A Tale of Amazing Books - and unmotivated children. . .

As a life-long word nerd, books are among my very favorite things.

I am always in the middle of at least three, and, now that I have discovered Thriftbooks with its free shipping with $10 purchase, I always have more books en route to my house.

I want them all.

So, today, I was looking over my Summer reading list (or at least the first part of it) and it didn't take long for my wandering train of thought to start thinking on my all-time favorites.

After giving it some serious thought, I even came up with the list:

My Favorite Books - So Far (in no particular order)

1. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

2. Love Is A Mix Tape - Rob Sheffield

3. Beach Music - Pat Conroy

4. The Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning

5. Love Does - Bob Goff

6. The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein 

7. Harry Potter. All of them. (Nerds rule, y'all.)

8. Raw Faith - Kasey Van Norman

9. The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran

10. The Complete Collected Poems Of Maya Angelou

11. Our Town - Thornton Wilder

12. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

13. Walden - Henry David Thoreau

14. A Simple Path - Mother Teresa

15. All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten - Robert Fulghum

16. New & Selected Poems - Mary Oliver

And there are so many more I love that aren't included here. And the quest continues for my next favorite. . . ;)

And I have my reads for the next several weeks:

This week, I am rereading Raw Faith, getting ready to hear the author speak this weekend (yay!!!) and I also have a collection of Allen Ginsberg poetry and a book about learning the ukulele to add to the stack that aren't pictured.

So I'm all set for a bit.

I LOVE to read.

And I raised my children to love books as well.

I've read to these children from birth. I've bought them countless books. I've encouraged literature in every way.

So what has gone awry?

It seems that none of them have any assigned summer reading, and, despite my encouraging them to pick up a book, I am watching their brains break a little more each day as they watch TV and listen to songs about butts.

Every day I believe they are losing a few IQ points.

If current trends continue, by August, they may not be able to read at all.

I must intervene.

So, what happens to teenagers who ignore their mother's polite suggestions that they read for pleasure?

They get to read against their will.

Painful reading.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, anyone?

Or maybe some Dickens?

For Whom The Bell Tolls should be fascinating to those who passed up the opportunity to choose their own literature.

Oh, and since my daughters truly loved seeing Les Mis, I see no reason they shouldn't both find the novel equally enjoyable. . . ;)

I'm so serious, y'all.

School has been out less than two weeks and not a thought has been thunk by anyone under 21 in our home that I can tell.

So, today, I am going to offer them one more chance to select their own book, begin reading it, and discuss it with me. I'm only going to mention it once.

When I get home from work in the morning, if they have no book to show me, and no thoughts to share, assigned reading it is.

I'll even throw in book reports and red pens for good measure.

It is the only way to stop the madness. ;)