Goodreads asked Craig A. Monson:

What books are on your summer reading list this year?

Craig A. Monson Before escaping the heat and HUMIDITY of St Louis for the dry heat of Santa Fe, I always stop at Goodwill to stock up on books for a dollar apiece. After author and title, my next stop is the back of the title-page to discover if there have been multiple printings: often a better guide to reader satisfaction than claims on the cover. Books with multiple printings are likely to go into my sack, whoever the author and whatever the subject (within certain limits...). It's a great way to broaden my horizons. That's how I first discovered such memorable and worthwhile reads as Ann Patchet's Bel Canto and Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna. This summer's sack includes Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club, Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, Carol Goodman's The Lake of Dead Languages, Frank McCourt's 'Tis, Kim Edwards' The Memory Keeper's Daughter, and several volumes from what must have been someone's collected works of Scott Turow. Very eclectic and a bit behind the times, but promising to keep me busy until August.

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