June 1, 2011 -- The List

Pages of Thomas McGuane's Ninety-Two in the Shade read today: 29

I am off to a pitiful start.

I expected to be deep into my summer reading project by this late hour of the first day of June, but events and various Right-wing conspiracies have colluded against me. Also, I am often drawn to shiny, plastic objects and tend to focus on them for large expanses of time.

Anyway, if things go to plan, I am going to read all the books on my list this summer and use this as a way to keep a record of my reading and errata. I have given myself all of June, July and August to finish. I have friends who have signed on to read a book here and there with me, and I will include their thoughts here too.

This list has gone through many incarnations, but I think I am finally happy with this one.

an optimist’s summer reading and re-reading list

1. The Convalescent—Jessica Anthony
2. Mr. Shivers—Robert Jackson Bennett
3. The Road to Wellville—T.C. Boyle
4. When the Killing’s Done—T.C. Boyle
5. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie—Alan Bradley
6. Spartina—John Casey
7. Fade—Robert Cormier
8. Elijah of Buxton—Christopher Paul Curtis
9. Word Freak—Stefan Fatsis
10. Eating Animals – Jonathan Safran Foer
11. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter—Tom Franklin
12. The Graveyard Book—Neil Gaiman
13. The Sandman (11 book series)—Neil Gaiman
14. Hoot—Carl Hiaasen
15. Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War—Tony Horwitz
16. A Voyage Long and Strange—Tony Horwitz
17. The Eyes of the Dragon—Stephen King
18. Boy’s Life—Robert McCammon
19. Ninety-Two in the Shade—Thomas McGuane
20. A Gate at the Stairs—Lorrie Moore
21. Sabriel—Garth Nix
22. Tomcat In Love—Tom O’Brien
23. The Orchid Thief—Susan Orlean
24. The Moviegoer—Walker Percy
25. Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Novellas—Katherine Anne Porter
26. Serena—Ron Rash
27. Methland: The Death and Life of an American Town—Nick Reding
28. The Name of the Wind—Patrick Rothfuss
29. I Heard My Sister Speak My Name—Thomas Savage
30. The Invention of Hugo Cabret—Brian Selznick
31. Drood—Dan Simmons
32. A Ship Made of Paper—Scott Spencer
33. When You Reach Me—Rebecca Stead
34. Ghost Story—Peter Straub
35. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry—Mildred D. Taylor
36. The Lonely Polygamist—Brady Udall
37. Be More Chill—Ned Vizzini
38. Butcher’s Crossing—John Williams
39. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle—David Wroblewski
40. The Book Thief—Markus Zusak