Reading List

Tis the season to read and read and read. A few weeks ago, RadioWest has their Summer Book Show. Many of the recommendations sound really great. I especially want to read Isabel Allende's Island Beneath the Sea, maybe even in Spanish if I'm feeling ambitious. I always love book recommendations, even if I don't end up liking the book that was recommended. I think the books people like says more about them than the tv shows or movies they watch, or the music they listen to. They require more effort to enjoy. So, here is what I've been reading since the semester ended:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1-3 - Ann Brashares

Bet you didn't expect those on my list, did you? But they are there. I think these are great, and the perfect way to rest your mind after ariting stacks of anthropology papers.

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Wah wah wah. Oh, Elizabeth. Thank goodness you had a $200,000 book deal so that you could travel to three countries and do absolutely whatever you want, while eating, AND praying, AND loving. Otherwise you NEVER would have found yourself. :) This book is so silly. She is a good writer, but her protagonist (i.e. herself) is so self-absorbed. I actually kind of liked the Italy section, to be honest, but it was all downhill from there. Not recommended. I imagine you will be better off watching the Julia Roberts adaptation that will be in theaters soon.

Committed- Elizabeth Gilbert

Same author, totally different book. It is written more like a textbook than a novel, which is probably why I liked it more than the above. The book isn't totally about the author, it's more of an examination on marriage, culture, etc.

Hmmm. Now that I have it written down, my list thus far seems pretty pathetic. But I have big plans for the rest of the summer! Hopefully I will get to read these books!

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

July 10th is the 50th anniversary 50th of this novel. So I will be reading it again for the first time since 6th grade.

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

This is the perfect summer book. It is just lovely. "Dreamy", "funny", and an "utter delight". I've read it a few times. "I Capture the Castle is the classic tale, told in diary form, of six months in the life of Cassandra Mortmain, a perceptive young lady who lives with her poor, socially outcast family in a crumbling castle in the English countryside.By the time she pens her final entry, she has captured the castle-- and the heart of the reader-- in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments." - Powells

Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl.

Picked this up on a whim several years ago, and I am so glad I did. A grown up Nancy Drew with a great/horrible end.

"What begins as an innocent (if quirky) adolescent tale swiftly transforms into an absorbing high school whodunit. If I had to compare it to a few recent films, it manages to come across both as gritty as Brick and as refreshing as Juno, but with a healthy amount of vintage Gothic inspiration threading its way through the story as well. That tightrope walk of pathos and preciousness has never been navigated so confidently." - Powells.com

The Kingdom of Ohio - Matthew Flaming

I really just want to read this one because I like the look of the cover. :)

The Prince of Mist - Ruiz Zafon

I always gravitate towards young adult fiction. I guess I just don't want to be a grown-up yet. It is always better to be a kid.

So, there is my list so far. I found this that looks like a great resource; I haven't even begun to look through it. Please tell me if you have any suggestions!

Happy Reading!