Now that the summer has begun, I thought that I would ask what is everyone currently reading? Any good recommendations?

If you have a summer reading list, whether school-imposed or self-imposed, what's on the list?

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

The Godfather

Because I'm a history geek:

The Children of Henry VIII

The Wars of the Roses

Elizabeth I--- all by Alison Weir.

The Godfather

OMG..I was just going to suggest this! If you haven't seen the movie yet, read the book first. The movie's kinda confusing if you don't read the book. I did it the other way around and watched the movie first but I thought Al Pacino was so brilliant in it as was the overall theme that I let some of the confusion slide. I read the book a few years later and thought it was great, if not better. Then, I watched the movie again and everything just clicked. The two really go hand in hand.

No other suggestions right now..I'm trying to read "Wuthering Heights" and the fifth Harry Potter book right now.

Edited June 25, 200718 yr by SpiritualJunkie

I used to read like crazy, but for some reason I slacked off... I did get a new novel by Ann Brashares (she's the one that did that Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series)...she wrote a new adult novel and I want to sink my teeth into that.

Other than that I'll just be grabbing the smut novels off my book shelves to read for the summer.

I should have read this last summer, but I'm currently reading The Ruins by Scott Smith. I bought this book like a year ago! LOL! When I finish that, I'll probably read another Bentley Little or John Saul book. I'm a huge suspense/horror fan.

Recommendation: If you haven't already, I suggest anybody interested check out the Dexter novels: Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter. You might have heard about or watched Showtime's "Dexter." Well, the show is based on the characters in these books by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter is a twisted character, a serial killer who only kills other serial killers or bad guys. Obviously, he's a very disfunctional man. The cool thing about this series of books is that it's not too serious or dark. It's suspenseful one minute, funny the next, and full of twists. And you'll like the character of Dexter, even if you don't want to. Both novels are in paperback now. A third Dexter book should be hitting shelves later this summer/early fall, just in time for the second season of "Dexter." I can't think of the name of it right this minute. But, yeah, I totally recommend checking these books out.

Waiting patiently for the new and final Harry Potter book. I reread book 6 to give myself a refresher.

Les Mis

Anna Karenina

Right now, I'm reading a collection of short stories called Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. All nine stories revolve around characters of Indian descent and their lives as immigrants, expatriates, and first-generation American citizens. However, her stories touch universal themes that everyone regardless of race, sex, or upbringing can identify with. I highly recommend it.

Just finished reading a memoir called The Liars Club by Mary Karr. It's about her rather calamitous upbringing in a dingy south-eastern Texas town and the rather dysfunctional characters that she calls her family. Also a VERY good book.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Right now, I'm reading a collection of short stories called Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. All nine stories revolve around characters of Indian descent and their lives as immigrants, expatriates, and first-generation American citizens. However, her stories touch universal themes that everyone regardless of race, sex, or upbringing can identify with. I highly recommend it.

Sounds a bit like this book I had to read for my intro english class a few years back by Zadie Smith called "White Teeth".

I feel so shallow. I just started reading "Lean Mean Thirteen", the newest Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich. Pure mindless entertainment.

I'm reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck...again. He was such an amaaazing writer. I just love his work.

After that, I'll read one of the four books I just bought: 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg (there's the light summer reading), The Post Birthday World by Lionel Shriver, and The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates.

The Liars Club sounds really good! I need to remember that one!

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

I just started reading Lisey's Story. It started a little slow and has a different feel than what I am used to with Stephen King but it is turning out to be a good story.

I just finished The Dark Tower series this winter and may try to go through them again before summer is up. If you like Stephen King, I feel this is his absolute best work. The gunslinger, I must say, is my perfect man. "Kill me if you must, but Command me Nothing!!"

Edited July 5, 200718 yr by Meisha

I am going to reread Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware books as I am off for the summer. I love them even though they can be very dark. I am also going to try to find his non-fiction book Savage Spawn I read years ago in grad school. It deals with violent children and offers the unpopular opinion that some children are just born bad. Its a fascinating read and I can't say I don't totally disagree with him on some points which is hard for me to admit as a teacher.

Can anyone recommend any good fiction or non-fiction historical stories? I love them but they seem so hard to find.

The Autobiography Of Malcom X

Superstar Billy Graham Autobiography

Dusty Rhodes Autobiography

Harley Race Autobiography

And this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Rip-Heaven-Memoir-Mu...h/dp/0451210530

It's called A Rip In Heaven, and it is the true story of what happened here in St. Louis on the night of April 5th, 1991, when two sisters, Robin and Julie Kerry, were assaulted and thrown off the Chain Of Rocks Bridge.