Good Reads for a Long Weekend?
May 24th, 2006
Katie B.
After a long and busy week, I am really looking forward to taking some time off this Memorial Day weekend. On Friday I’m leaving to visit some extended family in Maine and I’m really excited about getting a chance to get out of Washington, DC. I’ve already started my list of things to pack and have a whole section for books I want to take with me to read on the trip. After attending BookExpo America at the Washington Convention Center last weekend, I now have some new books on my list to read - including Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson’s new book, Peter and the Shadow Thieves (to be released in July), in addition to my well-loved anthology of Sherlock Holmes stories.
There are so many good books out there — it leads me to wonder, what books are you reading right now? What titles or authors would you recommend to others? Leave a comment and let us know. No matter what you choose, have a wonderful long weekend and happy reading!
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14 Responses to “Good Reads for a Long Weekend?”
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Erika D. Says:
May 24th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
I am reading “A Unit of Water, A Unit of Time: Joel White’s Last Boat” by Douglas Whynott. This is a nonfiction book that explores the life and career of wooden boat builder Joel White, son of children’s book author E. B. White. It is thoughtfully and beautifully written.
Coincidentally, Douglas Whynott is the Director of the Graduate Creative Writing program at Emerson College, which I will be attending next fall. :)
Jen Robinson Says:
May 24th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
I’m currently reading “Travel Team” by Mike Lupica. But my favorite books of the year have been “Hugging the Rock” by Susan Taylor Brown (due out in September), “A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life” by Dana Reinhardt, and “Free Baseball” by Sue Corbett. Oh, and the Penderwicks, of course. Happy long weekend, and happy reading!
Nicole T. Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 9:29 am
I belong to a book club that reads book with an international theme. This weekend I plan to finish “Malaria Dreams: An African Adventure” by Stuart Stevens and start “The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova. Last month we read “The Language of Baklava:A Memoir” by Diana Abu-Jaber. That has been one of my favorites so far. It’s full of wonderful stories about a Jordanian-American family and their obsession with food. She shares several recipes that I can’t wait to try. So this weekend I’ll likely be reading and cooking!
Dave M. Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
I’ll be starting the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini soon.
Peaches Embarcadero Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
i stayed in an old beach house recently and found Graham Greene’s ‘This Gun For Hire’ on the bookshelf looking like it was 3 months from turning to dust. So I gave it the last read of its life and it was great writing, had very amazing characters, tension, excitement. I recommend it, but not the copy I was reading!
Clarissa P. Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
I just finished reading Howard Zinn’s SNCC: The New Abolitionists, which is an account of young civil rights activists in the deep south during the 1960s. He wrote this book in the 60s as the events were happening, so the language is a bit archaic at times, but it makes you feel as if you are right there with the civil rights workers.
Erin T Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
I’m half-way through “Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver” by Scott Stossel and can’t wait until the long weekend to finish. It is a great read for those intrigued by Kennedy era politics and the social programs of that time. Inspiring, current, and returned Peace Corps Volunteers will probably find it particularly meaningful.
On another note, I highly recommend Dave’s selection of the “Kite Runner”. It was the best book I read last summer, and though the work can be somber at times it is an enchanting glimpse into the life and culture of the people of Afghanistan.
raq, Says:
May 26th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
“Crashing the Gate” by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga is my choice for Memorial Day weekend….I’ll let y’all know how it goes!
Sheila S. Says:
May 28th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
Just finished “Digging to America” by Ann Tyler and “The Pact” by Jodi Picoult, both were good! I also agree with Erin, “The Kite Runner” is not what you’d call light reading but it is a memorable book that is well worth the time.
Kumquat Tartlett Says:
May 30th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
I am fond of memoirs and just finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Amazing life story of a woman and her siblings who essentially raised themselves, in light of parents who, at best, were extremely bohemian, and at worst, mentally ill and neglectful. It reminded me a bit of The Liars Club by Mary Carr — another astounding memoir — that reads more like fiction.
Andrea T. Says:
May 30th, 2006 at 4:39 pm
I picked up a bunch of books at Book Expo America, and the first one I am reading is called “Lost and Found” by Carolyn Parkhurst (also the author of “The Dogs of Babel”). It is about an international scavenger hunt/reality TV gameshow similar to “The Amazing Race” with cooky characters and an engaging plot! It will be published in June 2006, so keep an eye out for it in bookstores!
Chandler Arnold Says:
May 30th, 2006 at 5:23 pm
I just read Watership Down by Richard Adams, which I somehow missed while growing up. A friend gave it to me years ago with an inscription saying it was the best book he’d ever read. After living on my bookshelf for years it recently moved to my nightstand and I thoroughly enjoyed it. . . it even prompted me to skip a few nights out to say home and read! OK, that only happened a time or two but–nonetheless–it is a true classic that I expect to read again and again.
Jen W. Says:
May 31st, 2006 at 4:25 pm
I just started the novel “Revenge” by one of my favorite Brits of all time, Stephen Fry… it’s his first non-comedic piece, and a great take-off on that old classic, “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
Over the holiday weekend, I whipped through the two “Maximum Ride” books by James Patterson — great fun!
Jen Robinson Says:
June 1st, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Hi Katie,
Just wanted to say thanks for contributing to my “cool girls of kid lit” list. Ramona is clearly just the type of girl I had in mind, and I have added her to the long version of the list. Still waffling on Charlotte, because I’m not sure if she was a kid or not (it’s ok that she’s a spider, but is she too grown up?). Anyway, thanks for helping me to round out the list!