What are you reading?

Give your summer reading list and/or recommendations. I usually keep a list of books people recommend to use when roaming bookstores. I most enjoy suggestions from acquaintances and virtual strangers, like you all, because I find some real treasures I might not normally notice. So, please, stretch my brain!

I’ve finally picked up INTO THIN AIR about the 1996 Mt. Everest deaths after reading about the guy who survived a night in the Everest death zone recently. Compelling.

I read that in school. Pretty good.

I recommend anything by Sherman Alexie, Heidi Julavits or Annie Proulx. Also, Foe by J. M. Coetzee.

Never heard of any… I must be getting old… Thanks.

Any Harry Potter fans out there?

These are the next great authors of the American canon. You’re never too old for recent literature, but I can’t really help you with Harry Potter.

I love Harry! I read a lot of children’s books as a part of my job.

I like Harry Potter too :slight_smile: , but right now I’m reading 1776 by David McCullough. History of the Revolutionary War…very interesting nonfiction account of the war and the events leading up to it, both here and in England.
Have you ever heard of Jeff Shaara? He writes historical fiction. There are two books about the Revolutionary War, one on the Mexican War and two about the Civil War. The Civil War ones complete a trilogy along with Michael Shaara’s Killer Angels, which was the basis for the movie “Gettysburg.” He’s researched very well not only to make the portrayal of events as accurate as possible, but also to recreate the character and personality of the people involved as accurately as he can. If history interests you at all, I think you’d enjoy Shaara’s books.

I have a (not necessarily bad) habit of revisiting favorites . . . One of my all time favorites is Watership Down, but the author’s name escapes me right now.

Richard Adams

Would that be Richard Adams? (haven’t read it, just looked it up on Amazon)

p0sted will love the history suggestions.

Sounds right.

Just bought “Nimitz Class” by Patrick Robinson, a recommendation from another Wooter. Anyone read his books?

“Green Eggs & Ham”. It made me laugh…it made me cry…it made me eat Rutabagas.

I’m reading 1776 at the moment too. I’m very interested in history and it’s a really good book. I never heard of Jeff Shaara, but I will look into his works, they sound interesting.

You would probably enjoy Adrift: Seventy Six Days Lost at Sea, by Steven Callahan. It’s been around a few years, but it’s an excellent read.

I’d like a job like that. I’m reading The Blue Djinn of Babylon right now- one of my daughter’s books.

Just read Joyce Carol Oates’ The Falls was good, but a bit of a downer. Maybe I shoud find a trashy chick lit book. But I picked up Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil instead. I like to get books from Goodwill. They are $0.25-$2 & I don’t have to return them unless it is something I won’t read again.

Second hand bookstores are great for finding unusual reads. I read THE SECRET GARDEN every few years. I also like the RATS OF NIMH series started by Robert C. O’Brien. His daughter wrote the second after his death. 1 or 2 ghost writers since then. All the books in the series are well-written. It’s about rats that learn to read. Great read-alouds. For middle- schoolers to read independently. Whimsical adults will like them, too, I’ll bet.