Gish Jen's Blog - Posts Tagged "summer-reading-recs"
summer reading recs on WGBH
I did the WGBH/PBS summer reading rec program this year. The recs are on their website:
http://www.wgbhnews.org/post/21-great...
For fiction, I recommended Karen Fowler's wonderfully gripping and original WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES. Some other wonderful novels published this year, though, are Elizabeth Graver's AT THE END OF THE POINT, Ruth Ozeki's FOR THE TIME BEING, Julie Wu's THIRD SON, Christina Garcia's KING OF CUBA, and Indira Ganesan's AS SWEET AS HONEY. I myself haven't read Claire Messud's THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS yet, but am absolutely going to; another book I wil be picking up for sure is Meg Wolitzer's THE INTERESTINGS.
And if you like short stories, I was, umm, a fool for Joan Silber's FOOLS.
For Nonfiction, I recommended George Packer's very important THE UNWINDING. Less obviously timely, but terrifically well written and wholly absorbing is Megan Marshall's biography of Margaret Fuller, A NEW AMERICAN LIFE. And I have heard absolutely fabulous things about Victoria Sweet's GOD'S HOTEL.
My Young Adult title was the only one not published this year. And that is Allegra Goodman's THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. My 14-year-old daughter just cleaned out her bookshelves in the ruthless way that only a 14-year-old can, and it was very revealing what she left. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies... and THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. Now there's a recommendation!
http://www.wgbhnews.org/post/21-great...
For fiction, I recommended Karen Fowler's wonderfully gripping and original WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES. Some other wonderful novels published this year, though, are Elizabeth Graver's AT THE END OF THE POINT, Ruth Ozeki's FOR THE TIME BEING, Julie Wu's THIRD SON, Christina Garcia's KING OF CUBA, and Indira Ganesan's AS SWEET AS HONEY. I myself haven't read Claire Messud's THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS yet, but am absolutely going to; another book I wil be picking up for sure is Meg Wolitzer's THE INTERESTINGS.
And if you like short stories, I was, umm, a fool for Joan Silber's FOOLS.
For Nonfiction, I recommended George Packer's very important THE UNWINDING. Less obviously timely, but terrifically well written and wholly absorbing is Megan Marshall's biography of Margaret Fuller, A NEW AMERICAN LIFE. And I have heard absolutely fabulous things about Victoria Sweet's GOD'S HOTEL.
My Young Adult title was the only one not published this year. And that is Allegra Goodman's THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. My 14-year-old daughter just cleaned out her bookshelves in the ruthless way that only a 14-year-old can, and it was very revealing what she left. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies... and THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. Now there's a recommendation!
