President Obama's Summer Reading

I've decided to bring out the big guns in recommendation, y'all: Barack Obama. Summer reading list (via Slate). Let's do this.

1. The Way Home by George Pelecanos
2. Lush Life by Richard Price
3. Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
4. John Adams by David McCullough
5. Plainsong by Kent Haruf

My thoughts: First, I have actually read two of these books! I mean, I don't really remember Plainsong at all, so maybe that doesn't count. But if the President and I ever had to make small talk (because that seems pretty likely), we could totally chat about John Adams. Slate seems to think that he will be dropping Adams references in the months to come. I, for one, love this idea.

Onto the ones I haven't read: I'm sure Hot, Flat, and Crowded is very well written, terribly informative, etc. It sounds like miserable summer reading, though. I'm much more on board with the Price and Pelecanos, both of whom wrote for The Wire. I think it's pretty safe to say that they've got a handle on the urban crime story. I read The Night Gardener by Pelecanos because of the Wire connection and found it pretty engaging, although crime still isn't really my genre of choice.

I wonder if anyone kept tabs on what the First Lady brought. Fingers crossed for Sookie Stackhouse!

100 Best Beach Books from NPR

It's amazing how quickly summer is flying by. If you're still looking for a beach read: well, a) I'm jealous, but b) NPR is back with more ideas, ranging from classics to Oprah picks (and at least one, East of Eden, which is both).

Audience Picks: 100 Best Beach Books Ever

I've read 43, I believe (I can't recall if I've read Cat's Cradle, so that's going down as a "no"). May I make some suggestions?

-Old Man in the Sea is not a beach read. Just because it has sea in the title, it doesn't make it so.
-I read She's Come Undone in high school. I thought it was wildly depressing. Not exactly what I'm looking for at the beach.
-Twilight only if you're massively desperate. Really.

Of the list, I think my top five to take to the beach would be Bridget Jones's Diary, The Princess Bride, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, One for the Money, and Dracula. I don't know about you, but I get sleepy and relaxed at the beach. I need something that's not too think-y. (Dracula slides by because it's pretty engrossing). I mean, I could barely follow Lolita as it was. Honestly, people.

Bleak House update: About 300 more pages to go. So many things are on the verge of coming together!

Recommendation from Conan O'Brien

From the June 5th Entertainment Weekly.

Conan's Must List #10: "My Father's Tears and Other Stories by John Updike - The late John Updike was a better writer than anyone you are reading right now. If you have not read this book (out June 2), read this book, then read everything else by John Updike. If I have not made myself clear, read lots of things by John Updike."

I've never read any Updike - well, I think I read a few pages of Rabbit, Run, then put it down and forgot about it. Whoops. I tend to trust Conan, though. I mean, he did write the "Marge vs. the Monorail*" episode of The Simpsons, after all. Oh, and he went to Harvard as well, so presumably he learned some literary stuff there.


*The episode contains one of my favorite Simpsons exchanges ever:

Marge: [on radio] Homer? Homer!
Homer: Y'ello?
Marge: Homer, there's a man here who thinks he can help you!
Homer: Batman?
Marge: No, he's a scientist.
Homer: Batman's a scientist?!
Marge: IT'S NOT BATMAN!

Summer Reading Recommendations from NPR

Amazingly, it is almost summer. Unlike any other season, summer seems to require its own particular type of reading. (I'm put in the mind of the refrigerated books from the show Black Books*.) I, for one, read Moby Dick the summer before my senior year of school. Not ideal summer reading, as it turns out.

If you're having trouble thinking of books for the sunny days ahead, NPR is to the rescue.

On The Hunt For Fabulous Fiction from NPR

(With a caveat - I've been having trouble getting the page to load, so you may have to refresh a bit. Keep trying!)

*I couldn't find a proper clip, but the first minute of this one should give you the idea.