This paper trail leads right back to you...

I did not lie, I will definitely talk about books today, but before I do, I just have to mention this NYTimes article I read this morning. The opening paragraph made me laugh so hard I choked on my granola. (Too much information?)

Anyway, from "Gym Grunted Not Assaulted By Silencer, a Jury Rules"...

"They are among the irritants who are an unfortunate part of the New York experience: the loud cellphone talker in the elevator, the picture-happy tourist blocking a crowded sidewalk, the testosterone-laced grunter who practically coughs up a parakeet with each biceps curl."

"Coughs up a parakeet!" AHAHAHA! Never change, NYT!

Okay, enough shenanigans. Today I'm talking about books. That's right, serious bibliographical discussions are happening here. Put on your thinking caps and your reading glasses, kids.

If you've ever seen my apartment, you would know that it's crammed full of books. Every surface is pretty much covered, except for my dining room table, but only because that's where all my CDs are. I buy books whenever I can, I am a card-carrying member of the public library, and every time I go to New York, I spend several hours at Strand, then walk from there to the UPS store so I can ship all my new books home. (And then I go to the Mudd Truck on Astor Place for coffee because ohmygodcoffee).

But my logic is, books don't go bad. They don't spoil. Why not get as many as you can, while you can? With that in mind, here are some books that I want to read this summer. It'd be even better if I could do all this reading in a hammock, but with all the books & CDs in my studio apartment, I don't think I have room for a hammock. I need to get on that.

The World is Flat, by Thomas L. Friedman - I've been hanging on to this book for, oh, at least a year now, which really bothers me. I know I need to read it, all of my smart friends have read it, and I'm always interested to hear what Thomas Friedman has to say. Part of the problem is when I write, I tend to disappear into my own head for days & weeks at a time, so I sometimes feel like I'm missing the big picture. This summer, though, I am reading this book. FINALLY.

Other People's Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See, by Bill Shapiro - Even though it's not officially summer, I picked up this book last night, started reading, and an hour later was sitting on the floor in tears, surrounded by crumpled tissues. (Sometimes my life is like some Ephron-esque romantic comedy, I swear.) It's a collection of, well, other people's love letters. Some are furious and heartbroken and hopeful and wistful and all of them will make you feel okay. As an added bonus, there's a postscript in the back that tells you about what happened to some of the letter-writers & their admired afterwards, and I really lost it after reading one particular story.

Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock & Roll's Legendary Neighborhood, by Michael Walker - I can't lie: Laurel Canyon is one of my absolute favorite things about Los Angeles. Even though it's way up in the hills, accessible most times only by massive traffic jams, and landslides every winter, I love it. And of course, in the 1960s & 1970s, it housed some of my all-time favorite musicians, including Joni Mitchell. I'll stop right there because otherwise, this will turn into a "Why Joni Mitchell is One of the Most Awesome People Alive" post, and I swore this would be about books.

but joni mitchell really is one of the most awesome people alive.

Hey, that was fun! Maybe I'll feature more books throughout the summer, but for now, tell me what you're reading! I love perusing your comments, so keep 'em coming, kittens.

Comments

[Chanel-wa]

actually, nothing right now. it's crazy, really. i'm always reading something, like always, i swear. Gosh, this is, like, the 100th time i've heard viva la vida by coldplay today. Every time I like something, it gets super popular the day after and i'm so tired of it! I mean, gosh, find your own song, y'know what I mean? I have proof, too! I actually wrote a comment showing my love of viva la vida on this same blog! I was so sad when I heard it on the radio that I had to have an innout chocolate milkshake/grilled cheese moment.

[whitney]

I'm reading The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. It's an intense story about a company of soldiers who went to Vietnam. I'm writing my senior thesis on it.

[Faye]

*WARNING: Pretty much all of these are YA or Teenage books. If you are in the mental state of an eight-year-old, do not read. If you'd rather listen to Al Gore, do not read. No, I am not going to embrace abreviations. Bwahahahaha.*
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The adoration of Jenna Fox (by Mary Pearson) is really good... made me think...

If you like reading stories told entirely in notes then there's Feeling sorry for Celia, the Year of Secret assingments, and The murder of Bindy mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty (Yes, in that order.) (No, do not complain.) (No, it's not strictly a trilogy...) (JUST READ THEM.)

If you feel like really disturbing and scary/mature reads, there's A child called It (forgot author... *smacks forehead*), anything by Ann Rule (pick your crime novel) and Lessons from a dead Girl by Jo Knowles.

I don't know if you like historical fiction, but if you do there's The Queen's Soprano by Carol Dines, The other Bolelyn Girl and The Red Queen's Daughter by Jacquline (Spelling may be wrong) Kolosov (That's spelled correctly).

Christopher Paolini, Michael Lawrence, Tamora Pierce, Libba Bray, Stephanie Meyer, T.A. Barron, Kenneth Opal, Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderson and Catherine Gilbert Murdock are good all around.

Off topic:
FINALLY! You used Taking Back Sunday and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in A,W!. No one in my school has ever heard of them, (and I wouldn't have either if not for the power of Youtube) so now I don't feel like I'm the only person who acknowledges their existance! Woot woot!
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I've taken too much space and time. Bleh. The Love letters book looks good- I think I'll try that one. Thanks!