I find joy in lists, and always have. Waking up and crafting a thorough to-do list is often the height of my morning, a height that isn't even surpassed by the completion of the tasks themselves. I suppose it's because lists are the biggest emblem of hope there is. At nine in the morning, anything is possible, even the granular busy work that you've been putting off for days, if not weeks; likewise, on a theoretical reading list, there's no cap on attention span, time, or energy.
I don't know if I've completed a reading list in my life, as much of a bookworm as I am. It's mostly aspirational, and summer after summer, less than half of the list gets definitively Sharpied through. Regardless, this lovely summer, I've compiled a pretty fascinating roster, incorporating contemporary nonfiction, Shakespeare, Chinese history, economics, and Motley Crue.
I give the highlights of my reading list to share my interests and offer suggestions, but also to hold out hope for a potentially-communal reading experience. Though the subscriber base of this blog is basically nonexistent, if someone out there is able to read one of these books and offer their perspective, my goal will be accomplished. Without further ado, read on for the highlights of my summer reading list!!!
1. "Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science" by Wheelan
I've been inundated in economics gibberish from when I was nine, and my dad would put on the Freakonomics podcast to put me to sleep. Nothing's really changed-- I still listen to that podcast regularly, and it's a brilliant, weekly reminder of how microeconomics impacts the way I live. However, I haven't read anything about economics in years (considering that one can hardly qualify Gladwell's leaps of logic as objective economic theory). This book promises a refreshing and entertaining perspective on economics, one that can be understood by people with no previous knowledge on the subject.
2. "Blow Up: And Other Stories" by Cortazar
I actually found this collection of short stories on Reddit (imagine that) looking for weird surrealist short stories like Moshfegh's "Homesick for Another World: Stories" (love her!). I am loathe to admit that I've been trying to read this book for over two months, and have failed miserably. The content is fascinating, the prose is genius and labyrinthine, but it's not exactly a beach read. One story is about a man who vomits up rabbits, another about a family who must escape a tiger that moves to a different room of the house every day: whatever you think these stories will hold, you are wrong, and will find yourself confused in the best way possible. This book requires you to deeply engage with the text and decipher some difficult prose, but it's definitely worth the extra effort to understand Cortazar's otherworldly, gorgeous fiction.
3. "Norwegian Wood" by Murakami
To be completely honest, I feel a little doomed reading Murakami after "IQ84" not too long ago. It was, essentially, a thousand page epic love story, leading up to the reunion of the two main characters. And yet, their reunion was less than five pages if I remember correctly. While this is not uncharacteristic of other Japanese fiction I've read (emphasis on the unspoken emotional bonds of the characters, and a downright refusal to admit them in writing), it creates winding, somewhat pointless Magical Realist fantasies that were painful to keep reading.
And yet, despite myself, I have hope that this book will be different. It's certainly much shorter than "IQ84", so at least if I abhor it, it won't take up a significant amount of time or brain space. I'm also intrigued by the fact that it's inspired by a Beatles song (even if I don't particularly like the song). It'll be an experience for sure.
4. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu
I have a very exciting trio planned: "The Art of War", "The Art of Fiction" by Henry James, and "The Art of Living" by Epictetus. I don't have too much to say regarding any of these books, because, after reading "The Art of War" the first time around, the writing is a bit too threadbare to comment on. However, I expect to learn various valuable parables from each of these books, all of which I'll definitely need as I enter adulthood.
5. "Just Kids" by Patti Smith
"Just Kids" by Patti Smith documents the saga of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe's relationship, as well as their respective careers. I picked up this book per a friend's recommendation--it's her favorite of all time-- but it also won a National Book Award, and was a New York Times bestseller for weeks. I'm a skeptical fan of Robert Mapplethorpe; the Guggenheim exhibit featuring Glenn Ligon's "Notes on the Margins of the Black Book", and various opinions on Mapplethorpe's fetishizing Black bodies, have definitely left my appreciation for his photography in a grey area. However, I hope that this book will leave me with a better understanding/deeper appreciation of his career, Smith's career, and the rock and roll period of the sixties and seventies.
This certainly won't be the last you hear of my reading list; I plan on commenting on/reviewing my favorites as the summer goes on. Also, the full list is below, in case you're curious or want to read along!!! Happy summer everyone!!!
The Art of Fiction by Henry James
The Art of Living by Epictetus
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
As I Lay Dying by Faulkner
The Awakening by Chopin
The Bell Jar by Plath
Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women
Beloved by Morrison
Song of Solomon by Morrison
Candide by Voltaire
Brave New World by Huxley
Consider the Lobster: And Other Essays by Wallace
A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by Wallace
Don Quixote by Cervates
Ethics by Spinoza
Gender Trouble by Butler
The Tempest by Shakespeare
Doctor’s Dilemmas
Madame Bovary by Flaubert
Motley Crue by Craic
The Feminine Mystique by Friedan
Such a Fun Age by Reid
Norwegian Wood by Murakami
The Secret of Scent by Turin
The Idiot by Batuman
Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut
All About Love by Hooks
Femininity and Domination by Bartky
The Secret History by Tartt
Shape by Ellenburg
What Comes After by Tompkins
Naked Economics by Wheelan
First Person Singular by Murakami
Blow Up by Cortazar
Peaces by Oyeyemi
China in Ten Words by Yu Hua
Red Sorghum: A Novel of China by Mo Yan
Lenin’s Kisses by Lianke
Waiting by Ha Jin
The Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Anyi
Kafka on the Shore by Murakami
Nepantla: Queer Poets of Color Anthology
Bright Dead Things by Limon
Killing Rage by Hooks
Just Kids by Smith
A Room of One's Own by Woolf
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Wilde
The Handmaid's Tale by Atwood
To the Lighthouse by Woolf
Jane Eyre by Bronte
In Favor of the Sensitive Man by Anais Nin
Her Body and Other Parties by Machado
The Pale King by Wallace
Grand Pursuit by Nasar
Freakonomics by Dubner
Doughnut Economics
Capitalism in America by Greenspan
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