Summer Reading List
Books I've Read This Summer
1. Alice in Wonderland
A classic story of a girl and plenty of metaphors
2. Zeitoun- Dave Eggers
A great post-Hurrican Katrina story told autobiographically through Eggers writing. An Arab family gets displaced and faces racism in America post-9/11
3. Talking to Girls about Duran Duran- Rob Sheffield
Adolescent love explained through a love of 80s music
4. I Saw You (Missed Connections in a Graphic Novel)
excellent and entertaining. If you don't browse the missed connections section of craigslist.com you should
5. Townie- Andre Dubus III
excellent memoir of a man who grew up fighting in order to survive, until he discovered that "the pen is mightier than the sword" literally
6. Kitchen Confidential- Bourdain
a great look into the kitchen of restaurants. makes you think before ordering
7. Life of Pi
great, quick read in the same vein as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, at least I think so.
8. The Hunger Games
9. Catching Fire
10. Mockingjay
I've lumped this trilogy together, because that's exactly what it was. the first book was excellent and the entire theme(s) throughout the series were well crafted, but the second book was kind of dry and predictable. the third book and the ending was kind of a disappointment. but I definitely appreciation Suzanne Collins for what she created here.
11. Once Again to Zelda
A book about the stories behind the dedications to some great classic literature. certainly made me appreciate the books I should have read in high school and makes me want to tackle them now, with a deeper understanding of the process
12. The Reader
a quick, depressing page-turner about a boy and his elder-mistress post-Holocaust. no spoilers here, you just have to read it.
13. Palo Alto (short stories)- James Franco
okay, so James Franco can act, host the Oscars, direct, and write films, but who knew he was actually a serious fiction writer. well, I did. this was a Master's Program project that he ended up publishing. excellent look at teenage angst and ennui
14. The Zombie Survival Guide- Max Brooks
self-explanatory. just plain ole good fun
15. House of Sand and Fog- Andre Dubus III
after reading his memoir I had to read his fiction. quite an emotional noir novel
All right, so I did 3/4 of my desired expectations of reading 20 books this summer. But hey, I think that's pretty damn good, for someone who was searching, applying and interviewing for a teaching job. It was a great distraction from the reality that was quickly sinking in towards the end of the summer, that a job next year was looking rather grim.
But hey, in the end I pulled it off. Getting a job that is.
Now, I don't foresee myself reading for pleasure very much in the coming school year, but who knows.
1. Alice in Wonderland
A classic story of a girl and plenty of metaphors
2. Zeitoun- Dave Eggers
A great post-Hurrican Katrina story told autobiographically through Eggers writing. An Arab family gets displaced and faces racism in America post-9/11
3. Talking to Girls about Duran Duran- Rob Sheffield
Adolescent love explained through a love of 80s music
4. I Saw You (Missed Connections in a Graphic Novel)
excellent and entertaining. If you don't browse the missed connections section of craigslist.com you should
5. Townie- Andre Dubus III
excellent memoir of a man who grew up fighting in order to survive, until he discovered that "the pen is mightier than the sword" literally
6. Kitchen Confidential- Bourdain
a great look into the kitchen of restaurants. makes you think before ordering
7. Life of Pi
great, quick read in the same vein as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, at least I think so.
8. The Hunger Games
9. Catching Fire
10. Mockingjay
I've lumped this trilogy together, because that's exactly what it was. the first book was excellent and the entire theme(s) throughout the series were well crafted, but the second book was kind of dry and predictable. the third book and the ending was kind of a disappointment. but I definitely appreciation Suzanne Collins for what she created here.
11. Once Again to Zelda
A book about the stories behind the dedications to some great classic literature. certainly made me appreciate the books I should have read in high school and makes me want to tackle them now, with a deeper understanding of the process
12. The Reader
a quick, depressing page-turner about a boy and his elder-mistress post-Holocaust. no spoilers here, you just have to read it.
13. Palo Alto (short stories)- James Franco
okay, so James Franco can act, host the Oscars, direct, and write films, but who knew he was actually a serious fiction writer. well, I did. this was a Master's Program project that he ended up publishing. excellent look at teenage angst and ennui
14. The Zombie Survival Guide- Max Brooks
self-explanatory. just plain ole good fun
15. House of Sand and Fog- Andre Dubus III
after reading his memoir I had to read his fiction. quite an emotional noir novel
All right, so I did 3/4 of my desired expectations of reading 20 books this summer. But hey, I think that's pretty damn good, for someone who was searching, applying and interviewing for a teaching job. It was a great distraction from the reality that was quickly sinking in towards the end of the summer, that a job next year was looking rather grim.
But hey, in the end I pulled it off. Getting a job that is.
Now, I don't foresee myself reading for pleasure very much in the coming school year, but who knows.
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