Hot off the press! Here is this summer’s proposed reading list. I don’t
have a real giant this year like Three Musketeers (last year). It’s
kind of a mixed list—and looking forward to all of them! The two with
stars denote selections for our book club in July and August.
Listed in no particular reading order, for I’m reading, and loving,
Age of Innocence currently, here they are:
Akpane, Uwen Say You’re One of Them (not going to read)
Blake, Sarah The Postmistress* yes!
Campbell, Joseph The Hero with a Thousand Faces* (nope)
Carver, Raymond Where I’m Calling From (stories) (no, too
graphic and crude for me these days)
Franzen, Jonathan The Corrections (another time maybe)
Haggard, Henry Rider She yes!
McCullers, Carson Wunderkind (stories) yes!
Pamuk, Orhan Snow (still want to read sometime)
Roy, Arundhati God of Small Things (might be time yet)
Smith, Zadie NW (probably not)
Stone, Campbell, Esselstyn Forks over Knives yes!
Tarkington, Booth Alice Adams yes!
Taylor, Elizabeth At Mrs. Lippincote’s (definitely will)
Taylor, Peter Happy Families Are All Alike (stories) yes!
Unsworth, Barry Sacred Hunger yes!
Wharton, Edith Age of Innocence yes!
What’s on your list? That’s my updated list—so-so, but I read many others,
as you know from recent posts.
Now we’re headed for a driving vacation cross country to St. Louis and I’ll be
taking “At Mrs. Lippincote’s” above, and Ann Beattie’s “The Doctor’s House”
and SS Van Dine “The Casino Murder Case”—which I’ve started . . .great!!!!
And I’ll take “The God of Small Things” and maybe I’ll be able to check that off,
too.
Stay tuned—and join us at the Arch! We’re going back to be sure that our
favorite restaurants are still serving. Yea! Can’t wait.
booksandbuttons 
My big one for the summer is The Magic Mountain (Mann). A few of yours – Sacred Hunger (loved it!), The Corrections (pretty good) – are not small.
Ah, I started The Magic Mountain once. Does that count? Maybe I’ll choose that
for next summer’s reading! Let us know your opinion of it . . .
Exciting! Let us know how you like them all.
Oh, you know I will. What’s on your list?
My list will have to wait until I know what’s been selected for the Summer School I run. I’ve offered five different sets of books and until the voting lists come back fro the other participants I won’t be able to get down to any serious planning. On what principle do you draw up your lists?
Hello, Alex, I saw your proposals for summer reading a few days ago–interesting concept. I
think I’d choose the Dublin series, with second choice being the art theme.
How do I select my summer reading books? Well, I’m a slave to reading lists. I love
checking them off when I’ve read them. And I like classics. This year I chose a couple
from the Pulitzer Prize winners–Age of Innocence, and Alice Adams, and finalists–
The Corrections and Where I’m Calling From. I also like to read with recommendations in
mind for my book club. I found Zadie Smith mentioned on several lists and that will be
a new author for me. And Say You’re One of Them seems to be a current must-read. Then
there are the books I’ve bought and haven’t finished . . .Maybe next summer is the year
for a biggie like Don Quixote. Thanks for your interest.
You seem to have gotten to pretty many of them… and summer’s not over yet! I’m rooting for the Roy getting checked off by the end of your St. Louis trip!
Yes, well, unfortunately I couldn’t find my copy even though I had
just recently seen it. Do you think it might be because I was looking
under Arundhati in my bookshelf???? In the meantime, not much
reading is getting done—a few more people poisoned in my Casino
Murder Case by SS Van Dine. Stay tuned.