Summer Reading List
So, I've taken it upon myself to read as many books as possible this summer. I love literature, all kinds. I've been reading fiction and history and science and mythology. I'm currently reading Spook by Mary Roach. I'm about half way through and it's been great.
Behind the cut is a list of books I've read since school got out and what I thought of them. I made it for my own reference but wanted to share. Hopefully this list will have more than doubled before school starts back up again.
The Only Good Thing Anyone Has Ever Done - Sandra Newman
Really interesting premise with a less than satisfying pay off. The characters were really well defined but I don’t really remember what happened. It had lots of good one-liners.
Short Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl
Beautifully crafted with a few minor kinks. It’s hard to put down but it’s also hard to recommend fully. The ending wasn’t executed properly unless the point of it actually was to leave the reader feeling confused and sortof angry. Great discussion book.
History of Love - Nicole Krauss
This book is sortof like a very rough draft of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close without pictures. Pretty prose, pretty dialogue, pretty stories. Somehow, the end doesn’t come together quite the same for me. Still worth the read.
The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
A great way to freshen up on your classical mythology trivia, but the characters aren’t the kind you just fall in love with. It’s like the author wanted to write Harry Potter and then realized someone else already did. So he tinkered with the original idea pretty half-heartedly and came up with a kid who is really the son of a Greek god (not wizard) who goes away to camp (not school).
Weight - Jeanette Winterson
This book is truly beautiful. It’s about desire and boundaries, but it’s also about something more. It is a compelling reminder about why myths are told and why they continue to be relevant. I want to tell the story again.
The Catcher In The Rye - Salinger
Everyone has already read this book.
Keturah And Lord Death - Martine Leavitt
Pretty but also sortof annoying. Don’t read this book if you like being surprised by endings. The plot line sortof resembles Pride and Prejudice with a hint of Phantom of the Opera. It’s pretty uncreative. Lord Death is pretty hot though.
Wasteland - Francesca Lia Block
It was creepy the first time I tried to read it and it’s creepy now. Block has a strange way of pulling me in though and I end up sortof loving whatever she does. Beautiful book even if it’s about incest.
The Myth of You and Me - Leah Stewart
This book is about the mysterious friendships that women have. It’s really beautiful and strangely easy to relate to. This book is not about your only best friend or your first one. It is about your last one. This book made sense to me.
Heavy Words Lightly Thrown - Chris Roberts
A book about the probably real meanings behind all the little rhymes we learned as kids. Some of them are really interesting and most are about royalty. It’s an interesting and quick read but entirely speculative.
The Passion - Jeanette Winterson
Reading this book is about the journey, not about the destination. It is similar in style to Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, except Winterson’s characters are more vivid between her beautiful thoughts. After reading Weight and this book, I’m in love with this author.
The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood
The story is a retelling of the myth of Penelope and Odysseus from the point of view of Penelope in the Underworld and the twelve of her maids that Odysseus slaughtered in the legend. This book was really interesting and I hope that one day someone turns it into a play. Or maybe I will. Atwood sets it up like it could be a modern Greek drama with a chorus that is actually compelling.
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
I wanted to be able to recommend this book strongly, because I love the author so much. Truth is, a lot of the book is borrowed ideas, from either her former work or elsewhere. Her male heartthrob is Draco-Lite and the big reveal is just like something I’ve seen on a very well-known blockbuster movie. I was really into it after the first two chapters and before the last three. It’s a pretty book, and worth a read if you love the author, but don’t expect to be that impressed.
The Great Snape Debate - Card, et co.
Snape is not evil.
Also, if you want to pre-order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Borders, you best do it before the store closes today because any orders after today are going to be considered part of a "wait list".
Happy Reading!
Behind the cut is a list of books I've read since school got out and what I thought of them. I made it for my own reference but wanted to share. Hopefully this list will have more than doubled before school starts back up again.
The Only Good Thing Anyone Has Ever Done - Sandra Newman
Really interesting premise with a less than satisfying pay off. The characters were really well defined but I don’t really remember what happened. It had lots of good one-liners.
Short Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl
Beautifully crafted with a few minor kinks. It’s hard to put down but it’s also hard to recommend fully. The ending wasn’t executed properly unless the point of it actually was to leave the reader feeling confused and sortof angry. Great discussion book.
History of Love - Nicole Krauss
This book is sortof like a very rough draft of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close without pictures. Pretty prose, pretty dialogue, pretty stories. Somehow, the end doesn’t come together quite the same for me. Still worth the read.
The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
A great way to freshen up on your classical mythology trivia, but the characters aren’t the kind you just fall in love with. It’s like the author wanted to write Harry Potter and then realized someone else already did. So he tinkered with the original idea pretty half-heartedly and came up with a kid who is really the son of a Greek god (not wizard) who goes away to camp (not school).
Weight - Jeanette Winterson
This book is truly beautiful. It’s about desire and boundaries, but it’s also about something more. It is a compelling reminder about why myths are told and why they continue to be relevant. I want to tell the story again.
The Catcher In The Rye - Salinger
Everyone has already read this book.
Keturah And Lord Death - Martine Leavitt
Pretty but also sortof annoying. Don’t read this book if you like being surprised by endings. The plot line sortof resembles Pride and Prejudice with a hint of Phantom of the Opera. It’s pretty uncreative. Lord Death is pretty hot though.
Wasteland - Francesca Lia Block
It was creepy the first time I tried to read it and it’s creepy now. Block has a strange way of pulling me in though and I end up sortof loving whatever she does. Beautiful book even if it’s about incest.
The Myth of You and Me - Leah Stewart
This book is about the mysterious friendships that women have. It’s really beautiful and strangely easy to relate to. This book is not about your only best friend or your first one. It is about your last one. This book made sense to me.
Heavy Words Lightly Thrown - Chris Roberts
A book about the probably real meanings behind all the little rhymes we learned as kids. Some of them are really interesting and most are about royalty. It’s an interesting and quick read but entirely speculative.
The Passion - Jeanette Winterson
Reading this book is about the journey, not about the destination. It is similar in style to Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, except Winterson’s characters are more vivid between her beautiful thoughts. After reading Weight and this book, I’m in love with this author.
The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood
The story is a retelling of the myth of Penelope and Odysseus from the point of view of Penelope in the Underworld and the twelve of her maids that Odysseus slaughtered in the legend. This book was really interesting and I hope that one day someone turns it into a play. Or maybe I will. Atwood sets it up like it could be a modern Greek drama with a chorus that is actually compelling.
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
I wanted to be able to recommend this book strongly, because I love the author so much. Truth is, a lot of the book is borrowed ideas, from either her former work or elsewhere. Her male heartthrob is Draco-Lite and the big reveal is just like something I’ve seen on a very well-known blockbuster movie. I was really into it after the first two chapters and before the last three. It’s a pretty book, and worth a read if you love the author, but don’t expect to be that impressed.
The Great Snape Debate - Card, et co.
Snape is not evil.
Also, if you want to pre-order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Borders, you best do it before the store closes today because any orders after today are going to be considered part of a "wait list".
Happy Reading!