While our lovely Annie recovers from the summer flu, let’s share some of our favorite summer reads… anything! What are you reading? What do you want to be reading? What book can you not leave home without on your summer vacation? What do you read to cheer you up when you’re sick?
I’ll start.
Heidi – I’m reading a lot of YA right now. Some of it is older (Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli) and some of it is new (Shiver, Linger, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater). I’m reading YA for a couple of reasons – 1 – entertaining and engaging characters – 2- I am not as familiar with YA authors and need to do some severe weeding and rebuilding in my library’s collection. I’m also reading a book about quilting because if I ever have spare time I want to sew a quilt.
Your turn!
Categories: To Read
HLS 
I usually read a lot of YA. However, right now I am reading Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher, which I am breezing through. I am also reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne. Next on my list is Kissing Outside the Lines: A True Story of Love and Race and Happily Ever After by Diane Farr and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. 🙂
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I’m reading Brooklyn by Colm Toibin for my book club. It’s fantastic. Although it takes place right after WWII it is reminding me of times in my life where I have been utterly homesick for my family. Interesting to read about being away from home before emails and Skype existed!
Also reading Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It’s about the oppression of woman around the world and what is being done to help. It’s pretty heavy but a really necessary read. But I have to balance it with some fiction…
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I’m trying to weed out my personal library by reading my way through it and donating to my professional library what I don’t want to read again. Right not I’ve interrupted a Trollope festival to read Thomas Wolfe’s “Look Homeward, Angel.”
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I’ve been reading a fair amount of J/YA as well. Mostly Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom series and his Sabriel/Lisrael/Abhorsen trilogy. Great stuff. Quick reads too.
Based on a recommendation, I’ve also started the Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch. Very pirates-type feel to it. First book was really good.
I also recently read No Shelf Required based on the HackLibrary review!
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Yes! I read No Shelf Required, too. I thought it was a great way to be introduced to not only ereading and ebooks but the processes and standards (or lackthereof) of it all. You’ll have to come back to Rebecca’s review and add your own comments when you’re done.
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I’m reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson and Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. During the summer months, when I’m not as busy at work, I like to read one fiction and one non-fiction simultaneously (for me, this makes it easier mentally to switch from one book to the other). During the year, when free time isn’t as abundant, I’m usually reading one book at a time.
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I like to do one fiction, one non-fiction, too. Actually, while I was in school, I was sometimes reading one fiction, one non-fiction and listening to a book at the same time. I don’t usually have trouble keeping them apart. I’ve often thought it would be fun to experiment by keeping a different book in each room of my house to see if where I end up reading most often is the place that’s most comfortable or the place with the “best” book at the moment.
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Throughout the year I try to read an average of one book a week…two books I finished recently that I loved were “One Day” by David Nicholls (film adaptation out in August starring Anne Hathaway) and “The Sisters Brothers” by Patrick Dewolff. I also finally read “Life of Pi” and hated it. As for YA, I just read “City of Fallen Angels” — the fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series. And I just started on “The Poison Tree” by Erin Kelly.
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I try reading a book a week too, but the last few years I’ve failed spectacularly and have fallen to a book every other month. Right now is week three of The Picture of Dorian Grey, which I’m about 15 pages in.
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As you already know, I love YA…and especially love Stargirl. 🙂 I just finished THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern and loved it. It’s quite captivating. I think I’m going to read a classic next – perhaps A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT by Mark Twain.
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Lauren- I totally have you to thank for the book suggestion of Maine (you tweeted about it a few months ago). I thought I had loved Commencement but wow, I didn’t want Maine to end!!!! It was sooooo good!!! I love that she writes about all the places I know! (grew up in Western Mass, live in Boston area, family vacations in Southern Maine!)
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For summer I tend to read mysteries. Right now I’m working on the latest in the Maisie Dobbs series. They are all set after World War I in England, where Maisie is a private detective, sounds cheesy, but they are great reads.
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Until my summer class ends, I’m supplementing school with middle-grade fiction (A Long Way from Chicago, at the moment). First on my list after school (one more week!) is Carolyn Cooke’s Daughters of the Revolution.
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