Friday, June 3, 2011

Summer Reading Lists

Focus for this List: My friends, it's truly summer, and thus, time for everyone to recommend their summer reading picks. This list will give you a list of other resources to explore. Do let me know which links you end up liking, and what you're reading. Enjoy!



1.  Lifehacker: How to Create an Awesome Summer Reading List
My husband's reaction when he caught me reading this article was to say in a tone of some indignation, "What are you doing on MY favorite website?" Yes, it's not normally my stomping ground, but they actually came up with a wonderfully comprehensive list of resources. Check out their list of Books That Changed Your Lives, compiled by surveying their readers. It tells you all you need to know about those who frequent this website! 

2.  Great Books Lists
While not very visually interesting, this website is a list of links to lists of good books. Most of the collected links are by people trying to define the canonical texts. The sheer variety of lists keeps it from being too narrowly focused for my taste. That, and they listed Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land as one of the classics.  Ya'gotta respect the Dean if you're going to have MY approval!  :) 

Note: this website actually indexed all the books on all the lists . . . so just scroll to the bottom of the page to see if anyone gave respect to YOUR favorite author! 

3.  NPR: Three Rapid Reads for the Impatient Intellectual
This particular list is for Michelle, as I know she likes short stories!  *waves*  You can also find other NPR recommendation lists: Summer Reads to Transport You Back in Time, Three Memoirs that Won't Make You Slit Your Wrists, and Indie Booksellers Target Summer's Best Reads.  Go on, dig in, you know you want to!

4.  The Book Seer
Ok, I know it's silly of me to be seduced by the clever interface, and the grammatical sentences, not to mention the commentary you get when you don't fill out both fields, but seriously?  This is a fabulously fun website, and a great way to find some recommendations!  So, what are YOU going to read next? 

5.  List of Lists for Kids
Similar to this post, this is a compilation of links to lists, this time focusing on books for the younger set.  I'm not generally a fan of about.com, but this is actually quite a helpful list of links. 

6.  International Reading Association
While it's a bit odd to have pdf documents rather than clickable links, the information remains good, and the choices are interesting.  This is a professional organization for English teachers. 

7.  Modern Library Lists
These are the folks who came up with the much-discussed Top 100 list that's been circulating on facebook since forever. I was delighted to find both the books their editorial board chose, and also the books their readers recommended. Yes, I liked the readers' list better . . . more Heinlein, you know!

8. Oprah: Books for the Armchair Traveler
The best part of this list is that each book recommendation comes with links to other resources.  Sometimes it's an interview with the author, and sometimes it's to a book club discussion guide, the point is that they've really made this a rich resource.  Here's another nifty Oprah link: 4 Books to Steal from Your Teenager, because hey, I agree with two of her choices, and I've added the other two to my To Be Read List!

Also, a list of her favorite books from one of my favorite authors: Jodi Picoult.  Great website!

9.  Amazon
Honestly? I tend to turn to Amazon for reviews on just about everything. Their book recommendations aren't particularly on course for me, but that's improving as I actually buy books from them, rather than just using them for research. 

10.  Nifty Cool Literature Map
Ok, in terms of fun graphical interface, this wins the contest. Type in the name of your favorite author and see what happens. I won't spoil the surprise, but I will say that I was delighted with the depth of their sci-fi offerings!

BONUS!  Half-Price Books also has a blog . . . with book recommendations.  Look here for a post of the best books about caterpillars / worms.    Enjoy!