The Student Room Group

TSR Summer reading challenge! What's on your list?

Hi everyone, happy summer :flower2:

Now that exams are out of the way, school's out and sun is shining, is anyone planning on catching up on some reading during all the free time? :biggrin:

If so, what kind of stuff do you like to read over summer? Is there something that's been on your list for a long time? Do you have a target for this summer? Do you perhaps re-read your old favourites? Share your plans here in this thread! :banana:

Personally, I absolutely love reading. I'm starting medical school in September, in about 10 weeks time. So I'll aim to read around 6 books in that time. I also work full time or I could potentially aim for more. :cookie:

I have just started reading "The man who mistook his wife for a hat" and am loving it so far. For the other 5 books, I'll probably pick from the below list, although I'm open to any recommendations. I'm aiming for a healthy mix of fiction and non-fiction :cool:

- The Midnight library
- The Redhead of Auschwitz (I'll have a box of tissues ready for my tears)
- Beautiful world, where are you?
- How to kill your family :eek: (Don't worry...it's a comedy)
- A life on our planet (because who doesn't love Sir David Attenborough :heart:)
- Atomic Habits (need to get some personal development in there...)
- Daughters of Night (love a bit of historical fiction :h:)

I would love to hear your thoughts if you have read any of the above.

:party:


I usually like to read in the back garden with a nice cold drink, usually homemade lemonade! In the evenings I cuddle up with my dog on the sofa to read, if he stays still enough! Where do you like to read? :pepsi:

And what are your thoughts on audio books? Do they count as "reading"? I sometimes listen to these when running or working out but it feels like I'm cheating! What are your thoughts?

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I've read 'How to kill your family', it's great! Currently reading 'the girls I've been' by Tess Sharpe now :smile:
Original post by thrivingfrog
I've read 'How to kill your family', it's great! Currently reading 'the girls I've been' by Tess Sharpe now :smile:

Can’t wait to get to it!

Do you read a lot?
Reply 3
Avatar for gjd800
gjd800
20
I have a load of things on the go at the minute:

-Himalaya: a human history
-Magnifico: the brilliant life and violent times of Lorenzo di Medici
-The Culture of Capital
-Other Lives: Mind and World in Indian Buddhism
-Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology
-The Táin
-Knowing the Score: What Sports Can Tell Us About Philosophy
-The Journey of Humanity: the Origins of Wealth and Inequality

And I have this next to me:

-Medieval Bodies: Life, Death, and Art in the Middle Ages

Got the Secret Barrister's new one sat there, too. If I get through half of all these, I'll be happy.
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by micholate9
Can’t wait to get to it!

Do you read a lot?


'A lot' is an understatement :rofl:
I'm about to run out of room on my bookshelves at this point, should probably donate some books to charity, or maybe just buy another bookcase...
Well, I'm in year 12 so my reading has to be relevant to whatever course I want to apply to lol. I've just started reading, "What About Law?" and plan on reading "Letters to a Law Student" + some additional books on a specific field of law that interests me.
Currently just: Malignant: How Bad Policy and Bad Evidence Harm People with Cancer which I've barely started and keep forgetting to continue with :redface:

Although I have vague plans to do some more Sanskrit work which would involve reading/translating (probably book 4 and/or 6 of the Gita since that's probably fairly low key...maybe try some of the Raghuvaṃśa if I'm feeling more confident though! At least what I had sent to be when I was auditing that module until I stopped following it due to time constraints :colondollar:

Also have considered getting some of the books that The Expanse was based on for fun reading, but there are a lot of them so not too sure where to start with that :tongue:
Original post by gjd800
I have a load of things on the go at the minute:

-Himalaya: a human history
-Magnifico: the brilliant life and violent times of Lorenzo di Medici
-The Culture of Capital
-Other Lives: Mind and World in Indian Buddhism
-Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology
-The Táin
-Knowing the Score: What Sports Can Tell Us About Philosophy
-The Journey of Humanity: the Origins of Wealth and Inequality

And I have this next to me:

-Medieval Bodies: Life, Death, and Art in the Middle Ages

Got the Secret Barrister's new one sat there, too. If I get through half of all these, I'll be happy.

Wow that sounds like an amazing selection! Do you generally only read non-fiction?
Original post by thrivingfrog
'A lot' is an understatement :rofl:
I'm about to run out of room on my bookshelves at this point, should probably donate some books to charity, or maybe just buy another bookcase...

How many do you get through in a month?

We have a phone booth library near my house. One of those take one leave one types. It’s a great way of giving away books I no longer need.
Original post by toxicgamage56
Well, I'm in year 12 so my reading has to be relevant to whatever course I want to apply to lol. I've just started reading, "What About Law?" and plan on reading "Letters to a Law Student" + some additional books on a specific field of law that interests me.


That sounds very productive. Are you definitely applying to law then?

I think the only relevant book I’ve read is the secret diary of a barrister. I know it’s probably not one to mention in your personal statement, but have you read it? :smile:
Original post by micholate9
Wow that sounds like an amazing selection! Do you generally only read non-fiction?

I tend to fiction so etimes, I like a lot of Russian stuff. I have some Dostoevsky to get through but it needs a bit more effort than I am inclined to give at the moment.
Original post by artful_lounger
Currently just: Malignant: How Bad Policy and Bad Evidence Harm People with Cancer which I've barely started and keep forgetting to continue with :redface:

Although I have vague plans to do some more Sanskrit work which would involve reading/translating (probably book 4 and/or 6 of the Gita since that's probably fairly low key...maybe try some of the Raghuvaṃśa if I'm feeling more confident though! At least what I had sent to be when I was auditing that module until I stopped following it due to time constraints :colondollar:

Also have considered getting some of the books that The Expanse was based on for fun reading, but there are a lot of them so not too sure where to start with that :tongue:

Would you recommend Malignant? I love reading medicine related stuff (even though I’m currently an accountant).

That’s so cool about Sanskrit! What made you get into it? I learnt a little bit at primary school but don’t remember that much.
Original post by micholate9
Would you recommend Malignant? I love reading medicine related stuff (even though I’m currently an accountant).

That’s so cool about Sanskrit! What made you get into it? I learnt a little bit at primary school but don’t remember that much.


Not sure, I'm only on like page 15 :laugh: It does seem interesting though, I like reading about science policy and such so it's appealing in that frame. It started with an example of a breast cancer treatment procedure that became very popular despite still being assessed by the FDA, and that turned out to not actually make any difference to the cancer but caused increased toxicity from the chemo - so it was discussing the limitations of smaller scale clinical trials, and the dangers of things being sensationalized or politicized as in that case.

Wow you were able to study Sanskrit in primary school - that's amazing :biggrin: I did a module in Ancient Greek with the OU and really enjoyed studying ancient languages, and Sanskrit is considered the Indo-European language par excellence by itself and most who studied and wrote about it so when I had the opportunity to study it at SOAS I jumped at it :smile: I've finished my exams and course there now though so need to find a way to do something with it so I don't forget everything over the summer! Since we read a few books of the Gita this year already it seems the most sensible continuation (since I have lots of resources for it already), but we'll see :tongue:
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by micholate9
How many do you get through in a month?

We have a phone booth library near my house. One of those take one leave one types. It’s a great way of giving away books I no longer need.


Well with exams it did change a bit, but at least 5 a month. I've read 2 in July and it's only the 5th, so I guess that shows. Also I've literally just this minute finished the book I was talking about earlier and WOW

Ooo that sounds interesting, I'll have a look to see if there's any near me!
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
The Hindus: An Alternative History by Wendy Doniger
In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire by Robert G. Hoyland
The Death of a Prophet: The End of Muhammad's Life and the Beginnings of Islam by Stephen J. Shoemaker
The Origins of Judaism: From Canaan to the Rise of Islam by Robert Goldenberg
Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
Fermat’s Last Theorem by Simon Singh
The Elegant Universe by John Greene
The Theoretical Minimum by Leonard Susskind
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter by Richard P. Feynman

All that for now :colondollar:
I've got 10ish weeks until I go to uni and I want to read 1 book a week. I'm not sure if that's a realistic target though because I am quite a slow reader. But then when I am on holiday I will probably read alot more (especially on the plane). My reading list is:
The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
How to Bake Pi - Eugenia Cheng
Magpie Murders (and Moonflower Murders) - Anthony Horowitz
Early Riser - Jasper Fforde
The Music of the Primes - Marcus du Sautoy
Alex Through the Looking Glass - Alex Bellos

My sister likes to give me books she thinks I will enjoy, so I will probably get some from her. I also want to read the Heartstopper graphic novels and some Agatha Christie books.
Original post by thrivingfrog
Well with exams it did change a bit, but at least 5 a month. I've read 2 in July and it's only the 5th, so I guess that shows. Also I've literally just this minute finished the book I was talking about earlier and WOW

Ooo that sounds interesting, I'll have a look to see if there's any near me!

Wow that is a lot! I admire your commitment!
Original post by artful_lounger
Not sure, I'm only on like page 15 :laugh: It does seem interesting though, I like reading about science policy and such so it's appealing in that frame. It started with an example of a breast cancer treatment procedure that became very popular despite still being assessed by the FDA, and that turned out to not actually make any difference to the cancer but caused increased toxicity from the chemo - so it was discussing the limitations of smaller scale clinical trials, and the dangers of things being sensationalized or politicized as in that case.

Wow you were able to study Sanskrit in primary school - that's amazing :biggrin: I did a module in Ancient Greek with the OU and really enjoyed studying ancient languages, and Sanskrit is considered the Indo-European language par excellence by itself and most who studied and wrote about it so when I had the opportunity to study it at SOAS I jumped at it :smile: I've finished my exams and course there now though so need to find a way to do something with it so I don't forget everything over the summer! Since we read a few books of the Gita this year already it seems the most sensible continuation (since I have lots of resources for it already), but we'll see :tongue:

Sounds like an interesting start. I remember reading somewhere about breast cancer screening centres where you get a check up, scan and a consultation with a doctor if needed all on the same day. It was interesting how much of a difference it made in terms of early intervention. I’d love to hear your thoughts once you’ve finished reading it.

I also quite like healthcare policy type books. I’ve got one called sick note Britain on my shelf which I need to get to at some point.

I went to primary school in India. It was a very traditional school where everything was taught in Hindi and there was a huge focus on Sanskrit, which more modern schools don’t have. I’m very glad to have experienced that in my childhood!

I’ve never come across anyone since who has studied Sanskrit! I also did a bit of Latin & Ancient Greek at senior school here in the UK, which again isn’t always an option at most schools. You have such fascinating interests! How did you find some of the Gita books?
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by gjd800
I tend to fiction so etimes, I like a lot of Russian stuff. I have some Dostoevsky to get through but it needs a bit more effort than I am inclined to give at the moment.

That sounds interesting. I can't say I know anything about Russian stuff! How did you get into it?
Original post by Brief Chaos
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
The Hindus: An Alternative History by Wendy Doniger
In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire by Robert G. Hoyland
The Death of a Prophet: The End of Muhammad's Life and the Beginnings of Islam by Stephen J. Shoemaker
The Origins of Judaism: From Canaan to the Rise of Islam by Robert Goldenberg
Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
Fermat’s Last Theorem by Simon Singh
The Elegant Universe by John Greene
The Theoretical Minimum by Leonard Susskind
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter by Richard P. Feynman

All that for now :colondollar:


wow that's quite a lot of intense reading! I like to mix things up by reading some short quick funny books!

Do you read a lot of stuff related to religion?

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