Summer reading list part 1: the first 25

Shortly before the school year ended, one of my students asked me for a list of books he could read this summer. I asked him how many he thought would be good, and he said, "Oh, I don't know...50?" I embarrassed to admit this list is over a week and a half late (sorry, Nate!), but here is the first half of it at least. Each is linked either to my own review of the book (which has a link to the Boulder Book Store on it) or to a page at the Boulder Book Store. Feel free to add your own recommendations and comments to any of these.


Summer reading list, part 1

1. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. I'm actually going to list all seven of the books, but I'm going to list them in chronological order rather than the order in which they were published. And no, it's not cheating to list the series as the first seven since they are classics. So there. (ha ha!) This link will take you to the complete set of Narnia books by Lewis, which makes more sense than posting seven different links in this case.
2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
3. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
4. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
6. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
7. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
8. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
9. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
10. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
11. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
12. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
13. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
14. Watership Down by Richard Adams
15. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (my review is forthcoming, but for now I'll post the link to the Boulder Book Store)
16. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
17. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
18. Peter Pan by Sir James M. Barrie
19. The Disappearing Spoon and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean
20. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
21. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
22. Holes by Louis Sachar
23. Dune by Frank Herbert
24. The Giver by Lois Lowry
25. Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

There you go...the first half of the list! Enough to get you started, I hope!

Reviews to come (by the end of the week??): Storm Front by Jim Butcher, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, and Red, White, and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth. Coming in August: Book Nerds' Big Day Out II: Book Nerds Do Boulder. Stay tuned!

Book review: Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

I will be the first to admit that, when it comes to Neil Gaiman, I am not completely unbiased. I have been a fan of his work dating back to when The Sandman was still being published as a monthly comic book rather than as collected graphic novels. Since then, I have worked to get my hands on, and preferably own, nearly everything he has written. Admittedly, some of his works I have liked more than others, but as a whole, I don't think there is anything by him that I have not enjoyed; Odd and the Frost Giants is no exception to this rule.

Inspired by tales from Norse mythology, Odd and the Frost Giants is the story of a boy named Odd who has all but lost the use of his leg in an accident. As a result, his stepfather virtually ignores him, considering him to be somewhat slightly more than useless, so Odd leaves his home early in the morning of a particularly cruel winter. Arriving at the abandoned home where he lived before his mother remarries, Odd settles in for what he thinks will be a long stay. The first morning after his arrival, Odd encounters a fox, a bear, and an eagle who lead him on an adventure that takes him to the land of the gods and back again.

A story that works as a bedtime tale for children or as a short novel that can please an adult, Odd and the Frost Giants adds yet another wonderful tome to the list of works by a master storyteller. From HarperCollins Publishers and available from your local, independent bookstore. (Make a difference...shop local and independent!)

Book review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not."

Shrouded in mystery, enveloped in shadows, Erin Morgenstern's debut novel pulls the reader in as much as the scent of caramel carried on the cool night air might draw in the denizens of this fine tale.

Marco and Celia are the apprentices of two powerful magicians who have entered their protegees into a contest which only one can win, with the circus as their battlefield. Yet it is a contest in which the two come to be reluctant participants in a game they do not begin to truly understand until it is nearly too late.

The Night Circus is a love story for those who don't like love stories. The tension between the protagonists is almost palpable yet manages to not overwhelm the larger story of the circus and its impact on everyone it touches, no matter how peripherally.

Further, Morgenstern's skill as a writer is on display in the seamless transitions between the second person interludes that immerse the reader into this intense and moving world and the third person narration of the story itself. This is a story that continues to play with the imagination even after the book is laid down between chapters, and it haunts the mind long beyond its conclusion.

I borrowed this book from my local library and ended up buying it from a local bookstore; I liked it that much. I've also recommended it to just about all of my friends, which is why I'm recommending it to you. Reminiscent of The Map of Time in its flow and intensity with shades of Neil Gaiman (one of my all-time favorite writers, so this comparison is not one I'd make lightly and is to be considered high praise), The Night Circus was nearly impossible to put down. Its ending drove me forward with a mix of anticipation for what was to happen next and dread that the story was soon to end.

The Night Circus is published by Doubleday and is available from your local, independent bookstore. (Want to make a difference? Shop your local, independent bookstore!)