What I’m Reading
It felt like a long slog getting to summer this year, but finally, here we are. Since summers in Las Vegas are so hot, it’s a great time to stay inside and read. I saw a funny tweet from Random House the other day that said, “The CDC says fully vaccinated people can still cancel plans to stay home and read.” Good thing!
I’ll be spending a lot of my time over the next few months consumed by research about life on the Oregon Trail, and listening to Los Angeles Dodgers games, but I’m always sure to carve out non-research reading time. I’ve already loaded my Kindle with some great books.
Here are some of the books that have caught my attention lately.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Vuong is a poet, and you can tell from his beautifully constructed sentences and vivid imagery. If you love to read lyrical, poetic language, as I do, then you will love this book. Beyond the language is a moving story about a young man learning to feel comfortable in his own skin. It’s also about the struggles of traumatized immigrants who left a war-torn Vietnam to make a different life for themselves in the U.S.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
I had this novel downloaded on my Kindle for a while, but with the release of the movie, which I want to watch, I decided to read the book first. I finally started reading it and I’m so glad I did.
What Happened To You? by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey
I’ve only recently started learning about the effects trauma has on the brain. This book is more specifically about childhood trauma and how it can influence our psychological development, and it’s an insightful and interesting combination of the scientific aspects, as shared by Dr. Perry, and the human aspects, as shared by Oprah. This book is the perfect companion to Oprah’s series on Apple TV, The Me You Can’t See. If you or someone you know has suffered from trauma, you may find this book particularly helpful.
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
This is another book I’ve had on my Kindle for a while and it’s next on my TBR list. I loved Saunders’ novel Lincoln in the Bardo and when I saw that he had a new book about Russian literature and the power of stories I knew I had to read it. I studied storytelling as part of my Ph.D. dissertation, and it’s a subject I remain fascinated with.
These are just a few of the books on my summer reading list. I’m sure I’ve bought more books than I can finish in the next two months, but that’s okay. We book lovers do tend to buy books faster than we can read them. I’m looking forward to spending some time relaxing with an iced tea by my side and a good book in my hands.
