Monday, June 29, 2009

Summer Reading List


Brother Bear, like millions of other bear cubs out there, is participating in a Summer Reading Club this summer. It's extra fun this summer since he's actually reading the books himself.

Inspired by Brother Bear and our upcoming vacation to the Land of the Bears (more details coming soon), I decided to come up with a Summer Vacation Reading List for myself.

Except I can't.

Because every time I go online to pick out a few books, I'm overwhelmed with the millions of books available. Does any one else feel that way?

So far, here are the few ideas I have:
  • Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout (2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner)
  • Resilience, Elizabeth Edwards
  • Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi
But, I'm still not sure.

So, I'm asking for help from my loyal Cyber Bears. Please suggest potential books for my Summer Reading List!! Just click on "comments" and then put the book suggestions in the comments area (as always, if you are challenged by technology, just click "anonymous"). A Dear Bear Friend says about me, "you will read anything" - which is relatively true. So feel free to suggest anything other than a presidential biography.

I'll post a final reading list once I cull through your suggestions. You might even get your named mentioned.

You have until Thursday night. So get crackin' Cyber Bears!

I can't wait!!

6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Sorry-- my first comment had a typo and I just couldn't deal with it! :-) (As the administrator, you can choose to "delete forever" my comment. Just FYI.)

    I've started tracking books that I want to read (usually from reviews or "best of" lists) or have read on goodreads.com. I just looked and have rated 3 books recently with 5 stars, and they're each pretty different: Fractured by Karin Slaughter (if you like CSI), Replay by Ken Grimwood (if you like LOST), and The Condition by Jennifer Haigh (if you like family drama). Ironically, the one book I checked out and just couldn't get into was Olive Kitteridge! Hope you have a great trip-- and hope you can keep us informed of the Family Bear goings-on from there!

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  3. Well, I will NEVER forfeit an opportunity to recommend some reading...

    1.) Possession by A.S. Byatt - this is my alltime favorite book....genius!...seeing spots just thinking about it
    2.) The Thursday Next or Nursery Rhyme Crimes series by Jasper Fforde - Super smart reads that are a little bit science fiction, a teensy bit chicklit, and with a tremendous literary style. If you ever read the Hitchiker's Guide books, these are in the same vein
    3.) Any of the Marian Keyes books about the Walsh sisters - titles are Watermelon, Angels, Rachel's Holiday, and Is Anybody Out There? Highly intelligent chicklit...explores meaningful issues...but, HYSTERICAL!
    4.) My, oh my...I couldn't let the list be complete without recommending some Patrick Dennis - Auntie Mame, Around the World With Auntie Mame, Genius, How Firm a Foundation, and the Joyous Season. He wrote much more, but those are my favorites. You will LOVE. Funny, funny!

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  4. Just had to add that I am a HUGE fan of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series mentioned above! Geoff bought me the first one (The Eyre Affair) years ago and he and I have read our way through all the subsequent ones. They're kinda bizarre and really not what I would've thought I'd enjoy, but I've loved them!

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  5. I'll second (third?) the Thursday Next series.

    Also recently enjoyed CONFEDERATES IN THE ATTIC by Tony Horwitz. About a journalist who does a story about Civil War re-enactors and decides to visit each former Confederate state. I know it sounds dry, but it's remarkably entertaining and thought-provoking. Nicki and I both loved it.

    We also enjoyed THE TENDER BAR, a memoir by former LA Times journalist JR Moehringer about growing up fatherless on Long Island and being looked after by the denizens of a nearby bar. Beautifully written coming of age story.

    And for a fascinating look behind the scenes at the origins of Sesame Street, STREET GANG by Michael Davis.

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  6. p.s. Should have mentioned that Confederates... is non-fiction. Horwitz himself is the journalist. Sorry for being unclear.

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