Eons ago (or so it would seem), I was a voracious reader. I’d like to think that I still AM a voracious reader, but as it often does, life has gotten in the way and after a full day of work, late-afternoon errands, dinner, and (sometimes) a session at the gym, the last thing I have the energy to do is pick up a book and read.
But as a teacher with two months off in the summer and loads of holidays scattered throughout the year, I often look toward those trusty tomes pass the time and to re-energize me. I have been filling these long, lazy days in London with the reading of thick books telling tales of adventure, mystery, and woe.
So far what I’ve been reading has bordered on the drugstore trash/ best-seller variety, as up to now, I’ve been purchasing my books mostly in airport gift stores. Alternatively, I’ve also purchased a couple of texts at the WHSmith found at Liverpool Street train Station here in London, since I pass it on my way everyday when I go to meet Liebling for lunch. WHSmith has been good to me in that they are having a “buy one, get the second half price” book sale, so I can typically get two books for under 12 quid.
So far, since I’ve been in London, I’ve read Alice Seabold’s “The Lovely Bones” (I haven’t seen the movie, but the book is magnificent!), Goodnight, beautiful and “The Ice Cream Girls” (both by Dorothy Koomson, both good reads), and Jodi Picoult’s “Picture Perfect” (supposedly a best seller but really a train wreck so don’t waste your money or time- her reknowned book “My Sister’s Keeper” is a way better read ).
The other day, in the search of something a little more “serious”/”literary”, I scooped up “The Time Traveler’s Wife” (by Audrey Niffenegger) and “Half of a Yellow Sun”. The former was made into a movie starring Eric Bana (which I’ve never seen) so I’ve always been interested in reading the book. The latter, “Half of a Yellow Sun” is written by the up and coming Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a young Nigerian writer whose works I’ve been dying to read after seeing her seeing her mind-blowing speech on TED.com entitled “The danger of a single story” (a really really fantastic treatise on the dangers of using one sided and biased media reports to form opinions on African and various racial groups, check it out here).
I’m still on the lookout for Zadie Smith’s “On Beauty”, but am open to any and all suggestions, since I figure that I have at least a couple of more weeks to sit around and bask in the joy of reading.
What’s on your summer reading list? And what should I add to mine?
45 Comments
Thanks for your comments on my blog. I have been checking out your blog for awhile and I love it! Especially the pics!
Well, can't wait to see where you are off to next. You should write a book, do an online travel show, something! Safe travel…Ciao.
Do yourself a HUGE favor! lol and get these books by Jhumpa Lahiri: Interpreter of Maladies, The namesake and Unaccustomed Earth. Just like Chimamanda, she is a very good story teller. Also get Chimamanda's other books. She has written maybe 3 novels so far? i forget the title now but google should help you out:)
Hey
I've been meaning to launch a blog for a while now and reading yours inspired me to get my ass in gear and put my plan to action!
Long story short, I just got back from South America where I went backpacking for two months! It was amazing! I kept a detailed private blog the whole time I was there, so I will be publishing bits form it in terms of places I went, people I met, any insights etc.
I've linked to your blog so if you link to mine that would be great! Do check out my blog when you have the time!
B.
@kiki- thanks for the kind words and the encouragement! i would LOVE to do some sort of travel tv/online show… 🙂
@judy- thanks for the recommendations! im so looking forward to cracking open the chimamanda book!
@the backpacker- i'm sooooo jealous of your SA trip! im hoping to do something similar next summer. did you have a set itinerary, where did you go exactly? i just checked out your blog and it is fantastic! i am anxiously awaiting more posts!
I have really enjoyed reading your blog! Ok, books, I really enjoyed the Time travelers wife, the movie was not so bad.
Some books I have read,
-the Steig Larsson series, slow at parts but really good
– Love by Toni Morrison
-Italian shoes, cannot remember the author.
Thanks for the review of Lovely bones, was not too sure about it.
Happy travels!
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