Sunday, July 31, 2011

Summer Reading

I've been reading a lot lately. I've also been finding that I circulate to only a few places to sit and read. There is a nice wooden chair in my bed room, my bed, and a shaded quiet place outside next to a "crik". Anyway, I wanted to share some of the books I've been reading.

A few of the books I've read have been young adult literature (The City of Dreaming Books [which is just charming and clever] and The Dragonriders of Pern Series) and I'm reminded of when I used to read as a child in grade school. We got "Book IT!" points based on the number or difficulty (or something) of the books we read. Those points got us pizza tickets. We would to Pizza Hut to cash in our cheesy prizes after having read whatever it was we read. Personal pan pizza's for reading a book? Yes. Please.

Another book I've read (Middlesex) has made me crave Greek food (food... go figure... I really like food). I actually had wanted to read this for a while and a book club I'm in happened to pick this book recently. The author, Jeffery Eugenidehas written several other books (The Virgin Suicides, The Marriage Plot). In Middlesex, Eugenide puts a tiny rogue gene in the center of a greek tragedy. The hero/heroine is beautifully written. He tells the tale of how "Cal" came into being from three different time periods: Cal's present, his parents, and his grandparents. History, places, people, and genetics are all woven together. But it's not convoluted or confusing.

Fall On Your Knees, by Ann-Marie MacDonald. I... I'm haunted by this book. It cast a poetic spell over me each time I picked it up to read. Sisters and secrets. Characters you hate and then find yourself loving. How many ways can one person be seen? How many sisters can one sister's heart have room for? I just... I can't stop thinking about this book.

What books have you been reading this summer? 

5 comments:

  1. I'm in the middle of re-reading "Women Who Run with the Wolves" by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It's hard to describe this book- full of story telling, deeper meanings, psychology, sociology, humor, wit, real lives, bone collecting, soul reviving..yes. Best book I think I have ever read. EVER.

    There are few other ones that are scattered about. I just finished reading "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman, ugggh so good! I love his characters and seeing their evolution as well as all the neat things his brain meat comes up with. He's never a disappointing read. :)

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  2. I agree. Neil Gaiman is always a good read. I've not gotten to Neverwhere just yet. But will soon. I also want, really want, American Gods.

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  3. Oo, I haven't read American Gods yet either! I just checked out "Writing Down the Bones", so I'm going to sink my teeth into that one first. :)

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  4. I'm on American Gods now. Well, I was at the beach, but progress sort of got stalled by the Harry Potter books, GHOST STORY (the new Dresden Files novel), and HUNTRESS by Malinda Lo (very good book recommended by the Girls of Summer reading list), but I'm returning to it after I finish HP AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. (I almost typed that as "The Bloglet of Fire," which gives all sorts of story ideas.) Anyway, we'll have to compare Gaiman notes.

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