Good writers read good writing. While you are writing your work-in-progress, keep reading great books. Here’s our recommendations for a super summer reading list.
Non-Fiction
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan
Death in the Baltic: WWII Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff by Cathryn Prince
Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill
Good Prose: The Art of Non-Fiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd
The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light by Paul Bogard
Gulp by Mary Roach
Memoir
After Visiting Friends: A Son’s Story by Michael Hainey
Her by Christa Parravani
Memoirs of an Addicted Brain: A Neurochemist Examines his Former Life on Drugs by Marc Lewis
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
With or Without You by Domenica Ruta
The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne
Fiction and short stories
Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Damage Control by Amber Dermot
Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The Sun by Philipp Meyer
Tenth of December by George Saunders
What’s on your summer reading list?
Writing and Listening — an Interview with Brooke Randel
As a young girl Brooke Randel knew little about the Holocaust—just that it was a catastrophe in which millions were murdered, and that her grandma Golda Indig barely escaped that fate. But her Bubbie never spoke about what happened, and the two spent most of their time together making pleasant memories: baking crescent roll cookies, playing gin rummy, and watching Baywatch. Until an unexpected phone call when Golda said, out of the blue: “You should write about my life. What happened in the war.” What results is a fascinating memoir—about one woman’s harrowing survival, and another’s struggle to excavate theRead more…
Thanks for the summer reading list, Jill! I’ m off for the summer, & want to read some good books!
ALSO enjoyed reading Sandy’s blogs-really glad the cousins are collaborating!
All my best,
Staci
I hear there’s no time “off” when you’re living on a farm Staci. You’ll find some great books on the list. I, too, enjoy reading every word Sandy writes.
Summer is my favorite season, mainly due to the extra reading time I have. Right now I’m enjoying “The Other Wes Moore” and have a pulpy Stephen King waiting on deck.
Cheers!
Jenna
Mine too and with all the rain this late spring and summer, it’s given me more time to read more fiction at the expense of the yard and garden. “The Other Wes Moore” is one I forgot to add to the list. I’ve been meaning to read it for a while. I’m ready to dive into “Kindness for Weakness” by Shawn Goodman. Thanks Jenna. More reading time in the hammock….Summer time.