Summer Reading List

Oh, how I wish I still got a summer reading list. Those were the days...when the only thing you had to accomplish for the summer was a bit of reading. Now, I have to schedule my reading time and squeeze it in at night before I fall asleep...but, enough about that.

I'm here to share some of favorite recent reads and the books on my reading list for the summer. In order to cut myself off (I can go on and on about books for hours), I'm limiting my "reviews" to 2 sentences each and am including an A-F "grade" (to stick to the school theme). I've read each of these books over the past few months, and although I may have included a blurb or two about some of these books on my weekly "Simple Joys" post, I still had to include them here. Happy reading!

Oh, and a disclaimer: I LOVE fiction. For the most part, that's what I like to read. So, if you don't LOVE fiction, a number of the books on my list may mean nothing to you. Feel free to skip or skim for the nonfiction :)

RECENT READS:

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain

About Ernest Hemingway's first wife and the story of their tumultuous relationship and marriage. Beautifully-written, emotionally-intense, and no matter how much you tell yourself that it's a book about a troubled writer, it will make you worry that you're going to get cheated on by your partner in the future (but still highly-recommended!).

Grade: B++

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Bossypants by Tina Fey

Pure Tina Fey: hilarious, self-deprecating, totally feminine and feminist, extremely weird :) Reading this book made me fall head-over-heels in love with her even more, and I must have laughed out loud a dozen times.

Grade: A

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Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

A dramatic story of twin brothers born to a surgeon and a nun in Addis Ababa, that traces their lives from before their births into adulthood. Written with amazing precision, detail, and emotional pull, this book will grab your attention and not let go until you've finished it.

Grade: A+ (almost lost the plus because I had to grit my teeth through some of the descriptions of surgery and medical conditions, but that does make it more authentic so I kept the +)

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Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

I love Jeanette Walls! She is one of my favorite authors of our time, and Half Broke Horses is no exception--read it. (And if you haven't read The Glass Castle--her memoir--read that one first and read it now. Even better than Half Broke Horses!)

Grade: A

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Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

Given to me by the lovely Kimberly Wilson, this book is a GREAT read about how hospitality, customer service, and attention to detail can transform any business. If you work for a small business (like I do!) or own your own business or ever want to (like I do!), then you should read this book.

Grade: B

Other Recent Reads:
Little Bee by Chris Cleave, Grade: B
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, Grade: B
Wherever You Go, There You Are by John Kabitt-Zinn, Grade: A
Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue, Grade:A+
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Schaffer, Grade: B-

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MY SUMMER READING LIST:

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

I'm currently reading this book, and am really enjoying the unique narration style and true-life grittiness that Egan portrays. It won the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction--and, it's currently being adapted for an HBO series. Can't wait to see it! I'm sure it will be amazing since EVERYTHING that HBO does is.

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Bringing Yoga to Life by Donna Farhi

I am in the middle of this book, as well. A GREAT read on how to take your yoga practice off of the mat and out into the world (and into the rest of your life). My goal this summer--to finish it! Looking forward to it :)

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The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Somehow, I've gone all my life and never read this book--unacceptable! So, when my friend Jessica recommended that we read it next for our long-distance, BFF book club via phone, I was glad to finally be given a reason to read it. I'll let you know how it is, although I've heard that it's totally heart-breaking and tragic...

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The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

Now that I've read a lot about his life, I'm fascinated by Ernest Hemingway. Plus, in The Paris Wife, McClain details the trip that this book is based on, making me that much more interested in reading it. Plus, it's a classic and I really should have read it by now (pitiful!).


So now that I've shared, here are my questions for you: What did you think of these books? What's on *your* summer reading list? Any suggestions for me, now that you have a snapshot of the books that I've enjoyed recently?

I'm off to my studio for a bit of painting time, but don't you worry--I've scheduled in some reading time by the pool this afternoon :)

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

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