Pages

Monday, May 16

Summer Reading 2011

The 10 weeks of summer make such a nice package that it's become my habit to create a theme to my reading.  Maybe I'm just that much of a unit study kind of a person that I want everything to have a common thread.  My theme this year kind of silly (not like the year I only read stuff from Nobel prize winners), but I'm excited that it's almost time for it to start.  I am pushing through the last few books on my nightstand and then I get to begin...

"What's All the Fuss About?"  Summer Reading 2011
...in which I will read all those books that - recently - rippled through our culture to my great ignorance.

Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)1.  Harry Potter. by J.K. Rowling.  Now, someone please tell me, what is the first one in the series and can I borrow your copy?  I wish I could get it on Kindle because I don't think I want to carry these big things around.

The Twilight Saga Complete Collection  2.  Twilight  by Stephenie Meyer.  A friend gave me the first book for my 40th birthday this year.  Which made me laugh.  I understand Jacob is the most popular boys' name 12 years running in part because of the character in this book.  

The Da Vinci Code   3.  The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.  Maybe my fundamentalist side has cooled off enough that I can read it for what it is.  Which is fiction.  

The Shack  4.  The Shack by William Paul Young.  My husband says it takes place in a location where we've vacationed before so it's pretty vivid. And there's something sad about a child. How should I prepare myself?


The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference  5.  The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell.  I read Outliers a couple years ago and it was interesting.  An interesting read may help me stop crying after reading the Shack, yes?


In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto  6.  In Defense of Food:  An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan.  Or some other recent book that exposes the food industry's indescretions.  I've intentionally not read these because I didn't want to have to change the way I lived.  But it's time for me to be a big girl.  


Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived  7.  Love Wins by Rob Bell.  I went to hear him speak about his book last month here in Denver. He was in a very friendly room so it was an enjoyable time.  But I'm curious to see what all the stink is about.  

Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense  8.  Simply Christian by N.T. Wright.  It hasn't caused ripples, but I think it has made a big impact in my circles and it's on my "must read" list for the year so I don't want to go the whole summer without pushing through that list as well.  I'll find any reason I can to read N.T. Wright.


What should I add?  I'll take your suggestions for fairly recent books if you can think of any others that impacted large segments of our culture.

Of course, there will always be Uncle Tom's Cabin...

2 comments:

  1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is another one that's pretty big right now - I didn't realize how big until (just after finishing the trilogy) I saw that they're making a movie. That must be the new thing - if your book is good, it'll become a movie. Right?

    Anyway, I think I do have most of the Harry Potter books - do you still need any of them? I don't know which ones I have and which I borrowed from my mom, but I'd be willing to loan you any/all! The Twilight books as well. Let me know and I can bring them to church tomorrow night. The first is the Sorcerer's Stone. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The information, a history, a theory, a flood by James Gleick is a great book about language, math, biology, history, information. I have the book 1,000 gifts but haven't started reading it yet. I have a book on Einstein that isn't in yet, and Wicked bugs by Amy Stewart (also not in yet.) Wicked plants was good too.

    ReplyDelete

For two years I have had comments turned off as a discipline to write for myself. I'm seeing the other side. I just ask that you comment with grace.