Favorite Summer Reads

October 14

Looking back over everything I read this summer, I thought to highlight my favorites. (Mostly because there were some real disappointments.)

Here are the gems!

• Antony and Cleopatra by Coleen McCullough

I discovered only after reading this very well-written story that is Ms. McCullough’s last in a long line of novels set in historical Rome. Being a long time fan of the Wheel of Time series, I can not imagine a stand alone novel in a series of books, but this one succeeds famously in that as I did not notice the lack. I picked it up because its cover caught my attention, but the political interplay and very intimate story of epic characters out of the pages of history held me to the end.

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

I laughed and laughed and laughed. Having been exposed to the film before the book, I really enjoyed the book because it finally made the movie make sense. lol  Seriously though, this book is not serious and you’ll never think of petunias, towels or whales the same ever again.

• Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

The lightest “beach” read. I loved how she found places in our modern society for each of the major Greek gods that correlated so well with their mythical powers. I loved how she wove in the myths. I loved how she made the two most ordinary people in London you can imagine into such a fun couple to watch become a two-some.

All in all, I would say that branching out into new genres for summer reading turned out splendidly. Ok, ok, so historical fiction is a favorite not a different, but I am new to humorous reading and science fiction and completely new to “Greek god living in modern London fiction.” lol

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13 Comments for “Favorite Summer Reads”:

1. October 15th, 2008 Owen says:

   My list is so long and varied I hardly know where to start. Fiction isn’t evil. Amen.

2. October 15th, 2008 Kalanna says:

   Eek, who says it is?!

3. October 15th, 2008 Owen says:

   Oh lotsa folks. I met them in fundygelicalism. I just never thought I’d meet’em in the CC. I was so naive eh?

4. October 15th, 2008 Kalanna says:

   Yet another symptom of the CC headed their direction. Truly scary.

   Years ago I was pushed into a corner and told that make-believe was bad. And by the same person that encouraged me to watch Mr. Rogers as a kid. There’s a switch for ya!

   But no more. No more. There is beauty and truth to be found in the imagination.

5. October 15th, 2008 Kalanna says:

   ps. Start by signing up at Goodreads with me and we can compare tomes!

6. October 15th, 2008 Owen says:

   I think the authentic CC is not headed that way and for the greater part I do believe all ‘she’ believes but a lot of the time I do feel I’m walking between two worlds I do not understand. No doubt one day I’ll trip.

   Someone said, Fiction is escapist and I’m fine with that because there are some folks I am happy to escape from.

7. October 15th, 2008 Owen says:

   P.S. about goodreads…I’m not sure I can handle another social networking thingy.

8. October 15th, 2008 Kalanna says:

   Meh, I’m not in it for the social networking so much – except for comparing notes with my friends – more for the keeping a little library record of my literary escapades.

   btw. Fiction can be escapist, but it is not only so.

9. October 15th, 2008 Owen says:

   fiction is not escapist.

   Preachin to the choir there girl.

10. October 15th, 2008 Kalanna says:

    Yeah, umm… can ya tell I’m sore on this one?

    I would love to know some of your favorites.

11. October 16th, 2008 Kate says:

    Fiction can be escapist…and there’s nothing wrong with a little escape…

    Have you read any Terry Pratchett yet?

    I can recommend a lot of good sci-fi too, if you’re interested. I just need to know whether you’d like soft or hard scifi (soft is character driven, hard is idea/science driven.)

12. October 16th, 2008 Kalanna says:

    Nyah, haven’t tackled Pratchett as of yet. But he’s certainly on the list now that I’ve read Hitchhikers.

    Re: science fiction – list away! I’d be interested in both soft and hard boiled. I’m a girl that likes diversity. Love to be made to think outside my box but then I need a good “book vacation” afterward.

13. October 16th, 2008 Owen says:

    used to read a lot more sci-fi than I do today. My wife reads a ton of sci-fi and fantasy. I recall really enjoying Dream Thief, Stephen Lawhead | The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin’ | and the C.S.Lewis trilogy.

    That other list is coming. The one we were emailing about. It’s mostly literary fiction.