Is it finally summer? From the looks of the lists I keep coming across it is certainly time to start considering your summer reading line-up. Be it beachy fluff, travel tales or an indepth nonfiction, summer reading just seems to have a different feel than other seasons. Here are some staff suggestions as well as links to a wide variety of reading lists. As always, please share your suggestions with us!
Lisa Murray
I just started in on Neil Gaiman’s “The View from the Cheap Seats.” I am a serious Gaiman fan but not wild about essays, but this has proven to be quite good so far. The book compiles 60 of his essays, forwards and other writings into one huge volume. It feels very intimate and genuine to me so far, and I look forward to learning more about Gaiman and his world. It doesn’t need to be read in order, which is perfect for my sporadic and somewhat hectic summer schedule.
I am most excited about reading Annie Proulx’s latest, “Barkskins,” about the decimation of the world’s forests. Ranging over 300 years it exposes the deforestation of not only the United States but the world, through the stories of two brothers and their generations of descendants. Proulx’s “Postcards” and “Accordion Crimes” are two of my favorites of hers and her ability to meld history and personal story with an object, issue or social phenomena is unsurpassed. The reviews for “Barkskins” have been phenomenal and I can’t wait for it to be available at the library!
Vesta Kowalski
“The Truth According to Us,” by Annie Barrows. Another witty and heart-warming read from the author of “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.” Anyone who has ever lived in a small town will identify with the characters and the situations.
“The Year of the Runaways,” by Sunjeev Sahota. Short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. Details the lives of four very different young people with different problems who try to make a better life in England than is possible for them in India. I particularly enjoyed learning about many aspects of Indian culture through very fine storytelling.
More Summer Reading Lists…
Publisher’s Weekly
Redbook
Chicago Tribune
Real Simple