Summer Reading?

...The dreaded assignment. I always am so hesitant about summer reading. I read enough on my own, so I always think why do I need to read another book, scouring it for hidden meanings just so I can crank out an essay that I'll probably never see again? I have specific genres that I enjoy reading, and I like choosing my own reading material so that I can really enjoy it. Then there's always the possibility of having just one mandatory summer reading choice--a book from 30 years ago that you've never heard of.

I've had some assigned reading that I really liked--The Outsiders and Marley and Me were both great novels, but other than that, I've just obediently chugged through my vacation English work. I'm all for suggested reading lists--but mandatory??

But this year--gasp--I actually enjoyed my summer reading book. Our school is pretty good at giving us lots of different choices that cover all sorts of genres. Out of the 4 diverse novels that we could pick from, I chose Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Algoquin Books, 2006). It had a slow start, but by the end, I was actually surprised at how much I really loved it: it was well-written, exciting, and riveting. It has mature content, so it's more adult than YA, but I'd easily recommend it to older teens. I'm so excited that there will be a Water for Elephants movie coming soon!

I want to hear from you...What does your school do for summer reading assignments? What books did you have to choose from this year? What was your favorite summer reading book of all time?