Book Club- Summer Break Edition

I'm going to try my best to keep reading for Book Club this summer, giving me yet another reason to buy another bookshelf to stock with new books(I just organized my 6 shelf one that's a good nine feet tall, and it is officially full).

At the recommendation of my kid sister and from Ray H. from one of the first Book Club meetings we had this semester, I read Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I picked it up over breakfast this morning and couldn't put it down until I finished it. What an amazing read! I am in love with the novel's m.c./narrator, a 15 year-old autistic boy named Christopher. The beginning of the novel is jarring (the graphic depiction of how the dog in question meets its fate is not for the faint at heart), but the mystery Christopher devotes himself to solving soon becomes much bigger than he imagined it would be. This novel is definitely worth reading. Thanks for the recommendation, Ray!

Comments

[Steven]

That is one of the books that I purchased as well. I heard a book talk about it when I was doing my Fall '06 Observations.

[Ray]

Great book, great book.

[LiLi123]

Amanda,
I have also read another book The Lost Boy writeen by the same author who wrote The Child Called " It". It is not as good as the first book though. I plan to read the third one The Man named Dave before I take the plane on May 24 if I am lucky to find it in the library. Have a nice trip for your honeymoon. Don't forget to tell us something interesting from your lens, seeing another country (Spain?).

[Celinda]

I think this will be great keeping this blog going over the summer. I am planning to read many of the novels we heard about over the semester. I am reading Martyn Pig (recommended through the Kevin Brooks seminar). I haven't gotten too far yet, but I already enjoy the story line. I'll keep you posted. Also, I know you are all concerned, so I'll ease your minds - I have, in fact, registered for 506 for the fall. I am looking forward to taking another class with you guys. For anyone that took it last semester, could you let me know what it is like - is there anything I could do over the summer so help me prepare? Have a great summer. Some of us are not done yet, we have about another month of work and then we can relax too! Unless, of course, some of you are taking summer courses in which case you are probably not relaxing either. Take care.

[Karen Stearns]

Loved CURIOUS INCIDENT. One of my favorites. Had a hard time picking it up initially because of the dead dog--and I read it with trepidation that the ending might send me into a nosedive....very emotional book for me. That speaks to the success w/which Haddon creates that compelling voice.

Re: 506--stay tuned Celinda. I'll be sending out an email about what to read over the summer (can anyone guess? Ray--dont' tell) this week.

[Celinda]

Thanks. I'd like to get ahead, if possible. Although, I do have a long list of YA titles that I plan to read over the summer. Sounds like Curious Incident is one to include as well. Still working on Martyn Pig and I'd like to read Misfits because I enjoyed Totally Joe so much.

[Amanda]

I recently read Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, a book about a young Chinese-American girl who moves to Georgia and faces a really painful loss. Though this novel may seem appropriate for younger YA audiences, I found it to be gripping and memorable. A truly quick read (I read it on one leg of my flight to Key West from Syracuse last week), Kira Kira is one of those books that sneaks up on you quickly and touches you, making it hard not to cry a bit at the end. As a side note, this novel is also a Newbery Medal winner for 2005.

I've got quite a few YA titles hanging around my bookshelf that I am eager to read (I'm especially pysched about Fanboy).