Jun 11 2008
Summer Reading
Books provide some of the best inspiration. So, without trying to start a book club or create a definitive list, I thought I would share some books that have left a mark on me. Some stories were incredibly beautiful, others were incredibly disturbing. All were enjoyable in my opinion.
In order to create this list, I simply wrote down the ones that immediately popped into my head when I thought about creating a fun, summer reading list.
Nonfiction
Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa by Peter Godwin
Half a Life by Jill Ciment
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Daughter of the Queen of Sheba: A Memoir by Jacki Lyden
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life by Abigail Thomas
A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger
Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf
Fiction
In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy: Griffin & Sabine/Sabine’s Notebook/The Golden Mean by Nick Bantock
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Enchanted Night: A Novella by Steven Millhauser
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Poetry
Verses by Ani DiFranco
Fully Empowered by Pablo Neruda
Children’s
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Right now, I’m reading, Love Walked In by Maria de los Santos
Inevitably, I have left off books that I will kick myself for later. I am always on the lookout for good books. So, please share your favorites; the ones that instantly come to mind because they moved you.
The Language of Baklava – by Diana Abu Jaber (Tash, you MUST put this on your summer list someday.. I have a copy if you need it)
The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
Glass Castle – Jeannette Wells
Love is a Mix Tape – by Rob Sheffield
Running with Scissors – Augusten Burroughs
Magical Thinking – Augusten Burroughs
Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Klay – Michael Chabon
Tender at the Bone – Ruth Reichl
Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
The Film Club – David Gilmour
and the ones I will read this summer:
Wolf at the Table – Augusten Burroughs
When you are engulfed in Flames – David Sedaris
Waiter Rant: Thanks for the tip.. – by THE WAITER (coming out in July, I think)
Lovely Bones
Lucky
all Potter related
A Three Dog Life
so many I can’t remember
love,
b
You know, I have been so out of reading since my kids were born that I am unable to even identify those books. I’ve mainly been reading fantasy, like Harry Potter and some books by various favorites (Robin Hobb, Orson Scott Card) But I like reading everyone’s favorites… maybe I can start reading more.
This is great!
For now, I will add the Kite Runner and Plainsong by Kent Haruf.
I will add more later.
Can’t wait to read your recos.
I am reading In the Time of the Butterflies right now on Tash’s recommendation.
Then you must visit goodreads.com! You can keep track of what is read, being read, and what you want to read… plus you can see what all your friends are reading. I get the majority of my reading choices from other people’s suggestions
Summer reading is the best now that it’s for me and not school!
This is fantastic! I’m so excited to have a summer list.
You should have come on the Booze Cruise last night it was beautiful AND YOU COULD HAVE BROUGHT YOUR BOOKS…….
I went from reading a complete novel every 2/3 days to NO READING AT ALL for Two Years after my first child was born-it was all i could do to stay awake til I laid my head on my pillow much less curl up with a good read. It was one of the things I mourned the most in the transition from me to mom. Happily, I am Back on the Bookwagon! Here are some of my favorite titles:
THE ROAD–My gosh if you have not read this please run out and get it–it won the Pulitzer because it is one of the most incredible books ever written–especially for Fathers & sons.
THE INCREDIBLE LIFE & TIMES OF MABLE STARK (Robert Hughes) True story of the first female lion tamer for Ringling Brothers–has escapes from mental institutions and tiger maulings-fabulous read–I could not put it down.
GEEK LOVE–A circus couple sets out to create their own freak show by having the pregnant mom ingest a variety of chemicals. The story of their offspring is frightening, amusing, inspiring and one of the best books ever written. You will fall in love with the girl with the tail.
PILLARS OF THE EARTH and WORLD WITHOUT END (Ken Follet) Who would have guessed that catherdral building in Medieval England could keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning–hoping the book never ends–waiting years for the sequel which makes you feel the same way?
WHITE OLEANDER–Young girl tossed from foster home to foster home. Oprah was right about this one.
THE OTHER BOLYN GIRL-i disdained the idea of this book after turning my nose up at the movie posters but MY GOSH Philippa Gregory is a genious and English history was never so compelling. Fantastic beach read- I think all will agree.
RANT- just finished it–such an odd book, but I feel better about myself for having read it–the same way you pat yourself on the back for tasting an exotic food.
Judy – I’m so checking out all those books but especially The Language of Baklava . And you are so right about Goodreads. I’ve been seriously slacking on any updates but I’m hoping back on…everyone should do the same. It’s kinda awesome.
Bridget – loved your list! I have to check out Lucky I heard it was amazing.
Rowena – it’s SO hard with kids. These are books I’ve read over the last couple of years….I disappear into my bathroom sometimes just to read a page or two…it’s nuts. But all these recommendations are good I’m with you…I want to find more time to read.
Claire – The Kite Runner is on my list to read…thanks for reminding me. What do you think of In the Tome of Butterflies?
Faith – check out all the recommendations too they’re great.
John – so sorry I missed the cruise…would have come if I knew I could bring my books! LOL that was hilarious!
Lorrie – all these books sound out of control. I’d heard about Pillar of the Earth but was still undecided. You sealed the deal on that one….
Thanks for sharing…I will make a large list for people to check out….
OK, so I just went to Amazon and added to my summer reading list! Since I’m almost done with Augusten’s latest (A Wolf at the Table), I have on deck for this summer’s reading pleasure:
When you are engulfed in Flames – David Sedaris
I Was Told There’d Be Cake – Sloane Crosley
Dishwasher: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in all 50 States – Pete Jordan
The Road Washes out in Spring: A Poet’s Memoir of Living off the Grid – Baron Wormser
and the one I can’t wait for since I’m sure it will hit a little close to home:
Waiter Rant: Thanks for the tip — Confessions of a Cynical Waiter – by THE WAITER
I think that should keep me busy!
And for those of you who enjoyed Namesake, I would like to recommend Crescent, by Diana Abu-Jaber. She is awesome!
Ok, I’m done now
Just finished
Love Walked In
and saw many more I’m adding to my long, long list of things I must read.
Can recommend:
The Book Thief – Markus Zuzak
(probably aimed at teens, but I loved it)
Atonement – Ian McKewan
Banishing Verona – Margot Livesey
Water for Elephants (maybe already listed?) – Sara Gruen
A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini (and don’t miss The Kite Runner)
Loving Frank – Nancy Horan
Life of Pi –
John Dunning’s Cliff Janeway series (especially for lovers of books and mysteries):
Booked to Die (1992) ISBN 0-684-19383-3
The Bookman’s Wake (1995) ISBN 0-684-80003-9
The Bookman’s Promise (2004) ISBN 0-7432-4992-5
The Sign of the Book (2005) ISBN 0-7432-5505-4
The Bookwoman’s Last Fling (2006) ISBN 0-7432-8945-5 AND
Dunning’s Two O’Clock Eastern Wartime (2001)
Other authors (have read all their books, I believe): Janet Evanovich; Jennifer Crusie; Anne George; Rachel Gibson; Jennifer Weiner; Sue Grafton; James Patterson–still working on him–he writes faster than I can read; Elizabeth George; Suzanne Brockmann; Linda Howard; Cherry Adair; and Julie Garwood.
So many books . . . so little time.
That’s all for now.
Ter (still thinking ’cause I know I’ll remember MANY MORE!)