A Fictitious Summer
May 24th, 2007 | by Scott |By my count I have read 42 books so far this year not counting the materials I use in preaching and teaching.
I have read some that are great: Letters to a Young Evangelical, The Inescapable Love of God, The Blind Side, Leaving Church
I have read some that are not so great: American Fascists
But what I have not read so far this year is fiction. So, I attempt now to remedy that.
This summer I commit to reading almost exclusively fiction. I know that I will probably slip up and read something that’s not. Non-fiction is like crack to me.
But I want to enjoy a fictitious summer. Which is where you come in.
Last year, I went on a fiction spree and enjoyed some great works. Many of those were suggested by you.
You can look at my left side-bar and see that I have already begun the process. I also intend to read Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson and Boomsday by Christopher Buckley.
What suggestions do you have for me? My preference at the outset is more contemporary than classics.
I don’t want to read anything about a cat solving crimes or a down on his luck detective going sober long enough to figure out who is killing pretty coeds.
I also don’t want to read anything that has sweet potatoes or ya-ya in the title.
So what fiction works do you recommend? Anyone wanna do a book club on a work of fiction?
23 Responses to “A Fictitious Summer”
By Greg on May 24, 2007 | Reply
YOU HAVE TO READ HARRY POTTER!! DO NOT INSULT THE POWERS OF THE HOUSE OF GRYFFINDOR!! DO NOT MOCK THE ONE WHO LIVED!! IT IS NOT A CULT!! ALSO WATCH STAR WARS AGAIN AND DRINK PLENTY OF SPECIALTY COFFEE!!
maybe it’s just a little bit of a cult
By matt elliott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
You’ve read “The Chosen” by Potok; now it’s time for “My Name is Asher Lev.” It’s amazing.
I also recommend revisiting some Twain. Put “Huck Finn” on your list, and then read Jon Clinch’s “Finn”. Clinch’s book just came out late last year; it’s the story of Huck’s dad, including how things came to look that way in the house where Pap’s body was discovered in “Huck.” Warning: Clinch’s book is pretty dark, as it is NOT told in the voice of a young boy!
And I also really love Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited.”
By Scott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
Yeah, I may get to those. But as I said I’m more interested right now in more contemporary fiction. Last year when I went on my fiction kick I started with recent stuff and that spurred me to Vonnegut et al.
I imagine that process will repeat itself. Have you read anything written in the last few years you recommend?
By Jeff_R on May 24, 2007 | Reply
Scott -
You’ve read “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, right? Because that was great.
I didn’t care for Snow Crash personally.
I know you dismissed crime novels a priori, but if you haven’t read any of James Lee Burke’s “Dave Robicheaux” novels, you should give one a try - Last Car to Elysian Fields would be a good one. It may be because I’m so close to New Orleans, but this Pulitzer Prize nominated author really refines the genre, IMHO.
By Donna on May 24, 2007 | Reply
Have you read Brian Haig? I really like his books.
I can read almost anything….
By Scott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
I did read Time Traveler’s. As a matter of fact I rated it my number one fiction read of ‘06.
I wanted to read Snow Crash because of it’s influence on Second Life.
I don’t think I dismissed crime novels as much as I dismissed the formulaic Stuart Woods/A is for Acupuncture type.
I will check out Burke.
And, Donna, I have not read Haig. I will check him out as well.
By justin on May 24, 2007 | Reply
Atlas Shrugged or the Fountainhead
Or Anthem
Really, I’m a big fan of all of Rand’s fiction, even when I don’t agree with her philosophy.
By Scott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
Something weird happened–Greg’s comment posted hours before I wrote this entry. Greg, I may actually try Harry Potter. But then again, probably not.
And I’m thinking Ayn Rand doesn’t fall under the category of contemporary.
By justin on May 24, 2007 | Reply
But Vonnegut is? He wrote his best stuff in the late 60s early 70s right? Rand wrote in the 40s and 50s… I guess I just assume contemporary meant 20th century or later.
BTW, you’re favorite show to hate on is back for 6 more episodes. Maybe sometime between February and now, Sorkin pulled his crap together. Somehow, I doubt it.
I guess I’ll just watch this drivel and wait for Charlie Wilson’s War.
By Scott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
I didn’t say Vonnegut is contemporary. I said I read him last summer. I’m looking for stuff in the 21st century for now.
I’ll be skipping Studio 60.
By matt elliott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
Clinch’s “Finn” is contemporary. In fact, it’s pretty new! You’ve read “Huck” at some point, right?
Have you ever read Sue Miller’s “While I Was Gone”? Geez, I loved that. And are there any Conroy’s you skipped? (It’s okay, though, if you skipped “Beach Music”…)
Joshilyn Jackson’s “gods in Alabama” is really fun quick read.
By matt elliott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
I also really enjoyed “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter.” Have you read that?
By Greg Brooks on May 24, 2007 | Reply
More seriously, I enjoyed Robert Harris’ recent novel Imperium, about Cicero. And last year I enjoyed Stephen Carter’s The Emperor of Ocean Park, although it did drag on and had very improbable bits at the end. Perhaps “enjoyed” is too strong a word for that one.
Also, I very much like Robert B. Parker’s ‘Spencer’ novels, about the character portrayed on TV by Robert Urich. He has probably come out with a handful in the 21st century, he writes a novel or two every year.
There are a lot of Roberts in my list.
I really do like the Harry Potter novels. I think the reason the most recent installment sold over 6 million copies in the first 24 hours is that the books are written well. I used to think it was because of J.K. Rowling’s pact with the devil, but that pact was bought out by Warner Bros. along with the movie rights; all the devil gets is 0.02% of merchandising and a cut of VHS sales (he didn’t read the fine print).
By Robert on May 24, 2007 | Reply
Have you read anything by Milan Kundera? I enjoyed “The Book of Laughter and Forgetting” and “Unbearable Lightness of Being”. I just finished “Gilead”. Great book. Ditto on “My Name is Asher Lev.”
By Scott on May 24, 2007 | Reply
I’ll check out Finn. I’ve heard great things about Memory Keeper’s.
Greg, I can’t stand the Spencer novels. Something about the dialogue always bugged me. I read Emperor of Ocean Park several years ago. I found it to be compelling.
Robert, haven’t read Kundera but he was just name-dropped on Gilmore Girls. Gilead is definitely on my list.
By Greg Brooks on May 25, 2007 | Reply
I forgot to say this yesterday: I heard at a conference recently that 58% of Americans say they haven’t read a book since high school.
It’s just my opinion but I would say that at least a majority of the Americans who do read only read pablum like Spenser novels (which I love) or Harry Potter (love) or romance novels (those I’m not a fan of).
So as a public speaker if you only ever read IMPORTANT books you will be utterly out of touch with 58% of your audience right out the the gate, and you’ll lose most of the rest pretty quick!
Moral: quit reading and go watch a Reality show. Apparently everything bad is good for you anyway.
jk
By Fernando on May 25, 2007 | Reply
Well, Ayn Rand may have written years ago but her relevance is very today. As a Hispanic trying to assimilate my family into this culture I find her works significant and compelling.
By Jenny N on May 25, 2007 | Reply
Ah, come on, no “classics”, why not try Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) if you haven’t already?
just a brief suggestion.
By Scott on May 25, 2007 | Reply
Greg, I’m out of touch with a much higher percentage than that.
Fernando, I’ve read the Fountainhead. It is classic stuff no doubt.
Jenny, I’m just not in the mood at the moment. I’m sure that will change.
By Phil Wilson on May 25, 2007 | Reply
Hood by Stephen Lawhead or even Byzantium, by the same author.
The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams
By Scott on May 31, 2007 | Reply
Phil, are those books about Hobbits?
By Phil Wilson on Jun 1, 2007 | Reply
The first two are not. They’re historical fiction.
The last one might have a fairy or million.
By Scott on Jun 1, 2007 | Reply
OK, good. Cause hobbit’s scare me. They may be cute at first but the next thing you know they are washed-up musicians battling heroin addictions.
It’s not pretty.