5 books to read this summer

There are my 5 favorite books, and after reading Jane Beshear's summer reading list for Kentucky youth, I decided to list the 5 books to spend your time reading this summer. Also, I'm not really sure why I'm making a list, because I know people don't read this. Heck, I'm sure most people don't even know this exists. Oh well, here it goes anyway.

1. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers- My second favorite book of all time. You can take it at surface value as an interesting story and still come away with a good read. One could also delve deeper, into some of the subject matter dealt with, such as the death of a parent(s) and how individuals handle forced maturity.

2. The Old Man and The Sea, by Ernest Hemingway- The single greatest book, or novella if you so choose, that has ever been written. The relationship and commitment between the boy and Santiago is one of the best in all literature. This book is proof that while it is nice to be able to, you never have to answer to anyone but yourself.

3. The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien- I can't take claim for this description, but it's still the best I've ever found. It's from an Esquire.com article about the 75 books every man must read, "No one else has written so beautifully about human remains hanging from tree branches."

4. A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery O'Connor- Although this is a short story, the collection of stories are what makes it beautiful. It ranges from the greed of a parent (The Life You Save May Be Your Own), the brutality of a murderer (A Good Man is Hard to Find) and the naively beautiful attempt at salvation and escape (The River). If one of the stories doesn't touch you, then nothing can.

5. For Whom The Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway- I hate to double-up on a single author, but Hemingway is my favorite author. Expertly written with exquisite detail, a great story of a young man with a universal lesson: Even when you know the outcome, and even when that outcome isn't what you want, you press forward, you keep going.


If by any chance, someone comments on this, let me know what you think. Suggestions? What are your must read books that I missed? And, if you've read any of these, what is your opinion on the books?

Take care.


note: Honestly, I could fill a reading list entirely of Hemingway and Eggers, and if you pick up anything that either has written, you can't go wrong. But, that's only my opinion.