Summer Reading List
Reading Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience.” I realize that this essay is basically a cornerstone of the intellectual justification of social justice, but man, Thoreau comes across as something of a self-righteous ass. One can but presume that he was more charming in person, given Louisa May Alcott’s schoolgirl crush on him.
Also working on a summer reading list! Two of them, actually. One of them is for books I need to read for school, but the other is books for meeeeee. Ten of them! I will probably read more than ten, but it is good to have room for improvisation as lovely new books stroll into my view.
1. Les Miserables. Yes, I caved; I’m going to read it. Which translation is best?
2. Tam Lin, by Pamela Dean. I’ve been hearing about this book for basically forever, and I found a used copy over spring break, which is clearly a Sign that I should read it now.
3. The Shield Ring, by Rosemary Sutcliff. Because VIKINGS. And also the local library has it and I make it my business to read all the Sutcliffs offered by the nearest library, because all the libraries seem to have a different selection. (Finally finished! A summer later than I meant, but eh. Still complete!)
4. Unspoken, by Sarah Rees Brennan. I know there are a couple of other Brennan fans reading this journal. Have you read Unspoken yet? How was it?
5. A Death in the Small Hours, by Charles Finch. A new Charles Lenox mystery! (Yes, he named his detective after himself. Just go with it.) I thought the last one was rather too conspiratorial, but I have high hopes for this nonetheless.
6. Speaking of mysteries! There is a new Inspector Pekkala mystery out too, Archive 17! These are set during Stalinist Russia and are thus almost certain to disappoint me mightily someday, but I intend to keep reading until then.
7. Starry River of the Sky, by Grace Lin. I have been quietly devoted to Lin’s books since Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and this looks like a similar thing: fractured Chinese fairytales, beautiful illustrations. It is probably a pretty quick read. I could make it my reward for finishing my Uncle Tom’s Cabin paper...
8. Thinking of China reminds me: I’m still meaning to read Lisa See’s On Gold Mountain, her family memoir history book. My favorite book of hers is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which is pretty awesome and everyone should read it.
9. ALSO ALSO SPEAKING OF AWESOME. Jaclyn Moriarty has a new book out, A Corner of White! Hearts in my eyes! (Eva Rice, who wrote The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, also apparently has a new book out except the library does not appear to be cognizant of this fact. Get on that, library!)
10. And I can’t decide on a tenth book. It occurs to me that I ought to make a list of favorite authors so I can check regularly if they’ve got anything new coming out, rather than going through my 200+ book posts (!!!!) to remind myself who I’ve liked. Gail Carson Levine has a new book out, with a heroine named Elodie - just for the name it must be worth a look, though I haven’t liked any of her later books as well as Ella Enchanted. I should write a post about Ella Enchanted...
Man, I remember back in the day, I used to await my favorite authors’ new books months ahead of time, with baited breath, rather than finding out about them months afterward. I suppose this has some advantages - it’s such a pleasant surprise to google my favorite authors and discover that half of them have new books out - but I kind of miss being on the cutting edge.
ETA: Crossing these out as I read them. Because I am neurotic like that, okay?
Also working on a summer reading list! Two of them, actually. One of them is for books I need to read for school, but the other is books for meeeeee. Ten of them! I will probably read more than ten, but it is good to have room for improvisation as lovely new books stroll into my view.
1. Les Miserables. Yes, I caved; I’m going to read it. Which translation is best?
2. Tam Lin, by Pamela Dean. I’ve been hearing about this book for basically forever, and I found a used copy over spring break, which is clearly a Sign that I should read it now.
3. The Shield Ring, by Rosemary Sutcliff. Because VIKINGS. And also the local library has it and I make it my business to read all the Sutcliffs offered by the nearest library, because all the libraries seem to have a different selection. (Finally finished! A summer later than I meant, but eh. Still complete!)
4. Unspoken, by Sarah Rees Brennan. I know there are a couple of other Brennan fans reading this journal. Have you read Unspoken yet? How was it?
5. A Death in the Small Hours, by Charles Finch. A new Charles Lenox mystery! (Yes, he named his detective after himself. Just go with it.) I thought the last one was rather too conspiratorial, but I have high hopes for this nonetheless.
6. Speaking of mysteries! There is a new Inspector Pekkala mystery out too, Archive 17! These are set during Stalinist Russia and are thus almost certain to disappoint me mightily someday, but I intend to keep reading until then.
7. Starry River of the Sky, by Grace Lin. I have been quietly devoted to Lin’s books since Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and this looks like a similar thing: fractured Chinese fairytales, beautiful illustrations. It is probably a pretty quick read. I could make it my reward for finishing my Uncle Tom’s Cabin paper...
8. Thinking of China reminds me: I’m still meaning to read Lisa See’s On Gold Mountain, her family memoir history book. My favorite book of hers is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which is pretty awesome and everyone should read it.
9. ALSO ALSO SPEAKING OF AWESOME. Jaclyn Moriarty has a new book out, A Corner of White! Hearts in my eyes! (Eva Rice, who wrote The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, also apparently has a new book out except the library does not appear to be cognizant of this fact. Get on that, library!)
10. And I can’t decide on a tenth book. It occurs to me that I ought to make a list of favorite authors so I can check regularly if they’ve got anything new coming out, rather than going through my 200+ book posts (!!!!) to remind myself who I’ve liked. Gail Carson Levine has a new book out, with a heroine named Elodie - just for the name it must be worth a look, though I haven’t liked any of her later books as well as Ella Enchanted. I should write a post about Ella Enchanted...
Man, I remember back in the day, I used to await my favorite authors’ new books months ahead of time, with baited breath, rather than finding out about them months afterward. I suppose this has some advantages - it’s such a pleasant surprise to google my favorite authors and discover that half of them have new books out - but I kind of miss being on the cutting edge.
ETA: Crossing these out as I read them. Because I am neurotic like that, okay?