Summer Reading
My summer is about three class days away from its official beginning, and I'm becoming increasingly eager to start my summer reading. To the skeptic, it may seem ridiculous for a PhD in English to anticipate this aspect of his life, but, as I've explained to many people, studying literature kind of turns reading into a job. For me anyway, I find myself reading a lot of stuff I'm not supposed to enjoy ... in a way that barely resembles what the average person would considering "reading." What I do, you might more accurately describe as reading's ugly cousin.
Finally, with summer arriving, I have a list of books that I hope will be fun to read. This list is more wish list than a commitment, but I hope to tackle as many of these as possible. I can add, delighted, that none of these are meant to help me become a better graduate student, though they might just happen to do so. I'm not reading anything I don't want to read.
1. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. The Oprah has spoken. When Oprah tells you to read a book, you must obey. In all seriousness, this book is about a father and son traversing the burned remains of a nuclear apocalypse. It's right up my alley.
2. The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin. This book is considered one of the first major works of feminist sci fi (according to wikipedia anyway).
3. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. I'm always complaining that I don't like nineteenth-century British fiction, and the inevitable retort is always, "have you read Pride and Prejudice?" No, I haven't, but I will. If I don't like it, it's not my fault. I'm just saying.
4. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie R. King. This is an updated rewrite of the Sherlock Holmes saga. An intelligent young woman becomes his protege.
5. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. I've been meaning to read this for a very long time but never got around to it.
6. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, by Henry David Thoreau. Like Walden only longer and more pensive, I can't promise to make it all the way through this one. But I wanted to check it out.
7. Valis, Philip K. Dick. "A theological detective story" (back cover) by the author whose various writings led to the movies Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck, and Minority Report. I wanted to read one of Dick's books, preferably one not based on a movie I've already seen. Extra preferably one not based on a Ben Affleck movie.
8. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon. Another book I've long been meaning to read, this one's about the creators of a comic book "Golden Age" of comics.
Others, if I have time.
9. The Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.
10. Epileptic
11. Roughing It
12. Everything is Illuminated
13. Nothing by Faulkner
14. Nothing by Stein
15. Nothing by Derrida
--------------------------------------------------------
Anyone else got any good recommendations?
Anyone reading the same books this summer?
Anyone already read something one my list and want to warn me to stay away?
Do tell.
Finally, with summer arriving, I have a list of books that I hope will be fun to read. This list is more wish list than a commitment, but I hope to tackle as many of these as possible. I can add, delighted, that none of these are meant to help me become a better graduate student, though they might just happen to do so. I'm not reading anything I don't want to read.
1. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. The Oprah has spoken. When Oprah tells you to read a book, you must obey. In all seriousness, this book is about a father and son traversing the burned remains of a nuclear apocalypse. It's right up my alley.
2. The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin. This book is considered one of the first major works of feminist sci fi (according to wikipedia anyway).
3. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. I'm always complaining that I don't like nineteenth-century British fiction, and the inevitable retort is always, "have you read Pride and Prejudice?" No, I haven't, but I will. If I don't like it, it's not my fault. I'm just saying.
4. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie R. King. This is an updated rewrite of the Sherlock Holmes saga. An intelligent young woman becomes his protege.
5. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. I've been meaning to read this for a very long time but never got around to it.
6. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, by Henry David Thoreau. Like Walden only longer and more pensive, I can't promise to make it all the way through this one. But I wanted to check it out.
7. Valis, Philip K. Dick. "A theological detective story" (back cover) by the author whose various writings led to the movies Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck, and Minority Report. I wanted to read one of Dick's books, preferably one not based on a movie I've already seen. Extra preferably one not based on a Ben Affleck movie.
8. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon. Another book I've long been meaning to read, this one's about the creators of a comic book "Golden Age" of comics.
Others, if I have time.
9. The Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.
10. Epileptic
11. Roughing It
12. Everything is Illuminated
13. Nothing by Faulkner
14. Nothing by Stein
15. Nothing by Derrida
--------------------------------------------------------
Anyone else got any good recommendations?
Anyone reading the same books this summer?
Anyone already read something one my list and want to warn me to stay away?
Do tell.
posted by Matt Lavin
at
10:17 AM
5 Comments:
I definitely want to read The Road as well, and will most likely do so. If I can take time out from sleeping.
Judith
The Left Hand of Darkness is one of my favorite books. I highly recommend, and also have it, if you want to borrow.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is also on my summer reading list. Well, general reading list as I've reached that disenchanting part of life where summer just means nicer weather.
oh my god. you're actually going to read pride and prejudice? this is going to be the best birthday ever for you!
and also, i really like that laurie r. king series... it sounds like a dumb premise, but the writing is surprisingly smart.
I'm half-way through "The Road." I get it, "It's very cold."
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