So here's my list in case you need any ideas...some of these I've read, some are sitting in a pile waiting to be read, and others will be coming as soon as I move my way up the library waiting list for them. Yep, that's how cool I am--I am on waiting lists at the library for a bunch of books :)
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
I started this one a few days ago and so far so good. It follows a group of six characters from the age of fifteen, when they meet at a summer camp, all the way through middle age. The characters are all brilliant and clever--traits that they are terribly aware of as teenagers and makes them endearing but obnoxious. Some of them lose their belief in their own "interestingness" over time while others hold onto it too tightly, and yet others were never quite aware of it in the first place. I'm eager to see how they all turn out.
This was written by Lauren Graham the actress--as in the one who was on Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. At first I was skeptical, which was admittedly judgmental to assume that an actress wouldn't be a very good writer (but let's consider other actresses who have penned books and admit that you probably had the same hang-ups. Tori Spelling, anyone?). But after reading several good reviews I decided to give it a shot and was glad I did. I finished it quickly and it was absolutely worth my time. Reinventing the wheel of fiction it does not, but it's everything that a good summer read ought to be.
I just picked this one up and while I've heard nothing but fantastic reviews about it I'm having a hard time getting motivated to read it. The subject matter is pretty intense, as the story centers around a mother trying to find out what happened after her daughter Amelia allegedly commits suicide. The mother is consumed by grief and soon after received an anonymous message that tells her Amelia didn't die the way everyone has been led to believe, which starts the mother on a journey to figure out the truth. I will read it, I just know I'll need something lighter to read immediately after.
This is another title that I can't get away from--the reviews are everywhere and they're all telling me that this is the "must read" book of the summer. This is one of those books that seems hard to summarize in a way that would make you want to read it, so just check out the summary for yourself here. They did a better job than I could. If I tried to explain it the woman upstairs would probably just sound straight up crazy.
J. Courtney Sullivan has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I read her first two books, Commencement and Maine, which came out in the summers of 2010 and 2012, respectively. Both of those books were excellent--I highly recommend if you haven't already read them. I haven't started this one yet but it's already gotten great reviews. The book spans 100 years, telling four separate stories of couples who are all connected by the hopes, failures, and expectations of marriage and symbolic stones that come with them.
I stumbled upon this one accidentally when I read a review that started with "If you loved The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing you'll love this." Since I am supposed to love this book, based on that description, I have it in my "to read" pile. This would fall into the more "beach read" category, but it's basically a coming of age story for women who aren't really in the right decade to be coming of age.
I've actually had this one my list for almost a year now. My sister-in-law read it and then found it at a library book sale and bought it for me last summer but I have yet to pick it up, despite it's almost unanimous glow of reviews and the fact that it's being made into a movie right now. I typically stay away from all titles in the "popular young adult" category (I'm looking at you, Twilight and Hunger Games). But this one sounds much more intriguing and there are no vampires. So there's that. My problem is again the heavy subject matter and the fact that I know this is going to make me sad--the story centers around Hazel, a terminal cancer patient (See? How could this possibly be uplifting at all??) and her unexpected romance with Augustus, a boy she meets in a cancer support group. That's all I know, because I've avoided reading any kind of spoilers or in depth summaries. After I read it and finish crying I'll let you know how it was.
The Potty Mouth at the Table by Laurie Notaro
I discovered Laurie Notaro a few years ago when I picked up one of her books on a whim at the library. It was hysterical, so I ended up requesting just about everything she's ever written. She writes non-fiction stories about her life and the situations she finds herself in--kind of like a female David Sedaris but much less reserved. Her stories are laugh out loud funny and if you need a pick-me-up read anything by her. A good starting place is It Looked Different on the Model or We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive.
And speaking of David Sedaris, here's a new one from the man himself. It had been awhile since he wrote anything new and this one does not disappoint. It's not as collectively funny as some of his other stuff, but still worth a read. If you're new to David Sedaris, start with Me Talk Pretty One Day or When You Are Engulfed in Flames.
This one popped up on my Amazon list of recommendations so I requested it from the library. I haven't started it yet, but it is set in a retirement center and, as the summary puts it, "illuminates the possibilities of second chances, hope, and rediscovering life right up to the very end. She has conjured an entire community that reminds us that grace and magic can—and do—appear when we least expect it." (quote taken here, click for full summary).
So that's my list...what are you reading this summer?
~Stacy
No comments:
Post a Comment