What I Read This Summer

Summer is long over. Thankfully I'm not wearing a coat quite yet, but Fall is definitely here. It's honestly been so long since I've read these books I'm probably forgetting something. I stuck with my goal - some classics, some nonfiction, some truly remarkable, some not so much.

Let's start with the "classics", as defined by me.


The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Like most, I read this in high school. I remember liking it. I remember watching the movie. I remember romanticizing about the 20's (or maybe it was the fashion from the movie). I remember talking Ms. Moore into just letting us write an outline of our paper instead of the actual paper. This time however, I probably appreciated Fitzgerald's amazing work, fantastic characters and beautifully told rise and fall a lot more.


The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - I actually did not read this one in high school and decided it was time. Ah, the coming of age story. The controversy! Holden Caulfield. Adulthood at times really can be falling over the edge of a cliff. When did I grow up and get old?


The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - I was given this book (a couple of times) quite a while ago and finally read it. Simplicity. Perseverance. Guidance. I'm glad I read it. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

And then two silly and not so inspiring books.


Bossypants by Tina Fey - I had heard a few people say they laughed and laughed and really enjoyed Tina Fey. I'm still not exactly sure why I picked this up; it was okay. But I did enjoy some of the stories of her early jobs, working in a traditional male environment, getting her start on SNL, creating 30 Rock and the birth of her SNL Sarah Palin impersonation. Maybe not laugh out loud funny, but a quick read with little nuggets.


Wanderlust by Elisabeth Eaves - Documenting 15 years of traveling because of an insatiable hunger for the unknown and new. More lust and conquest than journey and travels. There were chapters I loved, but overall I'm not sure I would recommend this one.

And then a book I highly recommend.


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - I generally leave the science to Caisa, but I was completely engrossed in this book. In 1951 a poor black woman named Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer. Pieces of the tumor that killed her were taken without her knowledge or consent, and those cells continue to live and multiply - and become the foundation of medical research resulting in breakthroughs like the polio vaccine, cloning, fertility treatments and tons more. Through amazing storytelling we learn the human side of Henrietta and her family, plus the science and history behind medical research and immortal cells. Just trust me and read it.

And last but not least, I just finished reading this for Book Club.


The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine - Overly simplified and full of anecdotes, but taken at that level quite interesting. Women are hormonal roller coasters. Not new news, but some interesting insights on women from birth through menopause. And definitely a great discussion book for book club.

Did I really not read any young adult fiction this summer? Wow. That must be a first. Suggestions for my next round of reading?