Since I joined the teaching profession the only time I have to read anything fun is over the summer. You won’t find new and emerging authors on my list. Mainly because I’m not cool enough to know who they are, but you will find good stories that you can get lost in. Some of these books I’ve read and I’m planning on reading again. Others I’ve never read and can’t wait to start this summer.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I LOVE this story. It is a beautiful story of a young orphaned girl as she struggles to overcome adversity and her low class surroundings. She falls in love, she falls out of love, she falls in love again. Mainly, you will cry. You will cry A LOT. Such a beautiful story.
The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton
This is sort of a “Gone With the Wind” meets “Pride & Prejudice”. This is a sweet story about a family of daughters living in New York in 1870 who although are from a wealthy family they are “new money”. Unable to make the right societal connections to marry they travel to the UK to explore society there. It’s a great, witty story.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I haven’t read this story yet but everybody even remotely related to me has recommended it. It is a story about an Indian man stuck on a lifeboat with a Tiger and through this remarkable experience discovers a connection with God. I think. I’ll let you know what I think at the end of the summer.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Both of my English degrees focused on English literature not American. As a result I’m poorly versed in American authors. It is a disaster that I’ve never read Tom Sawyer and so this summer I’m sitting down to read it for the first time. I’m excited to find out all about Tom’s adventures through a racist and prejudiced South. Give you my full opinion later.
I’d love to have people read with me so if you are interested in joining the adventure leave a comment and let me know what you are reading first.
Well I read the Life of Pi — it was sort of an extended version of Hemingway’s Big fish story — which I also hated combined with “Lifeboat”. This story went on and on and on in a sort of psychodelic fantasy. For some reason all of the literary critics loved this book but then they also liked the English Patient which was also ridiculous. My recommendation is to skip this one and to read something worthwhile, like Marvel Comics or even watch reruns of Teletubbies. Life of Pi got minus stars from me.