Sunday, May 25, 2008
Summer Reading List
I’m making myself a promise right now. This summer I will make a dent in my stacks of unread books! Maybe if I put this goal in writing I’ll stick with it? Worth a go!
Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky
I’m fascinated by the way in which digital networking is shaping our world - this one’s high on my list.
Our School by Joanne Jacobs.
I’ve had this for quite a while, but I haven’t had the time to sit down and delve into it. I’m a big fan of Joanne Jacobs’ blog and her views on education, so I’m really looking forward to this book.
I Am a Pencil by Sam Swope
Tony gave me this book for Christmas two (?) years ago and I still haven’t cracked the spine. Swope is a children’s book author who spent several years teaching writing to elementary school children. I think it’ll be a fast read, so I might save this one for the end of summer, when I ‘m all jazzed up about going back to school.
The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America
I just want to read every word of them.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
A friend recommended this book to me and I bought it months ago. I’ll finally get around to reading it.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
I received this book as a gift recently. I’d never heard of it but apparently it’s quite popular. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey
I don’t care what Oprah says, I loved Frey’s oh-so-scandalous books. I was excited to hear he’d published another novel.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
My favorite author. He could write entirely in LOLspeak and I’d think he deserved a Pulitzer Prize.
How Full is Your Bucket? (Educators’ Edition) by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton
I am pretty sure I am going to be required to read this over the summer for my job. I’m not looking forward to it. I absolutely despise these types of books - whether they’re about moving cheese or colorful parachutes - I can already feel my eyes rolling back into my head.
What are you reading? Any recommendations?
Water for Elephants is excellent.
I’m currently reading “Eat, Love, Pray” also excellent.
I strongly recommend “The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids” That was one of those life changing books for me. Everyone who teaches and/or has children should give it a read.
By the way it’s “Eat. Pray. Love.”
Let me know how Water for Elephants is ... a friend of mine recommended it.
Bwah! Well alrighty then - if Audra says it’s excellent - then I already have my answer!
I’m going to go through as many books as possible on my shelves and then donate them somewhere. Too many have been sitting there too long. I’ve started with the light reads. So far I’ve read Dreaming Southern by Linda Bruckheimer and just finished About a Boy by Nick Hornby. To finish off my Hornby collection, I think next is How to be Good.
I just finished reading Eat. Pray. Love. yesterday! I took it to the beach with me. Excellent beach read.
The book I highly recommend and just finished reading last Wednesday is What is the What. It is really powerful.
Last night I started a little fluff book by David Levithan. I got hooked on his books after reading the fucking masterpiece that is Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. If you haven’t read this book, you MUST!
The other books sitting by my bed waiting to be read are:
1. Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan. I love Amy Tan’s work, but I am having a difficult time getting into this one.
2. Kabul Beauty School.
Well I sure did make a mess of your comment section. Sorry about that.
Also, I haven’t read “The Last Lecture,” but I did download the podcast video of the actual lecture “The Last Lecture” that Randy Pausch gave. It is good, but I prefer his lecture on “Time Management.”
FYI, Bright Shiny Morning has gotten shit reviews all around. Just sayin’. Maybe you’ve inspired me to finish The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. I started it last year when it was the very “It"-est It book evar, but I got bored during the very detailed description of the sea of plastic in the Pacific Ocean. Though it made me more conscientious about recycling, it was still extremely boring.
Seriously I totally love you people. I knew you would give me awesome recommendations! Thank you!!!
Any book I’d recommend will make you want to immediately put a razor to your throat. For reals. But what’s summer without a smudge of bleak despair? All the books I’ve read over the past five years are here.
I give a brief summary of whether I liked each book or not, so you can use those as my official recommendations!
Did I really miss this when you posted it? Oh well.
I am also currently reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Have you started it? If so, have you gotten to the one about the woman his parents left them with when they went out of town? That one killed me.