Summer Reading List: Part the First

I've been on another insane reading kick lately, to the point that I hadn't even touched a television remote for DAYS before I went away on vacation. Since then, I've only used it to click over to Lego Harry Potter on the Wii (don't judge), and the only time I see it happening in the foreseeable future is when I tune in for the Olympics (because I am a total junkie who only gets a hit every two years, so I plan to drink all of it in while I can). 

Since most of my friends are compiling their list of summer books, and I know that you're all just champing at the bit to find out what has been piquing my interest lately, without further ado, here are my current reads:
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- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

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If someone had given me a penny for every time I declared my hatred of this book in high school, I would have been one rich lady. And if they'd taken away a penny for every time that I have declared my undying love for this book since, I would be on literary-induced welfare. About a month ago, I blew $45 over the span of a week by devouring trashy teen paranormal romance novels by the day. I loved them because they were cheap, easy and full of flashy moments. But rereading Wuthering Heights makes me feel like the mom in Bridget Jones -- after a momentary lapse in judgement involving the fancy infomercial guy, I've realized that flash and availability are no match for the substance and foundation on which my personal history is built. Plus, I would pick Heathcliff and Cathy over Christian and Ana in a cagematch, hands down.   

- Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

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My seventy-seven year old co-worker brought this in and insisted that I absolutely had to read it. At first, I put it off because really, didn't I put enough time into old European classics in college? Then she kept asking me about it, so I figured at 300 pages, it was worth a shot. Thank the Sorceress that I did, because this one is like an old-timey literary soap opera -- sex, intrigue, murder and uptight Parisians (my favorite kind!). I'm sure my fellow beach-goers on the Vineyard were impressed by the tattered paper copy of a 135-year old novel, too, so bonus smug bitch points for that.

- This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley

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I was first introduced to Walter Mosley's work during my junior year of college, when I took a course in Contemporary American Mystery Novels. At the time, I tended to equate anything termed "contemporary" with "beach read**", so I have to admit that Devil in a Blue Dress caught me completely by surprise. I found myself not only identifying with, but rooting for, protagonist Easy Rawlins, despite having virtually nothing in common with him besides our shared humanity. The ability to do this is, to me, the sign of a great author, and as such, I snatched up Mosley's short guide to fiction the moment I saw it. Jammed full of tidbits such as (and I am paraphrasing here), "don't be afraid to insult people; no one is reading this but you, and if you ever do get published, screw them if they aren't happy for you", it has yet to disappoint. 

- Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York's Acclaimed Writing School by The Gotham Writers' Workshop

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If you live in a big city, chances are that you have seen those gaudy yellow "Writing Classes dot com" bins located on street corners next to your local neighborhood news. I'll admit, at the time I bought this book three years ago, I did not equate the two in any way. This actually worked to the book's advantage, because I'm pretty sure that I would not have picked it up had I known its authors were hawking their wares to every Tom, Dick and Harry on the corner. HOWEVER, I can admit when I'm being a judgmental jackass, and this is one of those times. This handy guide is a fabulous resource for those who want to break into writing fiction, but are overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the endeavor and are seeking a place to start. Reminiscent of an intro-level college creative writing class, covering both fiction theory and construct, each chapter also has prompts to get you started and to help translate your thoughts to the page.
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For now, that's it. I'm almost finished with both Wuthering Heights and Therese Raquin, and while I have a strong urge to re-read some other classics (most of which are free on e-readers), there are a number of other, more contemporary reads currently waiting for me on my Nook. In particular, I'm looking forward to Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffen and American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, per my Twitter followers' suggestions, and I swear one of these days I'm going to get back into Game of Thrones (I've been on page 150 of A Clash of Kings for the past three months).

In the meantime, if you've read anything good lately, feel free to leave it in the comments so that everyone can rack up their book budget for the summer!

**Despite this comment, I don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm some kind of book snob in any way. As I've said before, I am actually a big fan of fiction of all varieties, including, but not limited to, so-called "chick lit" and mass-market paperback mysteries. I've read and enjoyed everything from the Shopaholic Series to the Fifty trilogy to Twilight (ok, maybe when I say "enjoyed" the latter I mean, "enjoyed ridiculing", but that's irrelevant). I'm a proponent of the idea that reading is reading, no matter the source material, and that is something that I very strongly promote. So, if you have any recommendations for must-read books that might or might not be considered, "beach trash", send 'em my way!