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Summer of Fiction
Summer of Fiction

Summer of Fiction

Sumer is a cumen in…

Eh, if the recent temperatures are any indication, summer is very most definitely here, and it has a good case of the mad. Hot. Deliciously hot. If I had planted tomatoes, I’d be doing a Happy Snoopy dance hot.

It’s a good time to hit the library.

Actually, ANY time is a good time to hit the library, but I especially like blisteringly hot summer days. The a/c is cool and refreshing, the books are plentiful, and the longer days let me feel like I have all the time in the world to kick back and read. Ahhh…

I have declared this to be The Summer of Fiction. Make your own declarations for yourself as you see fit, this one is mine. I’ve decided that I really need some escapism from daily life, so I’m diving into books. There are 280+ books on my GoodReads to-read list, and I’d guess 80% of them are fiction. Those books won’t read themselves, you know!

But even with all those books languishing on my GoodReads list, I still hunger for more. I’m taking suggestions for THE book you think I should read this summer. A few notes…I can’t stand paperback romances/trashy novels. I tried to read “The Help,” and had to give up. Loved “The Hunger Games” trilogy. Books that suck me in and have me thinking about them while driving is what I’m looking for here. THE book from summer 2010 was Justin Cronin’s “The Passage,” which still hovers around the edges of my thoughts and it KILLS me that the next book won’t be out until next year.

I’ll still read non-fiction, especially since I have more book reviews on the horizon, but it’s been awhile since I’ve fallen deeply into brain entertainment.

So. Bring it. How fast can I get that GoodReads list over 300?

What MUST I read this summer?

5 Comments

  1. trish

    Have you read World War Z? I passed on the Cronin because I already had my apocalyptic fix from Brooks. I loved Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. Intuition by Allegra Goodman is interesting — it’s set in the world of research science, and it’s about truth and trust and ethics. Due Preparation for the Plague by Janette Turner Hospital just killed me when I read it a few years ago — brace yourself, because there’s terrorism.

    If you decide to dip into some non-fiction, I really enjoyed both Disappearing Spoon and The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York.

  2. Melissa

    LOVED Idiot Girls Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro – Witty, sarcastic, altogether a great read.

    Also, just read The Secret Daughter, which for different reasons, I also had a hard time putting down. It was probably my most recent favorite.

  3. Allison

    OK, for pure, unadulterated escapism, I recommend any of the Rick Riordan series. The Percy Jackson books are great if you’ve ever loved Greek mythology, and he does an Ancient Egypt series as well. Yeah, they’re technically young adult books, but so are Harry Potter!
    Along the same lines, the Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott. The fifth book, The Warlock, was just released, but start from the beginning. Lots of mythology/legends stuff that has me checking Google at least once a chapter.
    None of these will tax your brain, or take too long, but I find they are a good antidote to real life! They’re the type of books I always liked to read right after finals, when my brain was done.

Whaddya think?

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