What Did You Read This Summer?

How many times did we hear this question when we came back to school in the fall? We asked this of our students and we asked our colleagues the same question, too. Now that I'm retired, I'm finally getting around to some of those books I've missed over the last year or two. So this is what I've read recently (with some of my comments) . . .

A Walk in the Woods (Bill Bryson) -- author's humorous account of his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail -- funny, delightful -- celebration of the wilderness and history of the Trail.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards) -- impact of choices and secrets on family -- emotional.

The Last Chinese Chef (Nicole Mones) -- romantic plot (American food writer in modern Beijing) intertwined with insight into Chinese culture and traditional imperial Chinese cuisine -- delicious.

The Cellist of Sarajevo (Steven Galloway) -- siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s -- struggle to find meaning and humanity in time of war -- gripping -- emotional -- I need to read this one again.

Zoli (Colum McCann) -- story of a young Romani woman -- ranges from rise of fascism in 1930s Czechoslovakia, through Communist rule, to 2003 -- search for identity and home -- author brings Zoli and a little-known culture alive -- haunting.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows) -- British island of Guernsey, following the World War II occupation by the Nazis -- correspondence between a London writer and members of a book club on the island -- entertaining characters.

Girls of Riyadh (Rajaa Alsanea) -- young upper-class Arab women and their conflicts with cultural traditions -- light read.

Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen) -- human and animal members of the gritty world of a Depression-era traveling circus -- emotional -- could not put it down.

So what am I reading next? My "books to read next" pile is twice as high as the one in the picture -- so guess I'll get back to reading. Or maybe I'll head off to the book store first to get some more.