yay!  you’re on tumblr!  (took you long enough)  And you can borrow Snow.  I probably won’t get to it for another few weeks anyway.

And The Namesake is ok, but not great.  Interpreter of Maladies is much better.  If you haven’t read it, I’d recommend it over The Namesake.

shanimus:

So much do I love summer reading lists that I felt it was necessary to create a Tumblr just for the sake of responding.  I’ve wanted to read Snow for a while too, but feel weird spending so much for a book just because it won the Nobel prize. I did the same thing with Soul Mountain and haven’t come close to finishing that yet. I’m pretty impulsive when I actually get to a book store though, so I’m sure I’ll get it eventually.  Sooner if Amanda reads it and recommends it I suppose.

Without further ado, the books I plan to read this summer:  

For Whom the Bell Tolls, because I’ve always loved Hemingway.  Sure, he had a lot of character flaws, his style can be a bit over the top, and he has no idea how to write women, but something about his no-nonsense approach appeals to me.  Michelangelo wasn’t that great at painting the female figure either, but no one calls him less than a genius.

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, Here’s an example of a book I bought on a whim.  I had it in my mind I wanted to read something by Umberto Eco, and this one seemed the more interesting of the two they had at the store that day. From what I’ve read out of it so far, I’m not impressed.  Very preachy in a not-interesting-at-all sort of way.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.  It seemed my whole group of friends was reading this at the same time last year, so I’m surprised it took me this long to pick this one up.  I like it so far when he doesn’t get metaphysical.  The book has some great dialogue and fun characters.  I read this one at work and don’t get as long of breaks these days, so it might take me all summer to finish.

Short list of books I may or may not pick up when I have the time: The Namesake, The Bear, To Kill a Mockingbird (not sure why I haven’t read this yet), King Lear (ditto),  short stories from Haruki Murakami and Raymond Carver, A Million Little Pieces.  Going into law school next year, there are a ton of books they recommend I read before I start, so maybe I’ll try to read one of those as well.  I like my freedom too much to handle more than that.  I will miss reading freedom…

 Anyone looking for a good book recommendation, pick up something by David Mitchell.  I just finished reading all of the books he’s written so far, and all of them are terrific. 

I had to look up Lady Churchill on wikipedia to remind myself who she was.  What did we ever do before wikipedia?  I saw a set of World Book encyclopedias on the bookshelf of an old estate house in Fort Worth, Texas, and they looked to me like ancient relics.  I used to love their gold-leaf spines and leather binding.  When I was bored as a kid, I’d pick up a volume, open it to some random spot, and then read whatever article I had landed on.  Instant entertainment.  I wonder if everyone did that?

I’m still in school for another five weeks, but I figure it’s never too early to get started on summer reading.  I began Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood a couple weeks ago.  It’s been a little slow-going, especially since I keep getting distracted by other books, but I love Flannery O’Connor.  She’s so dark and twisted.

I’m also reading a collection of short stories by David Schickler called Kissing in Manhattan.  He wrote a short story that was passed along on tumblr a couple weeks ago.  I think Rachel was the one who first posted the link.  So far, none of the stories are anywhere near the quality of The Smoker, so I’m a little disappointed. 

I’m also almost done with Atul Gawande’s Better.  He’s a medical non-fiction writer and is amazing.  His first book Complications is brilliant, but Better is good as well.

And I got a book that is essentially a collection of song lyrics by Sun Kil Moon’s Mark Kozelek called Nights of Passed Over.  I know all his lyrics are available online (or by listening to the music), but I love having them collected and bound. 

On my list to read next:

The Inheritance of Loss (I started, but never finished)

The Children’s Hospital

Snow

The Virgin Suicides (which I’ve never read, even though I loved the movie and Middlesex)

I finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? over the weekend.  It’s interesting and definitely worth reading.  I don’t think it’s the book Ryan meant to suggest, though.  I think he meant Valis, which I remember him saying a long time ago, but then in his response to me he mentioned this one, but I think he was confused.  Or I’m confused.  Or maybe Bladerunner is enough of a departure from the book to explain the reference.  I don’t know.  It’s a good book though, regardless.

And yay for book recommendations!  Pretty much all my favorite books have been suggestions from other people.  I’ll read just about anything anyone recommends, as long as I know them well enough to know that The Da Vinci Code (or the equivalent) is not their favorite book.

Oh, and new Death Cab makes me happy. 

taylorswaimphotography:

Well, it’s that time of year again when I can put down the text books and pick up something to read that doesn’t make me want to pull out my hair…

First on my list is  ”Jennie: The Life of Lady Randolph Churchill” by Ralph G. Martin. This is actually not one book, but two.  ”The Romantic Years 1854-1895” and  ”The Dramatic Years 1895-1921”.  I’ve been wanting to read some sort of biography on her for yeaaaars now, and I think I’ve finally found two books that will suffice. 

I’ll let you know how it goes.  

So, what’s on everyone’s summer reading list?