It is crazy to think that I will be graduating with my Bachelor of Arts degree in early May. As excited as I am to graduate, I am really excited for summer! This summer is going to be very exciting because I will be planning for my time at U of I this coming August where I will get my Masters in Library Science. Even though, I will be very busy with that, I am excited about being able to read in my spare time. Being able to read books that I am able to choose has always been one of my favorite parts of summer! I love sitting by my pool with a good book! Below I have listed my personal summer reading list. I hope you find a book that looks interesting and maybe something that you want to read! If you have read one of the books that I've listed, comment and let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!

My Summer Reading List:

1. "Into the Water" by Paula Hawkins

I am really excited about this one! Paula Hawkins is the author of the thriller "Girl on a Train," and her new book, "Into the Water," comes out on May 2nd! I will be buying this one for sure!

2. "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is an incredibly writer which makes me want to read everything that he writes! "Norse Mythology," is his newest book and it explores the Norse myths of Odin, Thor and, Loki. Gaiman always promises his readers entertainment, which makes me really excited to read this new book!

3. "The Handmaid's Tail," by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood is an incredibly smart writer and as someone who hopes to be published one day, I love reading her work and learning from her writing style. I have read a few of Atwood's novel's before but I have wanted to read "The Handmaid's Tale" for awhile now, especially because the TV show is coming out on Hulu. I have heard nothing book good things about this book so if you are looking for a quick read, this is probably the novel for you!

4. "Talking As Fast As I Can" by Lauren Graham

I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan which means I am a huge Lauren Graham fan! I have wanted to read this book since it came out and I am hoping to read it this summer. Something tells me this is going to be a fun read for sitting by the pool.

5. "The Invention of Wings," by Sue Monk Kidd

It has been awhile since I have read anything by Sue Monk Kidd but I love her work. I think she is a fantastic writer. I love the way she works her spirituality into her writing. I have heard great things about "The Invention of Wings," and have wanting to read it for awhile now so hopefully I can this summer!

6. "The Ticking is the Bomb: A Memoir," by Nick Flynn

Nick Flynn is an amazing writer. I will be honest and say that I've only read his short stories but I love the descriptive quality of his writing and his overall use of imagery. Nick Flynn is a poet, memoirist, and a playwright. This book is specifically a memoir about the time right before his daughter was born but he has a couple of other memoirs that I would love to read as well. I am really excited to read this one!

7. "Gertrude and Claudius," by John Updike

My Shakespeare professor told me about this book about a year ago and I still haven't had the chance to read it. If you love Hamlet as much as I do, I think you will enjoy this book! I am definitely going to read it this summer.

8. "Christine," by Stephen King

Stephen King has been one of my favorite writers for a very long time. One book by him that I haven't been able to read, but have really wanted to, was "Christine". I love reading books before they turn into movies and I know that there is a movie out based on "Christine." If you love King like I do, this is definitely something you should read!