Summer Reading

Reading through the triple-H summer months always appeals to me.  Curling up with a good book on a snowy winter night with the fireplace going is a wonderful treat, but knowing you’ll wake up to everyone bemoaning the snowpacolypse the next day takes some of the joy out of it.  During the summer between 4th an 5th grade, I set out to read one Nancy Drew book a day.  I don’t remember if I read one book everyday, but I do know that by Labor Day, I’d read every book in the series available at the local library.  When the Harry Potter phenomenon got rolling and my kids were younger, I’d buy 3 copies of the newest tome each summer, and we’d read about Harry and friends together.  My son always made it to the end first and had a hard time keeping what happened a secret, and he continued reading the Potter books over the summer long after Sarah and I found them less than satisfying.

This summer, we’re reading again.  Of course, Sarah doesn’t have any assigned reading what with being a jaded college student and all, but Joe does have one book he has to read.  Did he start it yet? Nope.  While I love the book his school assigned to the entire student body this summer – The Translator by Daoud Hari (I read this on a flight to Haiti, rather apropos) – I have a real issue with assigned summer reading especially if all the kids do is take a test to prove they read the book.  I don’t think that’s what my son’s high school is doing this year which is a refreshing change, but by labeling that book “summer reading”, they’ve killed any enthusiasm he might have had for the story.

What has he read this summer? Less Than Zero and American Psycho.  I know, but I was just happy to see a 16 year old boy reading anything.  After he finished the first and was deep into the mind of Patrick Bateman, I couldn’t resist asking his opinion about Ellis’ books.  He had a lot of great insights (he is my kid) but also stated that he learned a lot more from these books than he ever has from assigned reading.  No, I don’t think my kid’s going to become a serial killer; Less Than Zero is a painfully true account of drug addiction and the aimlessness of youth, and as brutal as American Psycho is at times, it’s also a brilliant satire of the American Dream.  Julian’s descent into drug addition in Less than Zero (and the irony of Robert Downey Jr. playing that role in the movie) is a much more effective anti-drug message than any D.A.R.E. program, and the go-go excess of the 1980s (which I remember well) exemplified by Bateman starkly contrasts with the current state of the American Dream in the post housing crash US of today.  This according to my 16 year old son.

I can’t see any American school getting away with assigning these books for summer reading which is a shame.  I’m sure you can guess what book he’s reading next…. Bright Lights, Big City.

What’s the college girl reading? She picked up The Wind-up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami at the Borders going out of business sale not realizing that her mother had a copy on a bookshelf here at home.  Probably one of my top 10 favorite books of all time, Murakami’s tale is a beautifully surreal book that’s bliss to read even though you have no idea what it’s all about and can’t really describe the book to anyone.  All you can say is, “read it”.  Much like Roberto Bolano’s 2666 and The Savage Detectives, this book makes you work to follow the tale, exhausts you with it’s imagery and labyrinthine plot lines, and yet is so incredibly satisfying you’re brokenhearted when you reach the last page.

This too was not an assigned book.  It should be.

What am I reading this summer? I waited until the last day of school to watch the Game of Thrones miniseries, and the morning after I watched the first episode I ran out and bought the book.  I did take a detour through the newest Stephanie Plum novel – it’s a Texas vacation tradition – but otherwise, these 1000+ page tomes have been my companions this summer.  Currently on book 4, Feast for Crows, I’d recommend this series to anyone who thinks Lord of the Rings would improve if you add some zombies and loves their aliens with dreads much like Predator.  Ok, they only showed the Others briefly on HBO, and they have glowing blue eyes, but I swear they are a close cousin to Predator! I hope to read the last page of book 5 on August 31st, the night before I return to school, much as I completed that last Nancy Drew book decades ago.

Now I ask, what are YOU reading this summer?

Disclaimer: Yes, I did assign a book on the summer reading list for my New Media class, something I’ve only done once before.  Socialnomics by Erik Qualman provides a very accessible introduction to social media for all brands, both personal and corporate.  I’ll be posting my review and what I plan to do with the book in class on the blog in the coming weeks.