It’s August, what are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Come and Get It by Kiley Reid. Hated it! Irredeemable characters.

This book was such a disappointment. I finally quit reading at about 75%. I hated everyone. Sometimes there are characters who you love to hate, but these people were just awful and boring. I didn't even care how it ended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying The Frozen River, which is really good, but I find so much stress in the world right now that I find it hard to read. But when I try happy fluff, it seems like fluff. How to find something that both has depth, but also is uplifting?!

That's where I'm at right now. I need something light and easy but not stupid.

I just posted about her upthread, but have you tried Sophie Cousens? The Good Part is the first of hers I've read but now I've read them all. I'd call them smart chick lit.

Do you enjoy speculative fiction? I really enjoyed Baby X by Kira Piekoff. It's set in the future where science has figured out how to create embryos from DNA without needing an egg and sperm. It's a great advancement for gay couples or people with fertility issues, but as with all good things, people figure out how to use it for nefarious purposes. A company works to get DNA from celebrities and/or wealthy people and sell their DNA. It's a fast read. It's not light and fluffy, but it's not super serious and depressing.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko about his and his buddy's effort to hike the length of the Grand Canyon. HIGHLY recommend.

If you liked this try A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson! Same idea but with the Appalachian Trail.

PP here - I read A Walk in the Woods years ago - and loved it. This book, however, is better imho. The hike here was on another level as far as danger was concerned, and he spends alot more time discussing the natural and cultural history. Don't get me wrong - it is uproariously funny in parts, but it is not a humor travelogue. He knows he walks in the footsteps of giants (even gives a shout-out early on to Bryson), but, in the end, it's a much more serious book than AWITW.

If you like more danger, have you read Into Thin Air by John Krakauer? It's an oldie but a goodie.

I also recommend John Krakauer books - Into Thin Air, Into the Wild. They are so interesting and easy to read.

I feel like Into the Wild should be required reading for any high schooler (and it actually was in AP Lit at my school)! Under the Banner of Heaven is also fascinating but much more disturbing.

Why do you think Into the Wild should be required? I taught it one year to 11th graders. They honestly liked The Crucible more. And hated Chris as a “protagonist.”

Because you can debate it endlessly! When we read it, it engendered strong feelings. Some strongly identified with Chris— they craved adventure, felt stifled, thought the whole idea was so romantic. (We grew up in NOVA, like Chris!) Others hated him, thought him obnoxious and privileged. Others (smaller group, as we were younger and perhaps not as sympathetic to him, as I am now), just felt sorry for him. There are also wonderful literary references throughout the book so we also studied those. I later taught it to a group of high schoolers, ten years later, and it was the same lively discussion.

I think the reader can “hate” Chris and still get a ton out of that book.

A fascinating exercise would be to have them read the book and then read the book by McCandless' sister - The Wild Truth. She details their abusive childhood and talks about why Chris actually wanted to leave. It brings a whole new perspective.

I’d like to read that book. I do think I read an article with her where she talked about it, and it gave me such sympathy for both of them.

Also, with more age, I feel for him. He did not deserve his fate. He was not a bad person. He was young and came from a horrific childhood. He had a romantic sense of adventure and wanderlust. I quite identified with that when I was younger, though I didn’t do such extreme things.

I think teenagers tend to be hard on him (as is their right) but with some more perspective and insight, I just feel sorry for him.

[Anonymous]

I recently discovered a British author, M.W. Craven. He writes crime fiction. I'm reading his series with Detective Washington Poe and the books are excellent. They are very violent so sensitive readers should tread lightly. I'd compare his books to Karin Slaughter's books.

I just started Assassin's Anonymous and I'm enjoying it. I'm not sure what direction it's going to take, but I've heard good things from people who have similar taste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading all fours and loving it.

Finished. Perfect.

[Anonymous]

Just finished “Wanted: Toddler’s Personal Assistant How Nannying for the 1% Taught Me About Equality, Motherhood, and Upward Mobility in America” and it was so good, I hadn’t planned read it as quickly as I did! Now I need a new book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading all fours and loving it.

Finished. Perfect.

I just read this for a book club and really really hated it. It felt like a bunch of egotistical navel-gazing nonsense. I’m sure it will generate good discussion at our book club meeting at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Come and Get It by Kiley Reid. Hated it! Irredeemable characters.

This book was such a disappointment. I finally quit reading at about 75%. I hated everyone. Sometimes there are characters who you love to hate, but these people were just awful and boring. I didn't even care how it ended.

Agreed. Come and Get It was mean spirited in a very pointless way.

[Anonymous]

I just picked up Four Squares and am excited to get started reading it- I loved the author’s first book.

I just finished the Paris Wife and thought it was ok. It really made me cry though.

[Anonymous]

I have just finished this and found it gripping. Excellent.

https://wapo.st/3YyvulT

[Anonymous]

I’m starting to struggle through “Monsters of Templetown.” (I actually spent a summer in Cooperstown, so I feel like I should “get” this book a bit more…but I just don’t.)

[Anonymous]

The God of the Woods. Fully met expectations and was a quick read for a longish book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The God of the Woods. Fully met expectations and was a quick read for a longish book.

I’m just about to start this and am looking forward to it. I made myself wait until my kids got home from sleep away camp to start it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The God of the Woods. Fully met expectations and was a quick read for a longish book.

I’m just about to start this and am looking forward to it. I made myself wait until my kids got home from sleep away camp to start it.

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko about his and his buddy's effort to hike the length of the Grand Canyon. HIGHLY recommend.

If you liked this try A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson! Same idea but with the Appalachian Trail.

PP here - I read A Walk in the Woods years ago - and loved it. This book, however, is better imho. The hike here was on another level as far as danger was concerned, and he spends alot more time discussing the natural and cultural history. Don't get me wrong - it is uproariously funny in parts, but it is not a humor travelogue. He knows he walks in the footsteps of giants (even gives a shout-out early on to Bryson), but, in the end, it's a much more serious book than AWITW.

If you like more danger, have you read Into Thin Air by John Krakauer? It's an oldie but a goodie.

I also recommend John Krakauer books - Into Thin Air, Into the Wild. They are so interesting and easy to read.

I feel like Into the Wild should be required reading for any high schooler (and it actually was in AP Lit at my school)! Under the Banner of Heaven is also fascinating but much more disturbing.

My DC read it in high school in high school as a freshman, in the Blair CAP program.

I'M SURPRISED IT WOULD BE IN AN AP LIT CLASS.