i assemble this heap of books over the course of the preceeding school year so when i actually read them, i don’t necessarily read them in any sort of order, i don’t read them one-at-a-time, and if a book wallows enough then i might even abandon it and return some other time.
to be kind to my readers, i’ll post five titles a day until i reach the end of this summer’s list!
1.
factory girl i’m reading this one right now. it wanders between a narrative that is told from the vantage point of a desperately poor ten year old girl, and a non-fiction unpacking of life in the turn of the last century, especially as experienced by the working poor. it is emotionally and informationally powerful and has tremendous resonance for anyone who can trace their heritage back to factory work or poverty.
2. mr. standfast
there’s enough of the boy in me that i appreciate world war one yarns. what’s unique about this is that the author - a well-published and greatly admired man was also at one point the governor general of canada in which role he was referred to as baron tweedsmuir. fans of the excellent mystery “the thirty nine steps” will already be familiar with buchan’s writing. mr. standfast tells the story of brigadier-general hannay who is recalled from active service on the western front to undertake a secret mission hunting for a dangerous german agent who is on the loose in britain. hannay is forced to work undercover disguised as a pacifist, roaming the country incognito to investigate the deadly spy and his agents.
3. ender’s game
when i was in high-school i had a real taste for science-fiction. i think i enjoyed it in part for its escapist qualities, in part for its cerebralization of life, and then also because it challenged the status quo, often positing alternate lifestyles, perspectives and thought patterns. ender’s game is set in earth's future where mankind has barely survived two invasions by the interestingly named "buggers", (an insectoid alien race), and the International fleet is preparing for war. in order to find and train the eventual commander for the anticipated third invasion, the world's most talented children, including the extraordinary ender wiggin, are taken into battle school at a very young age.
4. wind, sand, and stars
i blogged earlier about “the little prince” and of course its author antoine de sainte-exupery so i won’t go into too much gushy detail other than to say that he is in my own experience one of the more incredible writers i have read, capturing essences of moments in a way that few others can. wind, sand, and stars is essentially a memoir of his days as a pilot flying the mail solo across africa and south america at a time when each pilot was at the mercy of the weather and very much reliant on their instinctive skills as technology had not quite caught up to the needs of a person flying over uncharted territory.
5. dharma bums
i’ve read this a handful of times but usually leave it for a few years to return older and possibly wiser and bring a different appreciation to kerouac’s masterwork. a semi-autobiographical telling of kerouac’s own wild life, dharma bums metaphorically juxtaposes the inner and the outer world of the westerner through unpacking the relationship that the outdoors, mountaineering, hiking and hitchhiking through the west have with the "city life" of jazz clubs, poetry readings, and drunken parties. somewhere in there is a zen essence. or possibly not!
the golden fish summer reading list part 2 can be viewed here.
the golden fish summer reading list part 3 can be viewed here.
the golden fish summer reading list part 4 can be viewed here.
the golden fish summer reading list part 5 can be viewed here.
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