August 2nd, 2011
Summer Reads
I love reading- being totally drawn into a story is one of my favourite things and in the past month I’ve been making time to fit it into my life. Rediscovering something I love has been amazing, and these are the books that I’ve been diving into…
I had so much fun watching the “Julie” sections of the movie Julie and Julia and I really wanted to spend more time in that world. My Life in France is such an endearing look at Julia Child’s life- from her travel and marriage to her working relationship with her collaborators. I love her positivity and passion- and that she found her calling later in life.
I’ve heard some really good things about The War of Art- it’s about producing creative work on a day to day basis and how to get past the roadblocks that stand between you and doing that. I’m a big fan of Seth Godin and I’ve been curious to read something that’s covering similar territory in a different way. This is intended for writers, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has long term creative projects on their plate, it has some really interesting ideas.
Most of the action in The Hunger Games takes place around pre-teens fighting for their lives inside of a post-apocalyptic version of reality TV. Totally beachy reading material, right? I’m not good with violence or gore so I was hesitant about how dark this book seemed like it could be, even with it being young adult fiction. The story and characters were absorbing, and it was really fun to rush through a book to see how it turns out in the end. I’ve already started reading the second book, but I’m trying to limit myself to one a weekend. I’m just not sure I have the willpower!
Last week I asked my twitter friends what they’ve been reading, and I got some great recommendations:
@honey_child
“Game of Thrones. I’m just loving it”
@stephanywrites
“I’m reading American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld and it is really good! Much better than I anticipated.”
@Lins281
“I’m reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. Reminds me of #hungergames, it’s so good!”
@MarisaChaples
“I just finished the book Room [by Emma Donoghue]. It was incredible, I could hardly put it down.”
@marblefaun
“Loved Never Let Me Go & Life of Pi recently. Also: Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close is one of the best books of all time!”
@LeewardBe
“… all the Mary Roach books. It’s non-fiction, but SO good.”
I’ve already picked a front runner for my next read, and I’ll share in the comments below this morning, but I can’t wait to get the rest of my summer reading lined up!
What’s at the top of your reading list these days?
Working in a bookstore always leaves me with bunches of book suggestions. I agree with the suggestion of Game of Thrones. I recently finished JUST KIDS by patti smith (so lyrical and poetic – a story about friendship), BOSSYPANTS was heeeeelarious! And I’m now reading DOES THE NOISE IN MY HEAD BOTHER YOU by steven tyler – his is also quite lyrical in the way that it flows and he is quite the funny man. Regardless what you choose, enjoy!
Kelly :))
These are great suggestions. I’m really interested in reading the War of Art now. :)
I just finished reading Quitter, by Jon Acuff, which is about transitioning from your “day” job to your Dream Job. I was so inspired by it and it has some great information. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested in pursuing an indy biz or being self-employed… or even just wanting to start a new career in general, but doesn’t quite know how to cross the bridge. It does have a religious bent, but I think the information is even useful for those who aren’t interested in that aspect, although I can appreciate it.
American Wife is very, very good. I really enjoyed it. Same with the Life of Pi – it was wonderful.
Among my other favorites: The Handmaid’s Tale, The Giver, The Bell Jar, and Illusions by Richard Bach.
i really enjoyed the Julia Child book, it was such a fascinating look into her life. and the Hunger Games, clearly i was a fan as well. i sort of had issues with the gore too, but the core of the story was just so good, i loved it. as for current, i’m reading The 25th Hour and it’s so fascinating. i definitely recommend it and i’m not even done yet. yay reading!
my recent can’t-put-em-down faves are All But My Life, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Literary Society. go. love. drool.
Funny you should ask :) I just started reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. And after that I have Pride & Prejudice waiting to be cracked open.
I’ve had Shanghai Girls on my Amazon Wishlist for a while now!
Shanghai Girls!!!!!!!!!! A+!
Its really emotional though.. tell me if you chose to read it and what you thought!
I love all the Julia Child parts of that movie! I would have liked a movie just about her :) I’m reading Gone With the Wind right now, it’s my first time reading it, I love it so far
I was never able to get into the Hunger Games for some reason! I think I just don’t do well with YA fiction or something. I’d really love to read about Julia :)
Thanks for The War of Art suggestion – I’d never even heard of it! (It’s going on my to-read list now!) Next up for me is The Elegance of the Hedgehog – we’re reading it for my next book club meeting in September!
I know you’ve read Love Walked In & I think you read Belong to Me as well, but I’d also recommend Water for Elephants and Sarah’s Key. Happy reading! :)
Lately I’ve been reading: Dracula the Graphic Novel, Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood (also a graphic novel), Prince of Persia the Graphic Novel, Ghost Hunt manga volume’s 1-3 (love this series from the little I read!) and finally SCOTT PILGRIM graphic novels 1 and 2.
I LOVE reading, but my problem usually comes when I finish reading a really, really good book. Once it’s finished, I struggle to find another that will live up to it. I have such a hard time finding good books to read, or books that are my type without being corny or annoying. I loooove the fantasy genre, but it’s really hard to find someone who can master that kind of book, at least in the way that I like. Anyway. Thanks for these book recs! I will definitely look into some of these and keep you posted if I find anything good :)
I finished Mary Roach’s Bonk last month and I highly, HIGHLY recommend Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Like way high in the sky highly.
I’m planning to read Room, Water for Elephants, and The Help in the near (hopefully) future.
yay for bookworms!
I loved the first two Hunger Games books!! The third one has been sitting on my shelf since it came out. I don’t know why I haven’t picked it up…
Right now I am reading Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner. It’s not too bad, but I’m sort of rushing through it because I’m excited to start something else on my shelf ;)
I am reading The Sandalwood Tree for a blogger book club. Then i need to read “Black Swan” for work (not like the movie, it’s about different strange occurences that happen that we try to rationalize). Then maybe Racing Weight – again, a non-fiction read, but soemthing i want to read because i am curious. Then who knows. I have 4 shelves of unread books and 3-4 on my nook so there are lots of options!!
The Hunger Games were great. I second reading The Help, it zipped by.
I loved The Hunger Games! Completely flew through them. My favorite summer read is Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. I read it every year and fall further in love with it every time.
You’ve got some amazing recommends in there!! Hunger Games was one of my fave series 3 years ago all the way up until the last book came out last summer. I’ve been an avid follower of all things HG and similar, and Divergent is way up there. I adored that book. Also ‘Delirium’ by Lauren Oliver was a huge contender for a favorite in the same genre.
Room was also one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!! Whoever recommended that one has great taste too. :) Happy summer reading Kyla!!
hi– i’m a devoted reader and i have to come out of the blogger woodwork to insist that you read “a vintage affair”
it combines some history + vintage clothing + romance.
perfection.
I just read “The Diving Bell & The Butterfly”and Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About. Both were for book club and both were good but not AMAZING. The Help was great.
I definitely have The Hunger Games and Room on my list but now that I have to drive-commute instead of transit my reading time is almost non-existant! I don’t want to “waste” a book on my ‘to read’ list by listening to it on audiobook. It’s just not the same as reading!
I am reading “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote right now, one of my all time favorites!
totally gonna add the war of art to my reading list!
i just finished the first 3 books of the Mortal Instrument series – the 3rd book in the series is my fave. This book has been out for awhile but I thought it was one of the best books I’ve ever read: The Kite Runner. I also love anything by Nicole Krauss – stellar writing!!
I really hope you check out Divergent. It’s one of those books that just sticks with you. I’ve also read “Room” and it’s AMAZING. Difficult subject matter, but the narrator is so unique.
I’ll be doing my See It/Read it post later this week but I’m totally in to awful, trashy chick lit or vampire stuff. It’s all about the light things for me this summer. Next up though I’m reading a Dog’s Purpose. (I did read some more serious stuff for book clubs last month, but I’m having summer brain where it’s hard for me to get serious with certain things when it comes to books!)
I have The American Wife on my shelf to read as well from the library and a handful of others!
Hi Kyla! I have a few more to add to your reading list :)
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain – I just finished this book and could not put it down the whole time! It’s about Ernest Hemmingways first marriage to Hadley Richardson and the story is told from her point of view. If you have any interest in Hemmingway (and even if you dont!) I highly recommend this book.
Also – an old favorite of mine – Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. The story is based mostly on the authors true life experiences, from escaping prison in Australia to moving to India and living in the slums to fighting in Afghanistan. Its a hefty book but its so captivating (especially because its based on his real life!) it’s hard to put down!
Hope you enjoy!
tracy
Such great choices! The Hunger Games had me antisocial and unable to carry on conversations with people because I just couldn’t put the books down. I think I read them in a weekend. Then I was sad there were no more to read!
I read “Packing for Mars” recently, and it was just fabulous, I totally recommend it!
I’m currently reading “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein and I’m really enjoying it.
I highly recommend it. The story is told by a dog and it’s really interesting how the author writes from the perspective of a pet.
I’ve been hearing a lot about “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett lately. I’m usually about 137 years behind the rest of the book world, so forgive me about that… but I’d really like to read it!
I just finished “the Help” which I completely recommend.
ugg hungar games is AMAZING and highly recommend it to everyone! so so good. not gonna lie though i am a bit nervous about the movie as you all know the movie versions of books are never the same. although harry potter came pretty close for me.
can i also recommend the game of the thrones, a drama version of lord of the rings, so good!
xo,
cb
I loved The Hunger Games, but I felt like it was the best book in the series. I think I need to read My Life in France, I have $50 in Amazon gift cards and am trying to decide on what to read.
Hi Kyla, I LOVED My LIfe in France. I was actually just getting ready to re-read it. I think that you mis-typed (is that a word) in your post because you said that you loved the “Julie” parts and I think you meant the Julia parts. I posted a blog on the two books, My Life in France and Julie and Julia (http://acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com/2010/02/julia-vs-julie.html). I love Julia…. Julie not so much. Thanks for the reading list!
Kacie
http://acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com/
I was a late to the whole Harry Potter train but did race through book 3 and 4 so far this summer. I’m knee-deep into Quinn by Iris Johansen. I’m a long-time fan of hers.
The Help was a great read! Have you considered Little Bee by Chris Cleave? Well-worth the read and perfect for long summer days.
Are you on goodreads?
I’ve been on a short story kick lately. Have you ever read Lorrie Moore? Her writing is funny and poignant and just a little sad. “Self-Help” and “Birds In America” are excellent places to start. Adding The Hunger Games to my list!
I was reading some of the comments and I really wish that I read Never Let Me Go before watching the movie. I have a feeling the book must have been really good.
I am currently reading Mini Shopaholic. I am so not interested in it but I will try and finish it. Then up next will be Clockwork Angel (prequel to the Mortal Instrument Series – City of Bones, Ashes, Glass and Fallen Angels – theses may be books to check out if you like young adult novels) and Divergent which some of your readers have recommended.
Hunger Games was a fantastic series! I cannot wait for the movie! I’ve been reading the Circle Series by Ted Dekker. It’s science fiction. Very interesting and unique. I dig it!
Oh my goodness, I can’t wait to google everyone’s suggestions and it’s not even noon yet! :)
I’m going to be reading Divergent next, and I’m going to start reading The Help before I see the movie.
“The Help”. It’s a little difficult to read because it’s the POV of “the help”, so grammar is way off. But it’s a great book. I’ve been very much in to it and it takes a lot for me to find a book that I can’t put down.
Oh I loved Julie and Julia as well! I’ll have to check out “My Life in France”.
I’m currently reading the “Game of Thrones” series, which is excellent. I definitely have to seconv @marblefaun comment about “The Name of the Wind”. It is FABULOUS! The best way I can describe the genre is a realistic fantasy. The sequel just came out in March which was also fantastic.
I just finished Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, it’s super beautiful and sad and amazing, everyone should definitely read it. Next on my list is The Magician King by Lev Grossman. It’s the sequel the The Magicians, which I LOVED, so hopefully TMK lives up to it!
Hi Kyla, I don’t mean to be a stickler, but you matched the wrong Twitter name with the wrong Tweet! this was actually my Tweet:
@kylaroma Loved Never Let Me Go & Life of Pi recently. Also: Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close is one of the best books of all time!
That’s not being a stickler, that’s fabulous! Thanks for catching my copy + paste mishap! It’s fixed now :)
Thanks! :)
And if you DO read Never Let Me Go, don’t spoil it for yourself like I did–just read it and be surprised! The book and movie were both excellent, but definitely read before you see.
I love posts like these – I could talk about books all day.
This summer I have read:
Hunger Games – LOVED IT
Catching Fire – Awesome
Mockingjay – Good
The Year of the Flood (Margaret Atwood) – AMAZING. Post apocalyptic dystopia.
The Help (Kathryn Stockett) – AMAZING
I’m going to try to read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. It looks to be about a million pages, but I’m going to read it while Mike listens to it on audio book (and while I wait for my reserved copy of the most recent Sookie Stackhouse book to be returned to the library…)
Additional awesome books:
Geek Love (Katherine Dunn)
Anything by Margaret Atwood
His Dark Materials Trilogy (Philip Pullman)
Nice call on Geek Love! This has been on my shelf for a while. I lost interest in the dark materials books after the golden compass though.
For some reason, I could not get into Hunger Games. I don’t know why….
I love My Life In France! :)
http://breatheandhush.blogspot.com/
American Wife and Room are amazing. I’m on to the Hunger Games next; I’ve heard good things!
My Life In France is one of my favorite books, ever. I absolutely loved it.
If you haven’t read The Help yet, do so, because it is absolutely fantastic, and it’s coming out as a movie this month! At all times I have a slew of books I want to read, but right now I really want to get to this one called Half Baked by Alexa Stevenson…
I got all three Hunger Games books for Christmas. I read the first two in about two or three days, but I made myself wait on the last one which I eventually finished a few weeks after Christmas break. The last book I read was ‘Looking for Alaska’ by John Green. I didn’t think I would like it at all (I read ‘Papertowns’ and hated it), but I gave it a shot. It’s easily become a favorite of mine.
I’m not reading anything currently, but I have a ‘to-read’ list a mile long. On that list is ‘The Glass Castle,’ The Sookie Stackhouse novels, ‘Matched,’ ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story,’ and ‘Delerium.’
Thanks for this post, it had some wonderful suggestions! My ‘to-read’ list just got a wee bit longer! <3
I’m making my way through the Song of Ice and Fire books, currently on A Feast For Crows. Not loving this one as much, but it’s still a good read. I hope to read Divergent after those.
Loved The Hunger Games and am considering a re-read.
Divergent or Game of Thrones. They`re both on my Kindle and I have yet to read them. (I currently started to read the sookie stackhouse books again).
Other suggestions-
The Iron King series
cassandra clare`s books
Ooo, I love “My Live in France” and “The Hunger Games”! Both are fantastic, and I got them from the library but I’d love copies of my own.