I haven’t posted on my blog in almost a year, nor have I read any books in that time. I know reading isn’t supposed to be something you quit, but other projects came up and a break was a great help to get my TBR in hand. A little distance made it possible to purge my bookshelves. There were so many books I’d held onto only because “I’ll read it eventually,” even if the topic didn’t interest me, or titles that I felt obligated to keep on my shelf because they meant I was a certain type of reader, etc. Getting rid of the chaff was such a relief—it was like I’d accumulated hundreds of homework assignments over the years, and the deadlines suddenly vanished. Really, why should I read all the Booker/Pulitzer winners anyway? Some of them sound awful. (eBooks escaped the purge because they don’t require physical space.) I haven’t updated the TBR that’s posted on this site yet, but eventually it’ll reflect books I’m more excited to read instead of self-imposed homework.
So, without additional rambling, my list of summer books is below. 20 Books of Summer is a reading challenge hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. Typically, I choose my next book(s) based on what I’ve read recently, but since I have no recently read books, I semi-randomly grabbed titles from my TBR. None are terribly long (and the few that are longer should read quickly), so the list should be do-able. (For the record, I’ve been able to read 20 books in a summer before, but I’ve never posted reviews for all 20.)
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
- The Appointment by Herta Müller
- A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
- Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
- The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Márquez
- Human Acts by Han Kang
- The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan
- The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin
- The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
- Sphere by Michael Crichton
- The Stolen Bicycle by Wu Ming-Yi
- Super-Cannes by J.G. Ballard
- A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
- The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
- A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
There are only 19 listed above because I’m keeping one space open for a last-minute pick.
Happy Summer!
Image credits: Goodreads
Nice pile! Keen to hear what you think of Frankenstein in Baghdad as I have that in my TBR. Good luck and happy reading!
Best of luck on the challenge. You’ve got an intriguing list of books planned. Enjoy!
The Master and Margarita has been staring out from my bookshelf for some years; in the end I cheated and listened to an audio dramatisation.
I have just picked up another from the shelves, Super Cannes, as I have a uni module on scifi in September and looking for some Ballardesque inspiration.
I’m really enjoying Super-Cannes so far. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic Ballard, but it’s more straightforward than the others I’ve read. The Master and Margarita might have to wait until September after the summer challenge since time has flown so quickly.