Summer Reading Plans 2024 | classics, comfort reads & a little life update

Hi Everyone!

Wow, it's been a while! As I'm sure you'll have guessed from previous posts, exams started ramping up and this space really dropped down on my priorities. I truly have missed writing on here, and I'm so excited that exams are over and I have such a long summer ahead. Let's catch up while I talk about my summer reading plans!

Next year, I'm taking French AS, which I honestly did not think I would take but after a lot of thinking, I decided to add it in. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on it, and if it gets too much I can always drop it. For those of you new here, I am half French and bilingual so this would be an easier subject for me, but I still have to work a lot on my grammar! I'm trying to read some French books this summer to prepare and help with some of the spelling and grammar. 

I'm currently rereading Annie Au Millieu by Emilie Chazerand, a fantastic read which I picked up for the first time a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with, so I thought it was a good place to start. It follows Annie Derochelles and her family as they navigate the challenges of having a child with Down's Syndrome and being rejected from Annie's majorettes group because of it. I love how this book is written from the perspective of the three siblings, and we really get to see each of their viewpoints and opinions. They each have their own unique voice, and together this makes a fascinating read. 

I would really like to finish reading Les Cahiers D'Esther: L'Histoire de mes 15 ans. This is a hilarious book, where illustrator Riad Sattouf has followed a young girl through her 15th year. She describes many seemingly random aspects of her life, but they come together to form a perceptive and extraordinarily relatable account, told through Riad's wonderful drawings.

Moving away from French books, I also really want to take the time to read more classics. I have loved reading classics for quite a few years now, and I don't want to read them all at once. Equally, I have so many I would love to tick off my list. 

Having read three of Jane Austen's main six novels, I really want to take the time to read some more of her letters. I was gifted a stunning copy of The Chawton Letters (edited by Katherine Sutherland) at Christmas from my grandparents and this summer I would really like to take the time to read it and delve into the regency world I love so much. I haven't yet decided if I will read another of her main novels. I think Persuasion is next on my list, so I might get to that one this summer. 

I started reading Villette a while back for Victober, but never got around to finishing it, so I think I might have to restart that one, reading it from start to finish this time (hopefully!). I was really enjoying it, I just moved on to another book and never got back to it!

I also want to read some contemporary and YA this summer, which is always the best way to relax! I can't wait to read The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson, especially as the TV show for A Good Girl's Guide To Murder came out on July 1st! I was also lent The Bees by Laline Paull, which I really want to get to, as well as All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban, which I really feel I should read and get back to my friend before September!

That already sounds like a lot, and while I'm sure I won't get to everything on this list, I will definitely end up reading other books as I go through the summer. 

I am so glad to be back, and I can't wait to finally have the time to invest in this space. GCSEs were so tough and I am so glad they're all over now, as well as secondary school - a very strange feeling! Next year, I'm taking German, Geography and English Literature as well as French AS. I'm sure I'll let you know how it all goes! 

Around The Blogosphere: 

- Please comment below with your favourite recent posts - I've been really rubbish at engaging with the blogging community recently!

 Thank you so, so much for still being here after all this time. Thank you especially to my ever-loyal email subscribers, I hope this makes it safely into your inboxes and is a pleasant surprise! I hope you have enjoyed this post, and I promise I won't leave it as long until next time!

What are you summer reading plans? How have you been recently?

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p.s. casual magic of the day:

(If you are new here and have no idea what I'm on about, click here to find out more)

I went to Cardiff yesterday for the day and I saw the big sculpture of the Enormous Crocodile as well as a bench in the shape of the book, which I loved so much as a child. Roald Dahl was one of my favourite authors for so long, so this was so special. We also saw the church where he was baptised which was quite cool!