Summer Reading


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I've been on a reading binge again. It's one of my favorite things.


Last night I finished Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. I picked it up at the airport when we were coming home from Italy after finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which I consumed in a couple days on our trip - definitely worth reading).
She's the author of The Time Traveler's Wife (which I completely loved).


I remember hearing not so great reviews about her newest book but decided to give it a chance. It's a strange tale - life and death and ghosts and in-between places. It's dark. It wasn't one that I would say I really liked - I definitely felt at a certain point I was just wanting to "make it through" - but there's something about it that kept me going and wanting to know how she was going to bring it to a conclusion. Often if I'm in the middle of a book and not enjoying it I'll just set it aside for another time (or just set it aside completely). With Her Fearful Symmetry I did want to know what happened and felt satisfied when I finished it late last night (even though the ending is definitely not what I was expecting).


Another book I have been reading (started before leaving for Italy and decided to leave it home because it's hardback) is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I'm completely fascinated with and engrossed in this non-fiction story and it's not the kind of book I normally find myself reading. It's the story of a woman, her cells, the history of cell research, her family, and the way it's all been weaved together over time. Highly recommended


Up next for me is most likely The Girl Who Played with Fire (the next one in the series following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) or Little Bee which I picked up this past weekend at the coast.


What have you read lately that you love (or didn't)?


Dottedline


FOLLOW-UP : I see that
Project Life by Becky Higgins is back in stock at Amazon.You can see how I've been approaching this album here and planning to play catch-up (in a non-guilty way) soon.

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275 thoughts

  1. Barbara Brown says…
    07/21/2010

    I have read both books you mentioned, Ali, and agree about both. I totally loved The Time Traveler's Wife, while Her Fearful Symmetry was something entirely different. Now, the Dragon Tattoo trilogy ... OMGosh! I have not read a series of books that were completely enthralling. I could NOT put them down ... wait til you get to The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest ... sooo good. I was so sad to end the novels, but these are keepers to re-read and re-read and re-read. Happy Reading!

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  2. Shannon says…
    07/21/2010

    I just read The Help, which was really great in a low-key way (which actually is appropriate for its subject matter -- the civil rights movement of the early 1960s and how it comes to three women in a southern town). And I also just finished The Double Comfort Safari Club, the newest No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency book -- it was so good. Next up for me is Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, which one of my favorite book blogs raved about a couple of weeks ago.

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  3. Barbara Brown says…
    07/21/2010

    Ria,
    I was glad to read your comment about Little Bee. It's on my nightstand, I've started it, but am having trouble getting into the story. From your comment, I am going to give it another try tonight!

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  4. Debby Schuh says…
    07/21/2010

    I recently finished My Life in France by Julia Child and loved it.
    I've done three types of albums from three trips to Italy: one was done in a watercolor book called My Italian Sketchbook... I used the actual pictures in the book as background for my pictures and memorabilia. Another one I did by taking a Moleskine sketchbook with me and journaling and gluing things in as we went along and then printed my pictures half size for the book. For the last trip I did a 100 page Shutterfly book. I love it because it's just about the pictures and journaling. I just used the standard Shutterfly layouts... no digital embellishments or anything. It looks like a coffee table book. I divided the book into the different places we went... many of the same places you did. Wish we could sit down and reminisce about it!! Can't wait to see more of your pictures!

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  5. Laurie says…
    07/21/2010

    I just finished "The Possibility of Everything". It's a memoir about motherhood as well as a travelogue. It was interesting, though I don't know that I'd say I agree with everything.

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  6. Debby Schuh says…
    07/21/2010

    I also wanted to add that you need a Kindle (or an iPad!) I read so much more now that I can have a book with me anytime in my purse.

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  7. ~Michelle says…
    07/21/2010

    I hate her endings too! And after I bought and read at least 6 of her books...

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  8. ~Michelle says…
    07/21/2010

    Coming Home was incredible. A really long read, but such a great slice of life in that time period. I think I read it in December and January.

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  9. ~Michelle says…
    07/21/2010

    I have read The Clan of the Cave bear at least 6 times and I never get tired of it. However, my undergrad is in anthropology (archaeology) so that might be part of why. Some other people have a hard time handling some of the themes of the book. Personally I liked that the mental models of the characters were so foreign to modern people, because they are not supposed to be "like us."

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  10. Lauren Wolf says…
    07/21/2010

    Hi Ali! I love to hear what you are reading. The Time Traveler's Wife is one of my all-time favorites. I will have to check out her new book. I just finished The Help. I read it in less than a week. I couldn't put it down and would think about it when I wasn't reading it.. I'm still thinking about it. I love books that haunt me... (in a good way). The last book to "haunt" me like this was I Know this Much is True. My Mom just finished The Forgotten Garden and raves about it - so that will probably be what I read next. But I can't wait to read Little Bee and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

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  11. Jenny Theriault says…
    07/21/2010

    Currently reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - beautiful book and just finished The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, which I could not put down and would definitely recommend!

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  12. ~Michelle says…
    07/21/2010

    Love Devil in the White City. Especially since I can then go to the places described. I love Chicago architecture!

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  13. Laurie says…
    07/21/2010

    This is one of my all time favorite books as well. I haven't like the sequels but this first one was phenomenal.

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  14. Laurie says…
    07/21/2010

    The Outlander series is definitely one of my all time favorites. I've read them all and have listened to them on audio-they are that good.

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  15. Smriti says…
    07/21/2010

    I too have read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and needless to say it's fabulous; and I'm planning to read The Girl Who Played With Fire. :)
    I've read a couple in the last few months that were awesome - The Last Song, Have a Little Faith and The Help.
    On my table is Outliers, it's ok - not too good and not too bad. Then waiting for me and vice versa is Hot, Flat and Crowded - I'm hoping that's going to be a good one!

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  16. Julie says…
    07/21/2010

    I just finished "Winter Garden" by Kristin Hannah - it was excellent - but have the tissues handy. I am now reading "the Island" by Elin Hilderbrand - alot lighter summer reading . . .if you have not read Sarah's Key by Tatiana De rosnay- I highly recommend that. Loved Water for Elephants too- now being made into a movie, just like Eat Pray Love

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  17. Cameron says…
    07/21/2010

    I loved Same Kind of Different As Me and highly recommend it!
    Another good one was The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman... he also wrote Coraline and I know that this one will also be made into a movie, and I can't wait to see it.
    Right now I'm reading The American Girl by Monika Fagerholm for a book club. It's won a ton of awards and is very well reviewed, but it's making me crazy because of overuse of the phrases "in other words," "namely," "so to speak," "that is to say," etc. I'm really tempted to keep a tally but since I'm already 200+ pages in I'd have to start over and I'm not willing to do that. I'm just trying to get through it!

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  18. JaneS says…
    07/21/2010

    Hey Ali, timely question .. I just joined a book club. We had our first meeting last night and picked The Help. I will let you know what I think. I have never jointed a book club before. Should be fun.

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  19. hdragoo@hotmail.com says…
    07/21/2010

    I read Adoration of Jenna Fox - very interesting and quick read. I normally don't read Sci-Fi - but lately I have been totally hooked. I too am an English teacher and I have gotten on this sci fi kick. Loved the Hunger Game books and Life as We Knew It series. I just finished The Host and LOVED it too.

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  20. KrisB says…
    07/21/2010

    Have read all of the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" books. They are very compelling (dark at times), the plot twists and turns keep you guessing until the end. Enjoyed the mysteries.

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  21. Tensy says…
    07/21/2010

    The Passage by Justin Cronin. This book is a bit long, but once you start it, you are so hooked into the plot that you can't let go. An ambitious epic about a virus that nearly destroys the world, and a six-year-old girl who holds the key to bringing it back. A reviewer said reading this book is like: --the feeling you get when you can’t wait to find out what happens next, you can’t turn the pages fast enough, and yet at the same time you are so engaged in the world of the story and the characters, you don’t want it to end. It has been likened to Stephen King's The Stand, and although I am not usually a fan of horror fiction, his characters are wonderfully developed and the plot slowly unfolds so you can't wait to read the next chapter.

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  22. holly says…
    07/21/2010

    I also loved the Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein & Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger. I am just starting the Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest....

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  23. holly says…
    07/21/2010

    I also loved the Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein & Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger. I am just starting the Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest....

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  24. hdragoo says…
    07/21/2010

    I normally don't read Sci-Fi - but lately I have been totally hooked. I am an English teacher and I have gotten on this scifi kick. Loved the Hunger Game books and Life as We Knew It series. I just finished The Host and LOVED it too. I also really liked The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society- not scifi- but definately a good story. I am currently reading the 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. Interesting fiction, not sure if I really like it yet. Will definately have to go get the Tatoo book. Everyone has raved about it...guess I need to get on the bandwagon!

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  25. ~Michelle says…
    07/21/2010

    Hi Ali! I really enjoyed looking over your Project Life entries again. I was wondering if you have tried taking one of your 4 x 6 photos with "space" in it and journaling on it with your typewriter? I know you can do that digitally with a typewriter font, but then, we could do it all digitally, couldn't we?
    This summer I have read ALL 424 PAGES of Library Collection Development and Management by Peggy Johnson, and written up "reflective responses" on every. single. chapter. UGH. And! ooo ooo another skintillating read -- I am almost done with Information Literacy Instruction, all 412 pages! Wherein I learn about use of technology in instruction, including WHAT A BLACKBOARD IS (and I don't mean the online Blackboard eitgher). Soooooo funnnnn.
    Anyway for fun I have been rereading all of Thomas Harris' books abotu Hannibal Lecter. I reread Silence of the Lambs, then Hannibal, now I am reading Red Dragon again and then I'll read Hannibal Rising.
    In Hannibal, Dr. Lecter is living and working in Florence, so if you went there, you might enjoy those parts. Personally I like the parts where he kills people and eats their brains.
    For some reason I like reading about serial killers at this point in time. Could it be grad school? Huh.

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