Beach Bag Books: My Summer Reading List

I just got back from a bike ride and even though I'm in my 30s now, every time I get on my bike and take a ride at dusk, I am immediately transported to 1985 and those balmy summer evenings full of fireflies in the Atlanta of my childhood. My other summer childhood passion was reading, and so tonight I am inspired to sit down and create a list of books I want to read this summer. There is a healthy combination of fun and substance in this list, I think. Here's what I've got so far:

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Digging to America by Anne Tyler

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The World According to Garp

Just 20 pages into The World According to Garp, I knew it would become one of my favorite books. The 1978 novel from John Irving is funny and tragic and ironic and believably absurd....or shall I say absurdly believable? The main character, T. S. Garp is a writer (don't ask what T.S. stands for--it doesn't stand for anything) and therefore within the novel we find stories he writes. The first one, called "The Pension Grillparzer" is pure genius, if you ask me. We follow Garp from his conception to his death and by the end of the book, you too will say under your breath "beware of the Under Toad" when your gut tells you something bad is about to happen. Don't know what I'm talking about? I highly recommend you read this book--it is well worth finding out. I have yet to see the 1982 movie starring Robin Williams (imdb). I am hesitant to do so because I have found that good books rarely become good movies (but that the reverse is almost always true). However, it does get good reviews, so I think I'll go ahead and add it to my netflix list.

World Without End

October 2007 saw the release of World Without End, the much anticipated sequel to the 1989 Ken Follett novel, The Pillars of the Earth. A long-time fan of Follett's, as soon as I heard this novel was being released, I ordered a copy. For those unfamiliar with his work, Follett is a master of historical fiction, with my favorites being his WWII spy thrillers, The Key to Rebecca and Eye of the Needle, as well as The Pillars of the Earth, which is set in 12th century England. World Without End continues the story of the descendants of Jack, the main character of The Pillars of the Earth who designs and builds a cathedral in Kingsbridge, England. Building is in the blood of Jack's descendants, and World Without End takes us to the same town in 14th century England, where the story follows Merthin, a talented architect who survives the Black Death and sees the start of the Hundred Years War. The carefully woven storyline takes us deep into the lives of the characters and gives us a glimpse into what life might have been like to live during such times, however, it strikes me that human nature is not altogether very different and perhaps we have not evolved much at all. Love, hate, sex, violence, debauchery, and religious fanaticism are all elements in this novel, as they are here in the 21st century. The tone of World Without End is very similar to The Pillars of the Earth, and I think fans will be pleased and entertained by the sequel. Once again, Follett has written a novel that is hard to put down and that as you approach the end, you wish it could be, well, without end. Overall, a very satisfying read and I highly recommend it.

Blindness

Jose Saramago's 1995 novel, Blindness, is definitely one to read. It has an atmosphere much like the 2002 movie 28 Days Later (in fact it you liked that movie, you are sure to enjoy this book) and I was unable to put it down until I finished it. The story begins with a man who goes blind while stopped at an intersection while driving his car, and what follows is what appears to be (excuse the pun) an epidemic of blindness. Everyone (well, almost) who comes in contact with the man is also struck with blindness: the person in the street who stops to help him, the people in the doctor's office where he goes for help, and even the doctor himself. You can imagine the panic that ensues, and the story continues to be quite an accurate portrayal (in my opinion) of how this situation would play out in real life. As an aside, I hear that a movie is being made and, as an avid movie fan, am greatly looking forward to seeing it when it comes out next year. It is currently listed at imdb to star (some of my personal favorites): Julianne Moore, Danny Glover, Gael Garcia Bernal, Sandra Oh, & Mark Ruffalo. Don't wait for the movie, though. Read the book!