Remember back in January, when I put together my Winter 2017 reading list? Now that it’s WELL into spring, it seemed like I should probably circle back on that one. I figured instead of doing anything in depth for each book (because I could just go onnn, and at that point you may as well just read the book), I’d do a one or two word reaction. Plus, I want to share another list for the upcoming summer. Things will look a little different for me, as I’ll be out of the country and working in the mountains, but I’d still like to pick out some books to bring with me. Ok, enough about that. Let’s do this!
Winter 2017 Recap
The Boys in the Boat (Daniel James Brown): Must read.
Before the Fall (Noah Hawley): Meh.
The Gifts of Imperfection (Brené Brown): YES!
Me Before You (Jojo Moyes): Pleasantly surprised.
The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead): Didn’t read… things got busy and then I was LITERALLY number 73 on the library holds list which just wasn’t going to happen.
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie): Ditto the above, but mainly life just got too busy.
Summer 2017 Reading List
For the summer, I decided I’m (mostly) going classic. I won’t have internet access/library access/lots of room to bring books, so I’m diving into reads that will take a little time AKA not likely not the easy breezy summer read. But hey, that’s subject to change depending on how many books I can stuff into my backpack.
1. The Bell Jar
(By Sylvia Plath: Fiction)
The Amazon description of The Bell Jar is that it’s “Sylvia Plath’s shocking, realistic, and intensely emotional novel about a woman falling into the grip of insanity”. I mean, need I say more?
2. God’s Passion for His Glory
(By John Piper: Non-Fiction)
The theologian John Edwards wrote an essay called The End for Which God Created the World, and John Piper essentially expands on Edward’s idea that “God’s ultimate end is the manifestation of his glory in the highest happiness of his creatures,” (Good Reads). I’m excited to grow in my faith, especially as I minister to high school kids this summer, and this book definitely has good reviews.
3. East of Eden
(By John Steinbeck: Fiction)
When I said I’d be diving into classics, I was not messing around. Honestly, this book intimidates me a little bit but I think as a reader it’s good to stretch yourself, and I’m looking forward to getting into this one. The storyline? Set in the Salinas Valley, it focuses on the details of two families and their interwoven stories. This bad boy was published in 1952, so we’ll see how this goes for me. Anyone else read it before? I’ll report back in September, y’all.
4. Leaves of Grass
(By Walt Whitman: Poetry )
As I mentioned in this post, I’m trying to ease my way back into reading poetry, and this has been called a “collection of quintessentially American poems” (Good Reads) so that’s a good sign, right? When I was trying to choose one to start with, I realized they all (each author, each collection) had people who loved it and people who hated it. 50/50 shot, I guess, and it’ll be interesting to see how I like this one. Anyone have any good poetry reccs?
5. My First Summer in the Sierra
(By John Muir: Non-Fiction )
I first read some of John Muir’s work in a high school class, and was drawn to his passion for the outdoors. Honestly, you’ve probably all read some of his work in the form of an Instagram caption (“The mountains are calling and I must go”, anyone?). This book describes his observations from his time living in the High Sierra (California), and I’m excited to get into some of his work beyond the basic Instagram captions.
6. Into the Water
(By Paula Hawkins: Fiction)
OK, I lied about the all-classic list. When I found out that Hawkins, who wrote The Girl on the Train, was coming out with another book, I immediately added it to my summer must-reads. It probably won’t take long to read (The Girl on the Train was one I seriously could.not.put.down) but it should be a nice change up from the heavier classics. Although, I wouldn’t quite call it “light”, as it’s another dark psychological novel. Hopefully it lives up to the hype!
Other books I’d be adding to this list if I had unlimited book access? When Breath Becomes Air, You Are a Badass, and then one I didn’t read from the first list: How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Final Thoughts
Do you have a summer 2017 reading list? Let me know! Also, thanks for being patient with the lack of posting in this crazy time. The blog is slowing down as I gear up for leaving the country (I will explain what I’m doing soon!) and in the midst of this chaos I’m learning to be OK with that (learning). Happy Monday, friends!