Summer Reading

Whatever you may think about President Obama, everyone can agree that he's ambitious. For example, here's his 'vacation reading list' during his week in Martha's Vineyard

-- Thomas Friedman's "Hot, Flat and Crowded"

-- David McCullough's "John Adams"

-- Richard Price's "Lush Life"

-- Kent Haruf's "Plainsong"

-- George Pelecanos's "The Way Home"

I can understand the desire for self-improvement over the summer. Every year I think about tackling some literary behemouth (this year is was going to be Anthony Trollope's Victorian triple decker The Way We Live Now)...but what can I say? It was hot. And humid. And unlike the Prez I don't have all those briefing books to go through every day. Or two children to deal with. Or the allure of the beach to draw me away from the pages. I wish him a lot of luck!

I have read a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry since June, and will probably finish at least one or two more books before Labour Day (guess I'm one of those people on whom our annual Summer Reading Program actually 'took'). But yeah, those 100 chapters of 19th Century financial scandal still becon...Well, there's always the Holidays!

Also in a reading mood: Tayari Jones asks for Poolside reading suggetions