With 80° temperatures and bright, early mornings, it is obvious that the new season is almost here, and as summer is rapidly approaching; it’s the perfect time to look at what others are reading and start brainstorming for yourself. While most high school students choose a book depending on its genre or reviews, sometimes the literature they pick is based upon the amount of time available to them.
“When I go to the beach I like to have something that’s easy to pick up and put down, and not super plot heavy like romance and fiction, but if I really have the time, then I prefer an audiobook with more educational themes,” Walpole High School student Norah Finn said.
However, not everybody’s book selections depend upon their reading spots. Instead, other student readers chose to focus on their desired book’s plot and genre. By choosing a book dependent on the genre, the reader can ensure that they will have a book they are more likely to enjoy.
“I’m planning to read ‘Between Two Fires’ by Christopher Brown, a medieval horror. This book seems interesting to me because of the hectic environment the two main characters will go through,” WHS student Richard Bock said.
While selecting a book based on genre suits some students, others at WHS prefer to read a book for its short length. Although this way of selecting defeats the purpose of reading for some, others see a short book to be more beneficial since it frees up more space for other summertime activities.
“I am reading ‘The Mist’ by Stephen King with Mr. Connolly [for my school’s summer reading requirement]. I chose this book because it’s short and I’ve already read it. Over the summer I’m going to be pretty busy and I want to enjoy other aspects of my vacation, so I definitely want a shorter book,” WHS student Konstantin Brennan said.
With students that have already chosen their summer books, it’s clear that they are all looking forward to reading this summer, but they aren’t the only ones. Teachers and faculty at WHS are also eager to read.
“I have a stack of books I’m planning to read this summer. I’m definitely planning to read a thriller by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I really like them as authors, and they already have a whole series of books I’ve previously enjoyed. I’m also interested in history books and I have a book about Tudor England I’d like to read, and since I’ve already read the first one, I’m excited to read this one as well,” WHS Chemistry teacher Daniel Mullaney said.
Nevertheless, while some WHS teachers enjoy reading physical books, others enjoy listening to audiobooks. With modern technology, it’s easy to find almost every book and piece of literature online. From audiobooks to free online libraries, teachers utilize these technological advancements for their own convenience.
“I don’t really read anymore because I fall asleep. So instead, I listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts. For summer reading, I love reading the list Mrs. Lamar organizes. I’ll go to that all year long to get book suggestions; that’s where I got [Kristin Hannah’s] ‘The Women’ from. Also, last year for summer reading I chose ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ by Richard Osman, and he has a new book coming out that I’m interested in looking into over the summer,” WHS Geometry teacher Caitlin Sullivan said.
From an endless variety of book genres, it’s obvious that WHS students and faculty are ready to read this summer. With vacation so near, hopefully these summer reading picks will influence some and resonate with others!
