Stephen King gives 7 “summer reading” recommendations.
Do you make a “summer reading” list? That’s something that makes sense if you’re in high school or college, when you’re generally stuck with piles of assigned reading. But to me, there’s no such thing as “summer reading.” It’s all just “reading.”
Nevertheless, let’s do a reading update, since we haven’t done one in a while, and I’m not prepared to do a write-up on Chapter 12 of Half-Blood Prince yet. What’s everyone reading? What’s on deck? I picked up Wendell Berry’s Jayber Crow, but set it back down for now; I want to focus on that one when I can read it in bigger chunks, not just in brief sessions before bed. So presently, I’m reading White’s The Once and Future King and listening to Dickens’s Great Expectations as read by B.J. Harrison. I’m also taking in Coleridge’s Aids to Reflection whenever I have a few extra moments to spare.
You?
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Read a couple of vacation books: Good Blood a murder mystery by Aaron Elkins because it takes place in the Italian Lakes District, and City of Thieves by David Benioff because I desperately needed a book to read, and the first few paragraphs seemed well written. I just read the short story A Retrieved Reformation by O Henry, and intend to keep reading (well, re-reading) as many of his short stories as I can get my hands on.
In case you’re wondering, the Elkins book is not very well written. Benioff’s book has a lot of potential; unfortunately it reads at times like a sadistic travalogue: what new acts of human degredation can we come up with for this chapter? The O Henry, of course, is superb.
No summer reading list either; just a bunch of books to read, with several going on at once.
Of course, rereading HBP. And then will have to reread DH after that. Also still slogging through Hard Times by Dickens. Have two John Granger books to get to. The Repotting HP book. Some books by Isobelle Carmody. Christ Have Mercy by Matt Harrison. From Homer to Harry. A book or two on Narnia. South Beach Diet Supercharged. I should probably get back to slogging through Does Harry Potter Tickle Sleeping Dragons, even though I don’t want to. There’s probably lots of others that I’m forgetting.
My summer reading has some fun books:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is frikkin’ fantastic!
The Dante Club and The Poe Shadow. Both are literary mysteries by Matthew Pearl. They cast 19th century American literary figures into mystery plots revolving around real events in their lives. I’ve finished the first book — Longfellow, Lowell, and Oliver Wendell Holmes investigating murders based on their translation of Dante’s Inferno.
I also plan on reading a book called Tree of Smoke by well-known postmodern author Denis Johnson. I keep trying to read it, but everytime I’ve picked it up I had to lay it aside to do homework for ODU.
The, there’s a slew of books that would probably bore the crap out of most people here:
Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism
Homo Ludens, which is an older work theorizing the role of play in human cultures.
Yeah — anybody wanna work on a PhD with me?
My daughter has been nagging me to read Twilight since I said I wouldn’t permit her to read it until I read it myself and decided if it was okay for her to read it. I also have a backlog of soft books by Elizabeth George, PD James, etc. I’d like to make a dent in. I’ve been meaning to read Harry Potter and Imagination but keep forgetting to order it.
I also plan to pick at least one and preferably more books that I haven’t read yet from my rather large collection of (mostly English) literature and read them. Possibly something from Dickens or Wuthering Heights (which I bogged down in last time I tried to read it long ago) or Anna Karenena (another book I ought to have read). My daughter’s summer homework includes her picking a book from a list of six that both she and I must read and then discuss, so I’ll have to read that. She’s also having me reread Sorcerer’s Stone to her while she plays with her bunny (because the bunny likes it, she says). And we mustn’t forget umpteen versions of “Scooby Doo and the ____ of ____” that my son likes read to him!
I just knocked off Twilight #1 and will probably have to continue reading the series, but I’m torn because I have Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on reserve at the library, and I’m anxious to get it read and back into circulation again. I started a book about Emily Dickinson and some guy called White Heat, but it’s not quite the page turner that those others are.
Summer time
Now re-reading of course: Harry Potter and the Half Bood Prince By J. K. Rowling and continue with Deathly Hallows
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak left over from the last list
The Language of Bees By Laurie R. King the new book from the Mary Russell series that started with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (1994)
A Parent’s Guide to Harry Potter by Gina Burkart christianaudio
The Last Dickens novel By Matthew Pearl
Great Expectations By Charles Dickens read by B J Harrison (I have listened to BJ since he started his podcast)
Something Wicked This Way Comes By Ray Bradbury re-read
The Shack by William P. Young
Rumi Hidden Music translated By Azima Melita Kolin & Maryam Mali
The Sorceress The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel By Michael Scott, # 3 of the series
Paper Towns By John Green
The Thoreau you don’t know By Robert Sullivan
Walden by Henry David Thoreau re-read
Andrew Peterson’s new book when it comes out, I think in Sept.
Letters to a Young Artist By Julia Cameron
it is a start!
As it turns out, I was just thinking about his. Partly because I received a couple of new books yesterday as gifts, including Harry Potter & Imagination and The Deathly Hallows Lectures
My list is:
Currently:
The Lion Vrie by Christopher Hopper
The Bible
Next:
Hood, Scarlet,and Tuck by Stephen Lawhead
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Deathly Hallows Lectures by John Granger
Harry Potter & Imagination by Travis Prinzi
Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them and Qudditch Through the Ages by J. K. Rowling
Ranger’s Aprentice Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan.
Nightmare’s Edge by Bryan Davis
The Bones of Makaidos by Bryan Davis
Anything else that comes along and piques my interest. I will be reading these in no particular order, other then when a series is involved.
Oh I forgot two other books:
Persuasion by Jane Austen
and Summa Elvetica: A Casuistry of the Elvish Controversy by Theodore Beale
It’s great to see what everyone’s reading! I’ve been reading mostly non-fiction lately, for both college and leisure, and I’m trying to spend the summer tackling the stack of novels I’ve been meaning to get through in addition to re-reading HBP.
Currently reading:
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton (My fiancee will not stop pestering me until I finish it.)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson
Haven’t decided what I’m reading after these two . . . suggestions?
I’m also making my way through some of the Hebrew Bible prophets I tend to ignore, namely Ezekiel, Amos and Micah. Fun and interesting stuff.
I have a pile of fiction that has been on deck forever (Twilight, The Golden Compass, Half Blood Prince (again), Memoirs of a Geisha, The Dante Club, The Historian), but can’t seem to tear myself away from the non-fiction:
The New Testament and the People of God (N.T. Wright)
Surprised by Joy (C.S. Lewis)
The Everlasting Man (G.K. Chesterton) currently…
“Summer reading” is rather meaningless for most of us I suppose.
I think the concept of “summer reading” is the book list equivalent of New Year’s Resolutions — something that might provide an impetus and structure to what we know we want to/should be doing anyway. For people with a constant “to-read” list (mine is easily 100 books long), probably “Summer reading” isn’t needed.
I’ve just been reading Jonathan Stroud’s “Bartimaeus Trilogy” (“Amulet of Samarkand”/”Golem’s Eye”/”Ptolemy’s Gate”) — it was for work, so maybe it doesn’t count, but one of the more pleasurable “required” reading sets I’ve dealt with. Also getting ready to dive back into Madeleine L’Engle’s “Walking on Water:Reflections on Faith and Art.” And my kids have some books they want me to read — the Percy Jackson “Lightning Thief” series, for one.
Lily Luna– How old is your daughter? Mine is 12, and desperately wanted to read “Twilight” last year. I was conflicted, as I posted on my blog: http://quoththemaven.blogspot.com/2008/09/time-for-twilight.html
I read it, and decided she shouldn’t read till she was 14 or so. And we went to the movie together; she was not impressed. However, I’m pretty sure she borrowed the book from a friend and sneak-read it… But I don’t think it’s good for young girls, and don’t think it’s that well written, either. Just my $.02.
–Janet
Lily and Janet, I have not read Twilight, and I don’t plan to. I won’t judge the books — I don’t think I’m the target audience for it anyway.
But, my wife, Jamie, rented the DVD a couple of weeks ago from one of those $1 vending machines, and I’m glad she only spent a buck. Aside from the plot being nearly incomprehensible, I have no idea why girls, and especially adult women, fawn over Edward’s character. The movie paints him as a moody, self-centered stalker-type.
Instead of using the everyday world as a means of exploring supernatural/vampire motifs, or exploring the need to escape the mundane through fantasy, the movie sort of reduced a powerful set of cultural metaphors to a lifetime movie with supremely bad special F/X.
But, that’s my $.02!
Janet and Dave, I wouldn’t judge a book based on its movie. I was not inclined to let my daughter (who is 9-1/2) read it but a friend of hers got ahold of a copy and was reading it, so she wanted to, too. Also the Vice Principal of her school recommended it to several girls in her class (!), so I compromised by saying I would read it myself (since there was a major discussion of it over at HogPro a month or so ago) and make an informed decision as to whether it was okay for her. I’ve been dragging my feet on getting started and I think she’s secretly read the first few pages, so that’s where we’re at. I intend to keep my promise and read it though, even though I’m not personally into vampires.
First, re Twilight. I drank the Kool-Aid and read all the books, including Midnight Sun–and enjoyed them, particularly New Moon, with its psychological aspects. Edward sounds woefully portrayed in the film, which I don’t plan to see. I agree, not for tweens, but great storytelling. I did read fave author Charlaine Harris’ first Sookie Stackhouse vamp book and confirmed that I’m not a vamp lit fan. Sucky. Meyer’s books really are “sanitized for your protection.” However, I still feel at least one parent should be reading the Twi books with their kids–lots of stuff ripe for discussion.
Now, to what I’ve been reading:
The very thoughtful book Remake by Ken Grimwood, a rerelease. For time travel buffs, about a man caught in a time loop. No brain cramps. Jeff Jensen of EW recommended it to us LOST fans.
Fitzgerald’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Good satire and irony. I just may rent the DVD, though I know there were lots of liberties taken–but then there’s room for that.
The Shack–must read. I avoided it until a couple months ago, thinking it would be junk. Was I ever surprised. Loved it.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer (got curious). Pretty good SF story, needs trimmed, like the rest of her books.
Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas. Great!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer, about the Channel Islands Nazi occupation. Great!
I plan to reread HBP soon and reread The Langoliers by Stephen King. Oh, and lots of books, books, books!! Why I may even find time to water the petunuias.
HBP, of course. And I just ordered your book (finally) yesterday, Travis.
I am also working my way through Dante’s Commedia–just hit Canto 30 of Purgatory today.
One book club just took me through Huck Finn and I don’t know what we’ll do next; the other wants to go through The Red Tent, which I got about halfway through a few years back.
There’s also a long list of begun-and-not finished reading:
The Discarded Image, Lewis
The Princess and the Goblin, MacDonald
A Study of Literature, Daiches
Biographia Litteraria, Coleridge
King Arthur and His Knights, Knowles
I’d also like to re-read Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, and might take a fun rerun through Austen’s Emma, Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy, HP and Twilight when I need a break from the heavier lifting.
Library Lily, Hale’s Princess Academy is a good book. If you like that you might also like some of Sharon Shinn’s young adult books, like Summers at Castle Auburn or The Truth Teller’s Tale.
I try and alternate fiction/non-fiction, but I have had a run on John Wyndham. I like his mid-20th century, very British take on science fiction. Day of the Triffids is still a cracker, making me lay awake wondering ‘What if?’ His short stories are always good.
Apart from that I’ve recently read
The Hobbit for the first time in my life – shame!
Report from Engine Co 82 firefighting in the Bronx.
To be the man Nature boy Ric Flair’s autobiography.
A heartbreaking work of staggering genius Dave Eggers.
Women in Vietnam: the oral history
The Nargun and the Stars – a great Australian children’s book – full of Aboriginal mythical creatures.
Plus Spike Milligan’s war memoirs (of The Goons fame – incredibly funny).
I can’t wait to read Pride & Prejudice & Zombies – what a great concept!
May have to add John’s How Harry Cast His Spell to the list, too, since I now have an ebook version of it.
Black Angus, you don’t say how you found The Hobbit?
Oh, will probably have to read through The Chronicles of Narnia again since I now have ebook versions of it.
Great lists. I don’t generally plan “summer reading” either — I just always seem to have a huge to-be-read pile, no matter what season!
I’m currently reading:
John Yow’s The Armchair Birder (a book of witty essays)
George MacDonald’s The Lost Princess
A lot of essays on Lewis & Narnia (in prep for a possible course proposal) and I just got Lewis’ An Experiment in Criticism on hold from the library and plan to start it soon as almost every essay I’m reading lately is quoting from it!
I was glad to see Shannon Hale on some of these lists, as I really enjoy her work. I’ve read both Princess Academy and The Goose Girl and hope to get to Enna Burning sometime before the year is out.
Just finished N.D. Wilson’s 100 Cupboards — curious to know if anyone else has read that. I found parts of it intriguing (and of course wonderfully familiar as he’s pulling on lots of fantasy tradition, including Lewis) but I was disappointed I didn’t enjoy it more. Seemed like a lot of set-up for the second book (which I haven’t read yet) but not a world that I “fell” into easily.
Revgeorge, I bought Princess Academy on a strong whim a little over a year ago and read and re-read it for a couple of months straight. I now read Shannon Hale’s blog regularly and plan on picking up some of her other books too (last time I was at the library, they were all out.) I will definitely put Sharon Shinn on my list to look for. Thank you for the recommendation!
revgeorge, The Hobbit was, well, you know, OK enough… Actually it was great! Have started reading it to the kids.
Another confession: I only read LOTR all the way through for the first time last year (saw the movies so why bother?)
Shame, Black Angus, shame.
After all those years playing Dungeons and Dragons…
Oh, I remember watching the Ralph Bakshi LOTR with you. That gave you a few years grace, I suppose.
The more I see of the Jackson movies the more I cringe.
Bee-dee, bee-dee, bee-dee. Eat lead, sucker.
Library Lily, how fun to see another fan of Shannon Hale’s blog. I started reading it regularly last year!
I’ve been thinking of re-reading LOTR as I try to do that every few years, and it’s been several years this time (too long). It does strike me that, although I don’t really do a “summer reading” list, I do tend to do more re-reading in the summer months. Well, except for Austen. I almost always do my Austen re-reads in fall and winter. Not entirely sure why!
Sorry for all the weird bolding in the previous message. I must have forgotten to close a tag.
Not yelling, I promise.
Beth, I have 100 Cupboards but have not read it yet. Too many other things on the plate so far.
Black Angus, shame on you. With a brother who played MERP you should’ve read all these Tolkien books years ago. Think of all your misspent time!
korg, still right there with you on the Jackson movies.
Cheers, Beth! I’ll have to actually comment over there sometime. And I’ve posted more than one all-bold comment on this site…. It happens.
I’m new to this blog so here is my first post. Currently, as part of our family time, my husband, my brother, and I are reading through the Harry Potter series again (its the first time for my husband). We are in Goblet of Fire right now. Meanwhile, I am reading the Deathly Hallows Lectures on my own. Very interesting insights in it so far
Hmm, Black Angus, I’ve been considering a reread run through John Wyndham. Also on my reread list are L’Engle’s Wrinkle in Time series and Lois Lowry’s Giver series; Messenger, the last, is so transcendent in a gospel light, it gives me chills. And I must finish Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and read Blink. And read some Prinzi, Granger, etc.
I will definitely read some Shannon Hale; I’d never heard of her. Thanks! For those who like fairy tale reimaginings, read Donna Jo Napoli’s Zel (Rapunzel), Beast (Beauty & the Beast), Spinners (Rumplestiltskin and Breath (The Pied Piper). I also recommend The Frog Prince: A Fairy Tale for Consenting Adults by Stephen Mitchell, told in an amusing philosophical and spiritual manner. For Aurthurian fans, check out Avalon High by Meg Cabot (of the Princess Diaries). Clever and enjoyable modern YA take.
So many books, so little time…sigh.
Arabella, other good fairy-tale reimaginings are Regina Doman’s fairy tale novels. I just read the first one, Shadow of the Bear, not long ago. I’m going to recommend our library purchase the whole series.
I’m also really fond of Diane Stanley’s book Bella at Midnight. It’s an interesting mix of fairy-tale/fantasy. I think it would be an especially terrific read for a young person who’s not quite ready to read Tolkien on his or her own. Bella reminded me a lot of Eowyn…
revgeorge I heard the seductive call of the nerd-side of the force and watched my brother succumb. I struggled though my resistance was weak.