A wonderful summer for books (aren’t they all?) Pt I

Now this post about my adventures through the pages this summer won’t be nearly as good as the incredible lit blog my brilliant friend Chris writes (that you should all check out here) but I’ll do my best to share some of my favourite reads over the past few months!

Ok first off, I read a surprisingly large list of fiction this summer, large being relative to the little I do usually. Not much for fiction usually, but I guess summer days are perfect for finding yourself in another world right?

Daughter of Fortune by Isabelle Allende. This woman mesmerized me with her TED talk, so I had to pick up her novels when I was at the used book store. She did not disappoint. A nice mix of history with her portrayal of the gold rush in California, personal relationships, and lives lived with limits – stories of a Chinese man captured and brought to America and the main character a woman who leads an interesting childhood only to make her young adulthood just as fascinating. Unlike any book I have read lately!

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Have you read these yet? No? Do it. Seriously, everyone needs some young adult fiction in their lives and this is the one you need right now. Haven’t read the next two yet but will be getting on it soon. Devoured the action packed pages in a day. It's fast, fun, smart, and just a plain old good read. Also got my teacher heart excited with ideas about cool assignments students could do related to the book –anyone else? No? Ok… on to the next then…

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton Re-read this one again this summer, it’s my second favourite book (after To Kill A Mockingbird). A novel written by someone who must be a poet, it reads so beautifully. It’s also real-life kind of fiction which is my favourite. It portrays life during apartheid in South Africa. Quote - 'Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much. 

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. After a very long time of people recommending Vonnegut for me, I finally took it out of the library and was not disappointed. Satirical look at the Western (particularly American) way of life, Vonnegut basically explains life and the day to day workings of people as if the reader is from outer space and has never heard of America. For example “Viet Nam was a country where America was trying to make people stop being communists by dropping bombs on them". Great for anyone who enjoys a good laugh at the typical western lifestyle.

Other fiction that I enjoyed but won’t get into: The Help by Kathryn Stockett,  Choke by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.

This post was originally massive, so I'm doing in two parts, ending Part I here. Next post will be all my non fiction!