Summer Reading List

This has probably been the longest I have gone without posting on this blog and I'm sure there are not too many people reading it any longer (as opposed to the hundreds, even thousands who used to read it). But, I am here with a list of books I plan to read for the summer. It's a totally unoriginal idea, but I am going to go right ahead and steal it. Ha!

This reading list includes books recommended by friends, suggested by zen teachers, ones that I found interesting and some that I even found on the street (I love Brooklyn!). It's a mixture of fiction, memoirs and spiritual enlightenment. Hopefully they will encourage a little mental stimulation over the summer months. If nothing else, they will make my ride on the subway, to and from work, go by a little faster.

1. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

Okay, okay, I know. I have received a LOT of feedback from friends on whether I should read this book. A friend gave me her book to read during my last visit to Michigan. Both she and my sister loved it. There are many people since who have scowled at my choice of books, because of it's tween-ish audience. I just started reading this and I'll be honest. I really like it. Something about it touches the deepest insecurities I had as a teen.

2. The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

He is our President and I did vote for him, so I feel that I should read more about his political views. I bought this at an outlet store in Michigan at a discounted price. I love bargains!

3. Baby Catcher - Peggy Vincent

A friend of mine from grad school exchanged books with me via snail mail. I sent her White Teeth by Zadie Smith in exchange for this memoir of a midwife. I started reading this in February. So...I have never given birth myself and even though I understand that it can be a beautiful process...it is a bit to take in. Basically every chapter is the story of a birth she has attended. Very interesting. Also intense. I have been reading this for several months because I have to put it down after a few chapters. I will continue to read a chapter or two between other books.

4. Slaughterhouse-Five & Hocus Pocus - Kurt Vonnegut

My beau is a Vonnegut fan and has been lending me his books. I recently finished Slapstick, which all kinds of crazy but also good. I read Mother Night last year as well, which I really liked. Slaughterhouse-Five and Hocus Pocus are my next explorations into the world of Mr. Vonnegut.

5. Food Matters - Mark Bittman

I increased my monthly pledge to the local NPR-affiliate station here in NYC. In return I got this book about eating healthy in a way that nurtures the environment. If you recall, I also have a food blog and dabble in cooking and nutrition. I've skimmed through the book and saw a menu laid out for a month and matching recipes. I'm really looking forward to reading this.

6. Shoes Outside the Door

My zen center follows the lineage of the San Francisco Zen Center, which is the focus of this book, specifically at a time when there was corruption of power at the center. It calls into question balance of power and hierarchy in religious institutions.

7. Funny Boy - Shyam Selvadurai

I found this book on the street. Before you start to get images in your head, know that in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, there is sort of a give and take of free items. When you want to get rid of something, say clothing, shoes or books, you can simply put them out on the street for others to take. Not only have I found some good books (ie The Crucible, She's Come Undone, Lovely Bones), but my roomie and I have found some items for our apartment on the street as well. I thought this book looked interesting because of the intersection of culture, sexuality and politics.