Lazy days at the beach, work lunch-breaks, and warm nights before bed... What do they all have in common? The answer is a great summer read.
I realize it's not quite July yet, and maybe the selections on my reading list don't make the most sense with the whole "summer read" thing, but this morning at 10 a.m. Kerri Miller's topic on Midmorning is summer reading suggestions, and so we thought we'd introduce this with that. Listen in to what Kerri has to say either on air or online. And yes, I love romance novels just as much as the next girl, but who's to say the story between Lady Ashley and Jake in the "Sun Also Rises" isn't romantic?
Of course, once I stop getting distracted by life and sit down and finish Mr. Hemingway's masterpiece, there's more I need to read. Beginning with Thomas Hardy's "Far From the Madding Crowd." So many close friends have been sold on his works, I have to experience it for myself.
Those are my July reading plans in a jiff. What are you reading? What do you recommend?
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I always say the Tinseltown Trilogy by Peter Joseph Swanson makes the best summer beach reading (there's even beaches) - but that's just me ...
(ha ha)
Ha, thanks Peter. Here's the link to the Midmorning page at mprnewsq.org.
Kerri's guests on her summer-reading show this morning were Sarah Weinman who reviews mystery fiction for the Los Angeles Times and blogs at "Confessions of An Idiosyncratic Mind" and Ron Charles who is the book editor for the Washington Post Book World.
I'm currently reading Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. A masterpiece in my opinion but not light easy ready. Still it keeps one in tune and while listening to those ocean waves, you can sure imagine yourself in faraway places
Linda Bilodeau
www.lindabilodeau.com
The Wine Seekers is now available at www.amazon.com
I read PORTRAIT OF A LADY a few years ago. I found it to be pretty easy reading and NOT a masterpiece. As a matter of fact, I thought it was kind of silly, too soap-operaish. My opinion may have had something to do with what I know of Henry James, i.e., he was an American who preferred England and didn't even want to live here, yet he's called an American writer.
Hemmingway spent a good deal of his career in Europe as did many other of the so called "masters." I had the pleasure not to long ago to eat lunch at Les Deux Magots in Paris and I sat beneath a picture of Hemmingway taken when he ate there.
I have no problem with the fact that Henry James spent a good deal of his life in Europe, for me it helped authenticate his work, the culture came through. Portrait of a Lady is a bit of a soap opera but it portrays what life for young women was like in those times, and I believe from the personal accounts that I've read that those ladies lived a soap opera as they were expected to marry by a certain age and stay within a specific class of people, not easy. Anyway, it isn't a book for everyone. I do like popular fiction much better. But every now and then I find myself gravitating back to literature.
Best
Linda Bilodeau
www.lindabilodeau.com
The Wine Seekers is now available at www.amazon.com
Linda, you bring up a really good point that a lot of the really great writers were expats, like Hemingway as you say. Fitzgerald was another, at least at some point in his life if I remember correctly. But, there is a lot to be said about American authors that chose to stay in America--the one that comes most readily to mind is Laura Ingalls Wilder, of "Little House on the Prairie" (make of that connection what you will!).
Can we really include in our judgment of a book's merit whether the author chose to stay in the United States? It seems authors with experiences across the board have produced great literature.
Very true, Eliza but frankly I enjoyed reading books by authors who have broad based experiences which is not to say U.S. Authors don't. I think it depends on subject matter and the talent of the author. I've read biographies and blurbs from various authors and was amazed to find out they never visited an area that they wrote about. Yet they had the talen and know how to make that area come alive. So there you have it.
Best
Linda Bilodeau
www.lindabilodeau.com
This is fun. The adult books I hope to read are Relentless by Dean Koontz, My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult, and Nicholas Sparks's latest The Last Song, though it doesn't come out until September.
Young adult books on my list: The Hunger Games, Winter Girls, Slidng on the Edge.
Nonfiction: Under Siege! Three Children at the Civil War Battle for Vicksbury, by Andrea Warren. I'm especially interested in this book because I've been to Vicksburg several times and wrote a young adult novel about the siege. Also I'm reading for a review No Teachers Left Behind, by HBF Teacher, which reminds me a lot of Up the Down Staircase.
I read mostly Young Adult stories because that's what I write. Will add the ones mentioned to my list.
Great post.
Thanks, Beverly!
I just finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Very compelling and strange reading. Her descriptions of circus life in the 1930's were vivid and gripping and as strange as the circus itself. I really don't know what the book is all about and hope others of you cane enlighten me Margy M
I read WATER FOR ELEPHANTS about a year or two ago with a group on gather.com. I can't say much about it because I didn't read it recently, but I can say that my favorite character in that book was the elephant. As I recall, it frustrated me that the rest of the characters in the flashback portions of the book kept making wrong decisions. However, I did like the present-day portions in the old-folks home.
thanks. I loved the elephant too. Remember when they found her--ankle bracelet dangling--in a vegetable garden cheerfully munching on the cauliflower? Loved that.
We've got quite the diversity represented here in our reading choices! Water for Elephants...rings a bell, but I haven't read it. Sounds intriguing...
You've got quite the list, Beverly. Which one are you going to tackle first? You should definitely tell us your favorites once you've read them. I know that I'm, at least, dying to know.
Ah, Portrait of a Lady is another of those classics we didn't have enough time to read in high school that needs to go on my list! Please give us a report on what you thought when you're finished! Again, I'm dying to know.
What are other must-reads out there right now?
Recommendations:
ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand is a classic. It's a book that readers either love or hate.
THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski is, in my opinion, a classic, or it will be considered that eventually.
CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith is excellent historical fiction/thriller/mystery.
DOWN RIVER by John Hart is excellent.
THE GOOD GERMAN by Joseph Kanon is excellent historical fiction/thriller/mystery.
I just finished THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson and began THE VENDETTA DEFENSE by Lisa Scottoline. Scottoline's book is not bad because it presents an interesting legal dilemma, but it's too putdownable.
What a great list! I've heard of all of these, I think. Could you maybe give us a bit more about, say, your favorite few? Why did you like them? What made them "excellent"?
I wrote reviews for some of these on Gather:
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977723262
DOWN RIVER
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977693274
CHILD 44
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977377305
Great! We'll have to check them out.
too little time, too many books. I also just finished Home by Robinson. A very dense book--found myself rereading sentences and paragraphs just to get the gist. Important themes tho--prodical son/daughter, forgiveness, where is home? Very provocative. Am now interested in something a bit lighter thho.
Sounds like you're in the market for a typical summer read!
Here's my rather eclectic summer reading list:
1) The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman- H.G. Wells (1914)
2) The Gurnsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (2008)
3) The Wednesday Sisters- Meg Waite Clayton (2008)
4) Dune Road- Jane Green (2009)
5) Endpoint and Other Poems- John Updike (2009)
6) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain (1876)
7) The Elegance of the Hedgehog- Muriel Barbery (2008)
8) Vanity Fair- William Makepeace Thackeray (1847)
9) Little Women- Louisa May Alcott (1868)
10) Please Excuse My Daughter- Julie Klam (2009)
You're right! Very eclectic! From one reader with diverse reading tastes to another, what brings you to such eclectic choices?
I've always loved classic literature, as most of it stands up well to the test of time, but I also try to keep my fingers on the pulse of some contemporary work as well. I never read off the bestsellers list, per se, but I'm not opposed to reading something more popular as long as it truly appeals to me.
Since my reading time is often limited, I seek out online information about books in which I'm interested to try to make the best choices for me.
Sounds like you're very wise about how you choose to spend your reading time. What are your favorite sites to check out online information on books you're interested in?
I will be reading the Vampire Kisses series by Ellen Schreiber. I am actually on book four myself with a few more books to go. I love this series as the characters have depth to them, and aren't too perfect as vampires are often protrayed.
I am also reading The Everything Pregnancy Book by Maryann Brinley as my pregnancy progresses through the summer and into November. The book counts down by month giving lots of valuable information, and towards the end even talks about when the baby arrives. Very valuable information for me.
Lastly I plan on finishing my Wicca books A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner and A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Both are by Scott Cunningham. I like these Wicca books because it doesn't focus on the new age ideals, where Wicca is just about spells like Harry Potter. Instead they focus on the spirituality aspect of the religion.
As you can see I read an assortment of different books. :)
Christina, are you pregnant? Congratulations! :)
Yupe I am about nineteen weeks pregnant with our first. Thanks for the congrats. ;)
With each post you guys are making me more and more want to grab a comfy chair, cozy blanket, and a good book! Sounds like we've all got some fun reading plans this July, and this summer!
But don't stop now...I know there's more out there! :)
Reading non-fiction mostly, currently:
The Federalist Papers
The World Without Us
Alex and Me
Mayflower
To begin the world anew : the genius and ambiguities of the American founders
The greatest minds and ideas of all time (by historian Will Durant)
As for fiction, I've really enjoyed Salman Rushdies novels, specifically:
The Satanic Verses
Shalimar the Clown
Shame
The Enchantress of Florence
Too many books, so little time!
Thanks for the personal invite to this post.
I just finished the Twilight Series, glad I finally got it done since my goal this year was to read 50 books in 2009 and the Twilight series slowed me down, but I am a person that once I start a series, I have to finish it. Eclipse, I think was my favorite in the whole series.
Right now I am reading My Sisters Keeper and I am dealing with alot of jumping around on it too. i mean alot of jumping between characters. But again, since I started it, I have to finish it.
I also want to read The Shack and the Stepfanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I need to get my hands on the second book before I start them though.
Hey Mike and Pam! Welcome to the conversation.
Pam - I have a couple of friends who are obsessed with the Twilight series. They're constantly telling me I need to read them! What do you like about the series?...oh and 50 books! That's a formidable goal--way to go!
Mike - What a list! Salman Rushdie is a great writer. What is it about those books that you like?
Hi Everyone.
I just finished reading:
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon and absolutely loved it.
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco Or as I describe it to my friends, the anti-DaVinci Code. It is nice to read a book written by someone who, like Mr. Eco, truly understands signs/symbols and their meanings (he is a professor of semiotics, afterall). While I don't want to trash Dan Brown (I did get a modicum of enjoyment from The Da Vinci Code) I did get the feeling that his understanding (and therefore his character's) of signs/symbols came from reading a wikipedia entry. Plus, I love the idea of the book being about how easy it is to dupe people, even smart people who should know better, into believing something no matter how far fetched or ridicoulous.
CUrrently Reading:
I am a fan a fantasy novels and am currently re-reading the excellent and very literate series written by R. Scott Bakker called The Prince of Nothing. Quite possibly some of the most well thought out and well executed works coming out of the fantasy genre in quite some time.
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie I started reading this book a couple years ago but for whatever reason I never finished.
On my bookshelf wating to be read:
The Magus by John Fowles another book I started to read a few years back but didn't finish.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) While I do not consider by myself a Buddhist, I am very much interested in Buddhist (especially Tibetan) logic, thought and literature. I have read a number of commentaries on our about this classic work but I have never attempted to tackle it.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco Now that I have finished Focault's Pendulum, I feel prepared to tackle this.
Only Revolutions by Mark Z. Danielewski I devoured House of Leaves and can't wait to get to this
Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis I love his comic books now anxious to read his debut novel. The premise just sounds too good (the founding fathers wrote a second (secret) Constitution, Richard Nixon lost it in a whorehouse and the current President's heroin addicted chief of staff hires a PI to find it).
You're a big reader, Jason! That's awesome, and all those books are making my mouth water. I always love reading Salman Rushdie when he's in the New Yorker, but I still need to read one of his books! I'm impressed that you're sticking with it!
Who else? What are you reading?
I really recommend it
Joffrey Célibataires