Comments on: Summer reading

By: arnie

arnie — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:06:04 +0000

I read “The Corrections” that I took from you before you left. Great book, made me want to go back and read John Irving again.. so I bought A Widow for One Year.. On my current reading list is 100 Years of Solitude and The Sound and the Fury…

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:05:16 +0000

Funny. I know what you mean about Irving, but I still feel like I have to read his new stuff in hopes that it’ll be more like Widow for One Year (or the old greats: Hotel, Garp, Meany, Cider) and less like Fourth Hand or that other terrible new one….Until I Find You. It took me several tries to get into a Son of the Circus, but I eventually liked it.

You read Crichton? Sphere, Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park are all great.

Other possibilities:
The Good Earth (Pearl Buck)
The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
Letter To A Christian Nation (Sam Harris)
Survival in Auschwitz (Primo Levi)

By: admin

admin — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:25:49 +0000

You should read Snow Crash, definitely. I think I’ve read all your recommendations except for Song of Solomon. We both have great taste. I only read the Dark Materials trilogy recently but I liked it. I love Life of Pi and The Awakening. I went on a John Irving kick a while back, read a ton of his stuff, but now I can’t touch it anymore. My mom says he treats his characters badly and I agree. Love Margaret Atwood, I’ve read almost everything she’s written too, you definitely should read The Handmaid’s Tale, I think it’s her best. Re: Gone with the Wind, little known fact: I’ve also read the terribly trashy sequel, Scarlett.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:11:27 +0000

His Dark Materials trilogy – Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass (Phillip Pullman). so so good.
The Awakening (Kate Chopin). short, but i think you’ll like it.
Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison). one of my favorites.
Life of Pi (Yann Martel). i don’t actually remember all that much about it now, but after I read it I put it on my list of favorites.

I’m reading Gone With the Wind for the first time (haven’t seen the movie either) and I’m enjoying it. And it’s really long, so might keep you going for a while.

If you haven’t read any John Irving, you should try the World According to Garp or a Prayer for Owen Meany.

Maybe some Margaret Atwood? All I’ve read is The Blind Assassin (liked it), but I really want to read The Handmaid’s Tale too.

I liked Cryptonomicon a lot, and a friend left Snow Crash here a while back. Should I put it on my to-read shelf or in the box of stuff to give away?