I started thinking about my summer reading list today and I became quite excited because I love reading. I love reading far more than I love writing, which I don't really - I just sort of do it and like it a little more than occasionally.
So here are the books that (hopefully) will occupy my interest during my three or so months of summer:
1. Harry Potter # 7 - I've been waiting for this one secretly since the 6th book. I love a nice good tale I can just lay in bed with. Harry Potter books require so little thinking that I find them to be among the most relaxing.
2. The Confessions of Max Tivoli - recommended by my boyfriend. He suggests books rarely, but the one other one he suggested "Ordinary People" was an extraordinary book. I trust his judgment.
3. The Golden Compass - The last time I read the book was in 7th grade, and I want to re-read it before the movie comes out. I'm really very excited.
4. The Kitchen God's Wife - Another book I've encountered before, but I failed to finish this one. I first started reading it when I was in grade school or something because my mom had it lying around and I always liked to poke around at books. Unfortunately, this book was far too daunting and I lost interest (comprehension never settled in) after a few pages. My apologies to Amy Tan.
5. The Best Little Girl In the World - This is a story about eating disorders. Very dark, and may hit a bit close to home if I choose to read it during a "i-feel-like-a-blimp-sort-of-fat" period of time - namely during pms. I hope it's beautiful and sad and honest.
6. The Other Boleyn Girl - There's a movie coming out based on this book that stars Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman. Phillipa Gregory is supposed to be good.
7. Song of Roland (La Chanson de Roland) - This is supposed to be the oldest French literary work. Like other ancient works like Beowulf and Njal's Saga, this is an epic about the hero Roland. I love Medieval Europe.
8. Euripides' works - I love ancient Greece more than I love Medieval Europe. Euripides was quite the playwrite in his day.
9. Find whatever I can on Cicero, who is said to be the most influential writer in all of Rome. He may prove to be quite boring to me, but I think I will be satisfied if I can just be exposed to his supposed genius.
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns - This is written by the same guy that wrote The Kite Runner. That book made me cry. I have high hopes for this one, which is about 2 women.
11. The Assault on Reason - Al Gore came to UCSD on Monday and I went to go see his presentation "An Inconvenient Truth". He was amazing. I will read his book. It's far more interesting than Bush will ever be able to come up with.
12. The Tipping Point - I've always wanted to change the world someone in some small way (for the better, not for worse). Perhaps this book will tell me how. The same guy wrote Blink, which is a fantastic book, I highly recommend it.
13. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier - At first I thought that this book's cover was just too sad to make me want to pick up the book itself and read it, but I've changed my mind. Our world is a sad place, but there's beauty in being able to confess that sadness.
14. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - I love John Grisham. I love John Grisham's fiction. This is his first attempt at nonfiction. I want to read it! period.
15. Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment - Religions intrigue me. Siddhartha was a great book and perhaps this will be great too, in a different way of course.
16. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - this is Nayson's favorite book and I remembered that I wanted to read it. The author wrote this book by blinking because only his eyes work after some accident that paralyzed him.
I think that's all for now. Gosh I want to be able to just curl up with some books at home in Cupertino with a nice hot coffee. [=
