At Preston, we require students to read the following: two required books, one from the nonfiction list and one from the fiction. I’m not sharing any of those lists here because I don’t feel like searching my computer to find them. But I did want to share what books I read this summer.
Two Required Books: Sister of My Heart by Divakaruni & The Kite Runner by Hosseini (These are the required books my seniors needed to get through.)
One from the Fiction pile: The Help by Stockett (This is easily my favorite book in a long time.) 
One from the Non-Fiction pile: Decoded by Jay-Z (I confess I started reading this to break up my other non-fiction pic–What to Expect: The Toddler Years. And I started it because C.K. wasn’t finished with Clash of Kings, the sequel to Game of Thrones. But Decoded is smart, engaging, and has moments of real depth. Jay-Z’s talents in writing extend far beyond his incredible songwriting capabilities. And his perceptiveness is evident on every page. It comes with endnotes for when Jay-Z “close reads” his own songs–an aspect of the book that borders on academic. Decoded is definitely the “Seabiscuit” of my summer reading so far.)