Hey, Banned Books. Hey Censorship. Guess what? Carole asked us to list ten books we’re excited about reading. Even the challenged and censored ones.
1. Beautiful Wreck by Larissa Brown. Okay, I am reading it (I’ve been fortunate enough to get the plum job of working with Larissa as she edits it), but I can’t wait to read it when it comes out at the end of the year. You will love it, too, so get on the mailing list to learn more.
2. The Revolution of Every Day by Cari Luna. I’ve read this one, too, and I’m super duper excited to read it again with my students. You can check out my Amazon review here and order your copy at the same time.
3. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. A good friend loaned it to me quite some time ago, and I’ve been eager to dive in and read it.
4. Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This is my university’s First Year book, and though I’m not teaching any comp classes this year, I don’t want to miss what everyone is buzzing about.
5. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I worked through this book in 2001, and I feel ready to do so again. By the way, this is a Challenged book.
6. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood. I enjoyed the first two in the trilogy and have been eager for this third novel.
7. Nights I Dreamed of Hubert Humphrey by Dan Mueller. Another one I’ve read, but I’m re-reading it with my creative writing students. Such powerful, funny, gut-wrenching short stories!
8. Pack Up the Moon by Rachael Herron. I’ll have to hold my horses a bit, but I know it will be worth my anticipation!
9. Dimanche by Irene Nemirovsky has been on my bookshelf for a while. I am saving it for the next time I need a fix of her fantastic characters.
10. The Art of Styling Sentences by Ann Longknife and K.D. Sullivan. I know, I know. Could it get more exciting? Not for this word nerd!
Oh, how I wish Beautiful Wreck was published NOW! It sounds like an interesting premise and a really original combination of everything I love in a good book. Thank you for alerting me about this book I might not have discovered otherwise!
Cannot wait to read Beautiful Wreck! I have also added a few of these to my goodreads!
…really? The Artist’s Way is a challenged book? Why? How? I don’t think I would have “understood” it in high school but it reads more like a manual than anything else. That’s like banning “The Elements of Style”. Color me very confused.
I really enjoyed The Marriage Plot. Excellent list, I’m off to update my Good Reads list!
I love book lists. Looking forward to checking out some of the books on your list. I didn’t realize Oryx & Crake was a part of a trilogy until this year. I loved that book and am looking forward to reading The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam as well (although it’s been years since I read O&C, and probably need to reread it. Oh shucks 😉 ) I also haven’t read the Artist’s Way, but it has been on my list for years. Perhaps it will finally happen!
Thanks for the great reading inspiration!