I'm only human, after all.
THE BOOKS:
The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter- The number of Angela Carter books I own now (a few) and the number I've read (one) is getting a bit silly, and I'm concerned that, having spent a certain amount of money on this book (quite a bit) I might never get to it. I can end that concern by reading it this summer, right?
Evelina by Fanny Burney- I decided I need to read a classic this summer and I've had this one, in one copy or another, for a really long time now. Epistolatory novel? Don't mind if I do.
Stoner by John Williams- I need to get my brain around Stoner. Ellie says so. I tend to believe her.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery- I feel like both Alice and Alley read this a realllly long time ago now, and I still have not. If I'm not going to France this summer, might as well do the next best thing (... read a book set in France, obviously.)
Look At Me by Jennifer Egan- I have fond memories of reading The Invisible Circus in the sunny sunny garden last year, so I have good feelings about Egan and summer. Doesn't mean I'll definitely read this, but the chances do look good.
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood- It's Margaret Atwood. It's not going to be a bad book.
Made in America by Bill Bryson- Summer=reading Bryson and feeling cheerful about it. Or it will this year (she says).
Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami- I started reading this when I bought it, and it was VERY WEIRD. I'm kind of excited. Plus, who doesn't need a Murakami fix every once in a while? (Most people, Laura).
Dear Life by Alice Munro- Ohhh yes. I have not read the other Alice Munro book I said I was going to read in the spring, but obviously there's something different about this one that's going to make me want to read it. The thing that is different: I really need to read one of her bloody books already!
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson- Um, just check out its name. Obviously I can't read this at any other time.
REAL TALK: Things I will probably actually read this summer:
- The last three Dark Tower books by Stephen King because OMG I am so close to reading them outside in the lovely lovely sun that I can hardly stand waiting
- The end of The Women's Room which is SO AWESOME and feministy and the best
- Whatever is on the aforementioned Kindle app
- The three books I just got out of the library because I can't help myself
- Some books I've already read
But let's just pretend none of that's true and oooh over this list, shall we?
*To be fair, I'm reading a fourth one at the moment. I get points for trying, right?
LOL I like what you did at the end there :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any Alice Munro either. Which is kind of ridiculous... but I'm also not all that motivated to fix just yet.
I'm seriously motivated to fix my Alice Munro thing, since I have like 4 of her books, I just somehow can't quite do it! This summer will be the one, Sarah. This summer.
DeleteStoner is a really great book. :) LOL, love the "will actually read" list. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited to read it! It sounds like it's going to be right up my alley :)
DeleteFellow Angela Carter hoarder but not reader here. I read and remember loving Wise Girls, but cannot for the life of me understand why I'm not picking up the other books I have.
ReplyDeleteAlso, freaking me out right now is that I was looking at Lady Oracle a few hours ago, but didn't buy it cos I couldn't recall if I already own it or not. Gah! Do not like it when coincidences like that happen.
Have happy fun reading times :)
Well, Nights at the Circus is good too! I feel like when I think about reading Angela Carter, I assume I'm going to have to think a lot, and sometimes I just don't feel up to it. That's all I have to explain it haha.
DeleteThat is really spooky! However, I LOVE coincidences like that, so we can't be the same person. Mystery solved. :)
Hahaha I BOUGHT Elegance of the Hedgehog ages ago. Still have not read. But Alley did because I sent her my second copy.
ReplyDeleteLISTS ARE THE BEST THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS
Therrrrre you go. I knew it was something to do with you guys. I think I bought it after reading Alley's review so this makes sense.
DeleteYOU ARE SO WELCOME I BASICALLY JUST LIKE MAKING PILES OF BOOKS AND TAKING PHOTOS.
Oh! You have so many there that I've been meaning to read, too. I listen to this literary podcast that Rider Strong cohosts, and he's always going ON about Stoner. And I've had a copy of Evelina since college, because it was on the reading list for my Women in Lit class, but we didn't end up having time to read it. I didn't even know it was an epistolary book, so you've already been very informative.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bryson! I have A History of Nearly Everything, and I think of you pretty much every time I look at it. I hope you don't mind.
EVERYONE is going on about Stoner, I feel. When I first heard the title I was like 'ohhhh yeah...' and then when I read what it was actually about I was like 'oh, that sounds like something I will actually really enjoy, and not just because it's about drugs' (It is not about drugs, I'm told). And MEGS, I totally bought Evelina because we were supposed to read it for my unit at uni (The Novel in the Literary Marketplace, to be precise) but then they changed the books so I was sort of stuck with it, and then I bought the PEL version because pretty. Obviously have still not read it.
DeleteI the opposite of mind that. I LOVE IT. Please continue to think of me in relation to that book because it blew my miiiiind.
Poooooor Evelina. We should really read her, shouldn't we?
DeleteI'M TRYING, MEGS! I do love epistolatory novels, so hopefully I'll get through it this summer... Maybe...
DeleteI keep thinking I am going to do a Tuesday Top Ten post and then Tuesday goes flying by. And I'm impressed you have a list at all. I have currently 1 book I'm reading and 1 book I SWEAR I own but can't find anywhere that I would like to re-read. And that's as far as my planning has gone.
ReplyDeleteOH YEAH, Hedgehog. I did read that. cos Alice got bored holding onto her copy. ALICE, IF YOU WANT IT BACK LET ME KNOW. It was...French. Which I guess is my nice way of saying pretty slow.
I don't even know what day is Tuesday, to be honest Alley. I look at bloglovin, see people are doing TTT posts, and assume it must be Tuesday because they're probably not crazy people. And oh blesssss if you think this plan is at all conclusive, it truly isn't (apart from The Dark Tower books, I WILL read those this summer).
DeleteI can deal with slow, and also I remember something about philosophicalness..? I'm into the idea of reading it, basically.
I was also convinced by Ellie's review that I need to read Stoner - I wasn't that fussed about it when I was seeing it in all of the bookshops EVERYWHERE but she has me sold so that'll probably be on my Autumn list...
ReplyDeleteI've actually never read anything by Bill Bryson. When we went on holiday, I so nearly bought Andy A History of Nearly Everything (because he will only read non-fiction...weirdo...) but went for something different in the end.
Also, you read The Keep while I was drowning in work and couldn't find time to do anything else and I just remembered! I actually really liked it, even if it was odd and not at all what I was expecting. You always remind me that I need to read more Egan (that's the only book of hers that I've read).
Stoner is totally a thing, Charlotte. We need to get on board with it.
DeleteAghhhhhhh, you need to read some Bryson! I've been convinced by him that I need to 1) go to Australia, 2) read more stuff about science, 3) walk the Appalachian trail, 4) be grumpier and therefore more awesome. Also lots of other stuff, but those are the most important, I think!
OK, SO I feel like I would have liked The Keep better if I hadn't read A Visit From The Goon Squad first. A Visit From The Goon Squad is everything, and I know it's really unfair to compare author's works to their other works, but that's the way the world is and A Visit From The Goon Squad is probably one of the best contemporary things I've read, like ever. SO everything else kind of pales in comparison to it (including, you know, non-Egan books) and it's like when I'm reading a different Egan, I really just want to be reading Goon Squad.
What I'm saying is, you should read The Invisible Circus next. Then Look At Me. THEN Goon Squad. Otherwise everything else is going to suck.
We absolutely do. I'm not ruling it out for summer (because lists are hard to stick to...) but I'm almost definitely putting it onto the autumn list. I imagine introspection more as an autumnal activity, you know?
DeleteDeal on your Egan list! You're going to have to remind me what comes after The Invisible Circus when I get there in your new role as my Egan Guide so I'll let you know when I'm ready!
I actually do know what you mean! I feel like I put things on my summer list that I REALLY want to read, because I know I read more in the summer (cause I can do it outside! When I'm inside, there's too much telly...)
DeleteOk, I'm on this Egan guide thing. This will be fun!
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.sanmiguelallendebooks.com/titles.html
Impressive stack! I've only read one of Alice Munro's books, I think it was called Runaway - a short story collection, and I was not a fan. So I have no desire to pick up another one of her works, but I'm also not a fan of short stories in general so maybe I'm being a little harsh.
ReplyDeleteI have made a summer reading list but when I go to post it, I think, WHY?, my reading is soooo slow right now, I'll never accomplish much from this. But lists are still fun even if you don't read everything on the, right? Right.
Hah I onyl manage Top Ten Tuesdays when I plan them weeks in advance and then sometimes I still miss the actual day.
ReplyDelete