Christopher Rush

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of heading into summer break is the welcome return of “world enough and time” to get back to more authentic leisure.  Part of that anticipation is the opportunity finally to read the books we have been wanting to read for awhile, now that the daily obligations of math problems, required reading, projects, studying, and other important but time-consuming aspects of the typical school day are set aside for a time.  True, there is still a paltry amount of required summer reading to be done, though that is not too much of a burden, now given the freedom to choose one book from a diverse list of high-quality options (the foreign language reading is already selected, but they are quite terse).  Before you start to think you are the only ones looking forward to the time to choose what you want to enjoy, please note the teachers are as well.  For some of us, the summertime looks to be even busier than the school year — hopefully this is only for a season, and soon we can all be-at-work only as much as we need to so we can fully be-at-leisure.  Keeping in mind, of course, that genuine leisure is a solitary lifestyle of knowing and worshipping God, and that reading, discussing, and working are all aspects of life to help prepare for that, here is a list of things I’m hoping to read this summer.  Feel free to use this as a more specific guide to help you choose what you may enjoy reading this summer for extra credit or simply for their own intrinsically valuable experiences.  Don’t be too impressed, though — when the school year rolls back around, I’ll probably have only read two or three.  G.I. Joe is not going to watch itself.

Like I said, this is an ideal list — undoubtedly the schedule ahead will not permit the time for enjoying all of these works, and that’s not so bad, either.  The point is it’s important to have a plan when going into situations like this.  Always have a book with you, wherever you go.  Always keep your book list of what you want to get with you at all times.  You never know when something will happen.  Yes, spontaneity is a good thing in certain circumstances, but if you head into the summer thinking “well, I’ll get to it,” you won’t.  Make a plan, make some lists, and keep them handy.   Remember: leisure isn’t something you “make time” for— it’s a lifestyle and a lifetime of observing the world around you and getting to know God better so you can worship Him accurately the rest of your days.

Enjoy the summer!