Making a Summer Reading List

[Andrew]

Looking for books to put on a summer reading list! Any suggestions would be wonderful!

[Betsy]

Well,what kind of books do you like-genre?Guess I'll look you up

[Brenda]

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by S. Alexie - It's YA but very well written.
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by R. Feynman - Very interesting autobiography about Richard Feynman who won the nobel prize for physics.Simon Lazarus- quirky coming of age story with lots of 80's and 90's rock and roll references.
The Bark of the Dogwood: A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens -somewhat strange and dark coming of age story about a strange character from the South.
The Bear Went Over the Mountain: A Novelby W. Kotzwinkle - tongue in cheek funny novel about a bear who thinks he's a human and a human who becomes more and more like a bear.

[Andrew]

Hi Betsy! Sorry I didn't respond sooner! I really enjoy historical fiction and mystery novels but I am really open to reading anything. My thing with books is I would rather read something that someone recommended to me because they loved it than something I just randomly picked up!

Brenda-Thank you so much for your suggestions! They all seem extremely interesting! After I finish the book I have to read for school I am going to pick up "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" It sounds and looks amazing!

[Dee]

i'm reading I am Forbidden right now - its one of those books that is easy to read and yet makes you think

[Andrew]

Okay! Thank you Dee!

[Nicole]

The Green Mile
A Separate Peace
The Catcher in the Rye
The Shadow of the Wind
The Kite Runner

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

Dissolution
I, Claudius
Whose Body?

[Janny]

My first thought for a light, witty, and fun summer read, in historical fiction, would be the Falco series by Lindsey Davis - the first volume (takes place in ancient Rome) is The Silver Pigs.

For a more serious read, (historical, pre-war and wwII setting) incredibly moving and very originally well done: The Book Thief.

I also think that The Lions of al-Rassan would appeal to a reader of historical fiction - it is fantasy (with little to no magic) that focuses most on human lives and characters - in a very rich and moving story - styled after Moorish Spain.

These were all 5 star reads, for me, and my husband enjoyed them also.

[Andrew]

Thank you Nicole! The Catcher in the Rye is one of my all time favorites. Love that book, and The Kite Runner has been on my to read list forever, so hopefully I will get that crossed of this summer!

Susanna-Thank you for your suggestions!

Janny! I have been wanting to read The Book Thief so I will get that on my list and thank you for the other two suggestions as well!

[tiasreads]

Andrew, if you like historical fiction, try Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. It has it's faults, but it is an engrossing read. And at nearly 1000 pages, it might take you the whole summer to read!

[Andrew]

Hahaha! Well, I will put it on my list and if I get around to it, I get around to it!

[Chris]

Laura Hildebrand's "Unbroken." It is one of the most powerful stories ever, and it's non-fiction.

If you want something fun because it's summer, I suggest Melanie Wilderman's "Ghost Glimpser" series. It's YA, but it's an easy, fun read.

[Betsy]

Hey Andrew,
One of my favorite mystery writers is Greg Illes. He has written a few with an historical base- The Spandeau Phonexix and The Black Cross,both about WWII.Definitely gritty and guy-like material.
Sharyn McCrumb is one of my all-time favorite authors,and she writes a series called Appalachian Ballad mysteries. A recent one is called The Ballad of Tom Dooley where she examines all the court evidence from the trial of Tom Dula and comes to her own likely conclusion. The Ballad of Frankie Silver is another you might like- again fictionalized from known facts
Chris Boujahalian is more of a current event writer,but Skeletons of the Feast, which also takes place duringg WWII is one wrenching read.
Enjoy your summer. I teach and like you I'll go hog-wild when don't have the school time clock to keep. I'd love to get UnBroken too.

[Beth]

Hi Andrew,
Since you said you enjoyed mysteries, may I suggest some outdoor-oriented series for summer reading? I recommend the series written by CJ Box, Dana Stabenow, Kathy Brandt and William Kent Krueger. I'll also humbly suggest my own RM Outdoor Adventures series with a river ranger sleuth and whitewater rafting and fly fishing scenes. The Kindle version of the first in the series, Deadly Currents is currently on sale for $1.99 to promote the new release of the second, Wicked Eddies.