Now that I have made it through the busy part of my work year, it is time to figure out what I should be reading this summer. We are already planning to spend a week up in Vermont staying here with a friend. I am sure there will be plenty of time for reading while recovering from some vigorous hiking.
I am thinking fiction. For the past year, it's been mostly heavy non-fiction so a change of pace would be nice. I'm also considering modern fiction. I have rarely touched anything that is post 1950 besides an unfortunate episode of binging on Gresham and Clancy when I was 18. I'm going to let the list ferment for a while before I make my final selections so any suggestions are appreciated.
Powered by $50 in Amazon certificates and an active library card, onto the list:
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - 2005 book that I have heard good things about
- The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - it's by a linguist so it must be interesting
- Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky - trying to read one great Russian novel a year
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Comments
Have you read everything major by Orwell? He's a little earlier than 1950s, but still...
Posted by: shannon on Monday, June 26, 2006
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It's not Christian fiction; it's actual literature. By far one of the best books I've ever read.
The trip sounds great--can't wait to see the pictures. When are we going to do a larger old friends group vacation??
Posted by: jess on Monday, June 26, 2006
Shannon, I haven't read anything by Orwell. 1984 is a good idea. I have heard that Orwell might have had Aldous Huxley as a French teacher in high school. Interesting little connection.
Jessica, I don't know that any of my friends would want to self-identify as being old. Shannon is having a hard enough time with turning 30. On a more serious note, what made The Poisonwood Bible one of your favorite books?
Posted by: CJ Costello on Monday, June 26, 2006
Jess,
An equally interesting question is what are the other books that you have read that make your best list.
Posted by: CJ Costello on Tuesday, June 27, 2006
the name of the rose is pretty incredible.
Posted by: this is my name on Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I'm not sure Shannon would want to be considered large, either...
I'm not sure I can adequately explain why I love that book so much...after reading it for a second time, I sent emails to some friends trying to convince them to try it, and apparently I made it sound incredibly boring. It isn't. But I'd love to discuss it with you after you read it!!
I'll keep thinking on other recommendations...
Posted by: jess on Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Hm. I don't think TPB seems like your style but I could be wrong.
Posted by: sil on Friday, July 7, 2006
The summer is going by so quickly that I need to start culling my list.
Gilead is not a book that I would have categorized as my style, but I thought it would be good to try something different. LibraryThing is a website that I have been using to find books. It allows you to do a sort of social networking based on books.
Posted by: CJ Costello on Friday, July 7, 2006
I'm not sure I approve of all the language, but Daniel would recommend Little Red Riding Wolf.
The Big Bad Girl might neutralize any residual fear you might have felt from the fiction of your youth and Little Wolfie is just like Shannon.
Posted by: Tara on Tuesday, July 11, 2006
That deserves a link.
Posted by: CJ Costello on Tuesday, July 11, 2006
I don't think TPB is CJ's style, either, but he asked for a break from his usual style, and of post-1950's fiction, that's the best I've got!!
Posted by: jess on Tuesday, July 18, 2006