This year's summer reading program has something for everyone - kids, teens, and adults (why should kids have all the fun?). Log your reads at the library or at readsinma.org. Relax with a good book, challenge others to read as many pages as possible, and be eligible to win prizes just for participating.
Want to share your opinions on what you've read? Add your reviews at readsinma.org or in the comments here. Have a great summer!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
Recommended Reads
When I was in college, a few friends had a lovely tradition of emailing everyone they knew at the end of spring semester to solicit reading recommendations for the summer, then sending out a compiled list. They're restarting that tradition this year; here's what I sent them - not an all-time favorites list, but a few titles I've liked recently. Share your suggestions for the summer in the comments! -Martha
The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell - I have a feeling a lot of people have read this already, but I didn't think it looked like my kind of thing until my book group decided to read it, and it turned out to be totally my thing. A Jesuit-organized mission makes first contact with an alien society; this was marketed as science fiction for people who don't read science fiction, but definitely very much science fiction (think Ursula K. le Guin). A heavy read; I loved the tone.
The Spellman Files and sequels, by Lisa Lutz - if my family decided to jointly write a detective series, it would look like this. A family of private eyes has wacky shenanigans, narrated by the slacker 27-year-old daughter, with footnotes and pop culture references!
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz - a nerdy Dominican, a family curse - people I've talked to either loved or hated this one; the voices and the plotline completely grabbed me, but the language and cultural references are definitely not for everyone.
What the Dead Know, by Laura Lippman - a woman claims to be one of two sisters who disappeared from a shopping mall 30 years earlier. Switches between the investigation of her story, and earlier flashbacks. More psychological suspense and exploration of character, rather than an action-packed page-turner, but compelling enough to read in a couple of sittings.
The Inn at Lake Devine, by Elinor Lipman - opens with 12-year-old Natalie Marx's family receiving a letter from an inn in Vermont, in response to an inquiry about summer openings, stating that Gentile guests feel most comfortable there; the inn goes on to play a large part in Natalie's life over the years. A funny, sweet family novel, with romance and cooking.
The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell - I have a feeling a lot of people have read this already, but I didn't think it looked like my kind of thing until my book group decided to read it, and it turned out to be totally my thing. A Jesuit-organized mission makes first contact with an alien society; this was marketed as science fiction for people who don't read science fiction, but definitely very much science fiction (think Ursula K. le Guin). A heavy read; I loved the tone.
The Spellman Files and sequels, by Lisa Lutz - if my family decided to jointly write a detective series, it would look like this. A family of private eyes has wacky shenanigans, narrated by the slacker 27-year-old daughter, with footnotes and pop culture references!
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz - a nerdy Dominican, a family curse - people I've talked to either loved or hated this one; the voices and the plotline completely grabbed me, but the language and cultural references are definitely not for everyone.
What the Dead Know, by Laura Lippman - a woman claims to be one of two sisters who disappeared from a shopping mall 30 years earlier. Switches between the investigation of her story, and earlier flashbacks. More psychological suspense and exploration of character, rather than an action-packed page-turner, but compelling enough to read in a couple of sittings.
The Inn at Lake Devine, by Elinor Lipman - opens with 12-year-old Natalie Marx's family receiving a letter from an inn in Vermont, in response to an inquiry about summer openings, stating that Gentile guests feel most comfortable there; the inn goes on to play a large part in Natalie's life over the years. A funny, sweet family novel, with romance and cooking.
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