The challenge of summer reading...

Summer. I welcome you with open arms.

Yet, here I stand at the Rod Library on the UNI campus trying to figure out what books I want to checkout. Of course, like any other good student I cannot stand someone telling me what books I should read. So shouldn't I be relishing this freedom?! This complete and utter liberation from professors shoving over-priced copies of Norton Anothologies into my hands and sending me out the door with assignments to read pages 131-287.

Suddenly I find that I'm unable to think for myself about what I truly want to read...deep down. At night I find myself paging through the anthologies checking out a poem here, a short story there. Where do I start?!?!

I've already read a couple of novels I had laying around the house and never got around to.
Here's my summer reading list as of today. It is an eclectic mix of authors and content but I'd like to believe its a good start and I've enjoyed it so far (the novels I've already finished are in red):

Animal Farm by George Orwell
Birthright by Nora Roberts
The Lovely Bones by Jane
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult*
Sula by Toni Morrison*
Paradise by Toni Morrison
Love by Toni Morrison
American Pastoral by Phillip Roth


*Denotes a highly recommended choice