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Summer Reading (Challenge)!

I'm unsure if it is a nationwide event but every summer North Yorkshire County Council holds the Summer Reading Challenge in it's libraries. Ever since I moved to where I live now 14 years ago I have had some involvement with the SRC. From the ages of four to eleven I was an eager participant, then from eleven to fourteen I encouraged my sister to do it (though she tended to have a particular love for picture books until she discovered something she liked to read) and finally from fifteen to eighteen I have helped out as a volunteer, whether it be during the summer or encouraging people to do it.

The aim of the Summer Reading Challenge is to get primary school aged children to read (I think) six books throughout the summer holidays. You get a pack full of stickers and a book log and you get little prizes every time you've read a couple of books. I always really, really enjoyed doing this. Not only did it make me addicted to reading and fall in love with the library, it got me into this incessant habit of reading on holiday. Last year I believe I took fourteen books with me for a two week holiday (you do the maths). I read, on average, a book every one or two days. It's bliss, I tell you, bliss!

After having completed my first week of full time work the week before last I took the liberty of heading into town on my day off and picking up a shopping basket in Waterstones and buying quite a few books. I blame my Summer-Reading-Challenge-days entirely.

The books I am going to be taking to France with me are:
Quicksilver by RJ Anderson
Stoner by John L Williams
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
This is what Happy looks like by Jennifer E Smith
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
It's a Kind of Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
The Quantum Universe by Brain Cox and Jeff Forshaw
The House of Rumour by Jake Arnott

I also have on my kindle:
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Geek Girl by Holly Smale
One Seriously Messed-up Week-end: in the Otherwise Un-messed-up Life of Jack Samsonite by Tom Clempson

Let's just say I won't be short for reading material whilst I'm on holiday this year.

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