Suggested Summer Reading.
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.
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?