I hope this story inspires you to embark on your summer reading journey. And for those who don’t read traditional books, try an e-book or podcast this summer.

Happy summertime reading and adventures friends!