May 17, 2011

book worm


I always intend to read a lot during the summer...some residual guilt left over from elementary school and the summer reading lists maybe. 
I remember being so amazed at the boy who declared in September, on the first day back at school:
 "I read TEN books this summer"
I thought to myself,
"What is this kid? some kind of super genius scientist!?"

The books on my reading list for summer so far are:
Carl Sagan 'Cosmos' - I've read half of this book already but am always stopping and starting up again. Needless to say, it is fascinating yet challenging. 
Margaret Atwood 'The Year of the Flood' - I've heard good things about this book (from my mom).
Brian Greene 'Fabric of the Cosmos' - another outer space themed book. I just want to be able to have some semblance of an understanding of the big wide nothing and everything that space is. 
Albert Camus 'The Myth of Sisyphus' - I'm also really interested in philosophy, and I feel like this is one of those important books that I should read.
Paul Alexander 'Rough Magic' - I read this about two years ago after buying it at City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. I've been intrigued by Sylvia Plath since I read the Bell Jar at age 14 (heavy) and then received a book of her poems at age 16 or 17.  This biography is so detailed and interesting and of course ultimately tragic so I really want to read it again.
Sometimes revisiting a book every few years is the best way to show yourself how your perspective has changed in a way that is often hard to measure in any real way. Maybe that's why I've read 'Catcher in the Rye' about five times (or because it's awesome and always will be).

So, what books are on your summer reading list? I'm interested to hear. 

3 comments:

HENRY FRY said...

'The Outsider' is a good way to start with Camus, I think. It's super easy language and his philosophies are pretty clear. Despite, like Sartre, rejecting the label of 'Existentialist', it is fairly evident in the hindsight of history that this is almost the existential bible.
I keep meaning to read 'the myth of..' let me know how it goes!

Francesca said...

I really want to read The crimson Petal and the white, have you heard of it Ambo? It's Dickensian, 800 pages long, and incredibly raunchy, about a prostitute called Sugar.

Amber Leigh said...

I shall let you know how it goes Henry, I may be calling you at some point this summer with another existential crisis. Love those guys.

I haven't heard of that Fran but it sure does sound raunchy! I like the title!!