I always have a few lists going of books I want to read. My family and many of my friends
are prolific readers, and I try to jot down the titles of suggested reads as
they appear on email, facebook, conversations, etc. Lately my go-to list has been on a big sheet of legal paper
under my desk calendar where I jot entries. Every once in a while I spend a
couple minutes on the library website (love) to update my holds, see what’s new,
and add/delete tiles from my big list. Here’s how it looks right now
Confusing! Perplexing! Messy! Awesome. |
I’ve been meaning to clean it up and have finally reached the point
where all of my borrowed books have been read. I posted a “what are you reading”
update on facebook last week in the hopes of getting some new recommendations,
and promised to share the mac-daddy updated recommended reading list for
whomever expressed interest. By reading this blog post, you are hereby considered
interested by default.
Before I submit my summer
lifelong reading list , I need to get a few things off my chest. First,
Defending Jacob. I think there will not
be a spoiler alert, but I make no promises. I had this book on my list a long
time ago, and once when I had the occasion to drive back and forth to LaLa land
in a day, I looked for titles from my list that were available as audiobooks. I was pleased to find Defending Jacob, and
listened to it going back and forth that day, and then for a few additional
hours one other day when I was doing a project in my son’s room. It was good, I was intrigued. I don’t know if
I put the book on hold right away, but for some reason it took ages until it
become available for my kindle. When I
finally received the notification that I could have it, of course I had no less
than 3 other books going including one other ebook loan. There’s only one thing
to do at a time like this. Download all of the books then turn off your wifi so
they can’t be taken back before you’re done. I’m sorry. Sorry I’m not sorry.
I read “Buddha in the Attic” first, which I wanted to hate because it
was so oddly composed, but could not. Lovely, strange, poignant. Recommend.
Then it was on to Jacob. I started over, having no earthly idea where I’d
left off and getting the story confused with “The Good Father” in my tiny,
addled mind. I just finished it last
night, and although I highly recommend that you read this, I’m so annoyed that
my theory about what really happened was not correct. It was a good theory, it would
have made for a really interesting twist. Did you read it? Did you share my
theory? I can’t stop thinking about it, which is my highest praise for
recommending a book. I don’t always have to love the characters or even the
writing, for me it’s the story. If it gets me, if I’m immersed, I count it as a
good book. I am not a book snob. I like
what I like and yes I CAN give 5 stars to both Twilight and 11/22/63.
Anyway.
Without further ado, here’s the current list. I even looked up all the
authors to be all legit and stuff. Current holds are noted:
A Good, Hard Look, Ann Napolitano
Arcadia, Lauren Groff
Bad Monkey, Carl Hiaasen
Blood of Flowers, Anita Amrrezvani (#1 in queue for book)
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
Divergent, Veronica Roth
Freud's Mistress, Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman
Ghana Must Go, Taiye Selasi
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet, Ford
Joyland, Stephen King
Left Neglected, Lisa Genova
Life After Life, Kate Atkinson (#85in queue for book)
Lost Memory of Skin, Russel Banks
May We Be Forgiven, A.M.Homes
Me before You, Jojo Moyes
Remember Ben Clayton, Stephen Harrigan
Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward
Still Alice, Lisa Genova
Still Anthony, Lisa Genova
Swamplandia!, Kevin Russell
Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Carol Rifka Brunt (#39 in queue for book, #44 for ebook)
The 13th Tale, Setterfield
The Accused, Mark Gimenez
The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout
The Burning Air, Erin Kelly (#2 in queue for book)
The Color of Law, Mark Giminez
The Dinner, Herman Koch
The Family Fang, Kevin Wilson
The Fault in our Stars, John Green
The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton
The Great Night, Chris Adrian
The Invisible Bridge, Julie Orringer (#2 in queue for ebook)
The Irresistable Henry House, Lisa Grenwald
The Island, Vidtoria Hislop
The Light in the Ruins, Chris Bohjalian
The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall
The Pale King, David Foster Wallace
The Paris Wife, Paula Mclain (#33in queue for ebook)
The Round House, Louise Eldich (#3 in queue for book)
The Silver Star, Jeannette Walls
The Summer Kitchen, Karen Weinreb
The Tao of Martha, by Jen Lancaster
The Wednesday Sisters, Meg Waite
Clayton
The Weird Sisters, Eleanor Brown
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, Anton DiSclafani
To be Sung Underwater, Tom McNeal
Train Dreams, Denis Johnson
TransAtlantic, by Colum McCann
Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple (#40 in queue for book)
Wild, Cheryl Strayed
Wingshooters, Nina Revoyr
Got any to add?
Oh how I *LOVE*. In caps. With asterisks.
ReplyDeleteI've read quite a few, loved many, and you *know* I am going to add all that I haven't read, that aren't on my list, *to* my list.
I would finish The Dinner right now except I went on a bike ride and need a shower then am going to work. Three things that get *entirely* in the way of my reading.
Love!
Ellie
p.s. I think it's awesome that you prefer your surprise twist ending to the author's.
ReplyDeleteE.
Love this, Jacq! Printed it out to easily remember to request those I haven't already read, courtesy of my mother's and sisters' recos. BTW, Lisa Genova wrote Still Alice and Love Anthony. And I'm enjoying The Good House by Ann Leary - it's a good read. xo
ReplyDeleteI'm reading The Good House too, Mar,it's good. I too shall copy this list. So many books, so little time. The Paris Wife and The Round House - not my faves. love, mom
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, Jacquie, for this post. Love it. Very, very handy!
ReplyDeleteI have Defending Jacob here and will now move to the top of my list. I cannot seem to get through Elizabet Kastova's The Swan Thief, so, um, don't add that one to this list.
I can't believe Cutting for Stone is on your list... has it been long enough since that so, so strange and scary interlude? I have it for you if it has been. I also have Swamplandia for you. Got it from the magic box at the OB library. I've not yet read it, so can't give you my opinion (you're welcome). I'll get both to you soon!
xoxo,
Beth
I have Cutting for Stone Beth, and I'm not sure that I want Swamplandia! after the rave reviews it's getting on my facebook page today! I do think enough time has passed that I can read Cutting without PTSD. I'll keep you posted :)
ReplyDeleteJacquie
I have also read the other two by Verghese: My Tennis Partner and My Other Country...loved them just as much
ReplyDeletePat