I loved Pippi when I was a kid, but she's pretty obnoxious to an adult sensibility. At least, in her first book, where she's unnecessarily rude to teachers and policemen.

I don't mind her bonking robbers in the head with coconuts in Pippi in the South Seas. That one still holds up for me! :D

I LOVED Pippi Longstocking. I WAS her for Halloween once. Straws in my hair made it stick out like hers....

Wow, Jackie. Just... wow. I have a really great edition of Pippi Longstocking out from the library right now, with illustrations by Lauren Child (who has an awesome website, by the way... http://www.milkmonitor.com/)

That,s interesting. Half Magic is about the only book I remember from that era of my life. I loved it.

Me, too! Half Magic is my favorite, though.

I liked the Marguerite Henry pony books, too. I went through a horse book phase as a kid. It's what all the girls were doing...

I stand in awe of your librarian prowess. :) Yes, Edward Eager. I loved all his stuff.

Edward Eager? Half Magic Fiftieth-Anniversary Edition?

On Saturday I biked around the lake and took a break to read. :) It's weird what I end up reading during the summer; the book I most associate with last summer is Nixonland, of all things. Made for surprisingly good beach reading.

There's books I remember from my childhood & reading in the summer: The Railway Children (et al), Pippi Longstocking, those island pony books, and an author whose name escapes me completely, although I can perfectly visualize their place on that library's shelf. (Something with kids & magic, probably written in the 70s, last name probably starts with G.)

And some awesome navigational system so you don't kill yourself while reading and riding!

They ought to provide book holders on bikes!

Yeah, I'm outside more when there's actual warm sunshine to be had. Bike rides! Walks around the lake! Going to Baskin & Robbins for ice cream!

It's hard to read and ride your bike at the same time...

I think of anything that's in mass market paperback as a summer read, mostly because I can take it somewhere and I'm not upset if it gets food, or water, or sunblock on it. but actual books I've read in the summer and felt were particularly in tune with the season... The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Michael Tolliver Lives Again, Lucky by Jackie Collins...

I think I tend to read more book candy during the summer. Quick reads, mysteries, teen stuff, fluffy chicklit, etc. I read a lot less in the summer, generally speaking. More doing, less reading.

Sometimes, I'll pick a prolific author, and read them all summer. One summer, I read tons of Terry Pratchett. Another one, I read Georgette Heyer.
Unfortunately, I'm too behind on my reading to do that this summer.

No, I'd be interested in others' ideas. I don't read or look at as many 'project' (as in knitting or cooking) books and maybe consult gardening books more often but as far as summer fiction, not me, it's the same year-round. Do you?

Do you have any books that you associate with summer? I was just mulling this over and thought I'd see what others had to say...