Summer Reading List Wrap Up

If you didn't know, I LOVE to read. I spent a significant portion of my time from 2nd to 9th grade with my nose in a book. Unfortunately, part of growing up is that you seem to have less and less time for your favorite activities (ask me how long it's been since I put on my softball glove). Since I couldn't afford to travel this summer, I decided to do the next best thing. This resulted in the creation of an outrageously long list of books to read and several trips to the library. Out of the 42+ books on my list I only managed to read 11.5 (pitiful, I know) but it still turned out to be exactly what I needed. Here are my summer adventures:

1. Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

I originally got this book because Life of Pi was checked out, and it was by the same author so I thought I'd give it a shot, and I'm glad I did. It's a pretty quick read, and is a beautiful story with a clever allegory woven in.

Favorite Quote: "Art is rooted in joy." 

2. Z (a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald) by Therese Anne Fowler

I've always loved F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing and I was always fascinated by his reportedly crazy wife Zelda. This novel is highly fictionalized, but it was so interesting and offered a hypothetical window into their life and marriage. Lovely writing and a fascinating story. 

Favorite Quote: "We have never been what we seemed." 

3. Bossypants by Tina Fey

I was in Barnes & Noble when I picked this up, read the first two pages and knew that it would be worth the $9 I paid for it. And it was. Tina Fey is delightful, and everything about this book is on point. My one wish is that she would have written more about Mean Girls.

Favorite Quote: "Do your thing and don't care if they like it."

4. Paper Towns by John Green

This is another home run for John Green. He's so good at writing raw characters with real flaws, which makes them all the more interesting. This book also has a bit of a mystery element to it, which I loved.

Favorite Quote: "Forever is composed of nows." 

5. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

This was such a fascinating look at a high school break up. It's basically the girl's analysis of the relationship from start to finish, and she pinpoints all the little things that lead to their ultimate breakup. Definitely worth a read.

Favorite Quote: "I gave you an adventure, Ed, right in front of you but you never saw it until I showed you, and that's why we broke up." 

6. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

This was my favorite book I read this summer. Yann Martell is a masterful writer and I fell in love with this story. It's a journey that is heartbreaking but also powerful and inspiring. Please, PLEASE read this. And then let's talk about it.

Favorite Quote: "To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

7. On the Road by Jack Kerouac

This was my least favorite book I read all summer. I disliked pretty much all of the characters and didn't really care what happened to them. I only finished it out of sheer stubbornness. However, I did appreciate the writing, which was very good. This is one that you'd have to read and decide for yourself.  

Favorite Quote: "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous Roman Candles...."


8. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

This was a really interesting insight into depression, and it was definitely very eye opening for someone who hasn't struggled with it firsthand. It's funny and sad in all the right places, and has a very hopeful conclusion. Also worth a read. 

Favorite Quote: "Some of the most profound truths about us are things that we stop saying in the middle."




9. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

This one was actually a re-read, I read it a few years ago, but I couldn't remember much so I decided to read it again. I'm so glad I did. Whatever your concept of Heaven is, this book is incredible. It is poignant and moving from start to finish and reminds all of us that even the most seemingly insignificant people have an important impact on our lives.

 Favorite Quote: "All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time."  

10. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I'd been wanting to read this book for a long time, and it was not at all what I expected. Holden Caulfield's perspective on life and the world is so different from my own, that seeing it through his eyes was a completely new experience. I went through so many thoughts and emotions while I was reading and I couldn't stop thinking about it after I finished.

Favorite Quote: "If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody."

11. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

This was definitely not what I expected when I picked it up. For the first 3/4 of the book it's seemingly normal and then in the last quarter or so it has this bizarre twist that I did not enjoy. Overall it was quirky and funny, and if you like books about twins and supernatural happenings, this is for you. 

Favorite Quote: "Is it sad to fancy David Tennant when you're dead?"






11.5  The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

So I'm about halfway through this right now. So far so good. The opening chapter is especially interesting. Will update this post when I finish it. 

Favorite Quote So Far: "Always. I am always in love."








Love, Brontë