My Summer Reading Powerrankings

My summer reading total is up to 8.25 books, 1 magazine, and infinity blogs. Now we all learned and struggled with the idea in the 4th grade that "infinity" is not actually a number, therefore to say I have read "infinity" blogs is not exactly correct. We hated this idea because up until that point we thought that telling someone we were "infinity times infinity" cooler than them was a legitimate argument, or that when we grew up we were going to have "infinity dollars" and be a millionaire. (Figure that one out...) But I've told you before that I'm quite loose in my blog-reading, so infinity accurately describes how often I'm out perusing other spaces just like this.

Anyway, I thought I would share with you the books I have read so far and rank them on a little rating system (a rating system that is infinity times cooler than your rating system...) in case you're looking for some good recommendations to add to your summer reading list.


#1 Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Every person I know should read this book. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give Kite Runner a 15. It will give you a new appreciation for people from Afghanistan and other middle eastern countries and show you a side of their culture that Americans don't see very often. Read it when you have a nice chunk of time, though, because I didn't put it down for a straight day and a half until I was finished. I'm not the kind of person who buys books before I have read them, but I can go ahead and tell you that you will want this one in your library so it's safe to buy before reading.


#2 The Color of Water by James McBride. I'm in a big-time memoir phase, so I really enjoyed this one. McBride is 1 of 12 children who grew up in NYC. His story is really about his mother, a white woman of Polish descent, who married a black man in the 1930s and went on to raise 12 black children through the civil rights era and times of racial discord. The stories about being one of twelve are hilarious enough to read the book, but the stories of how his mom responded to criticism and hatred and the issue of race are powerful examples of what our country still needs to be striving toward. Out of 10, I give this one an 8.

#3 How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers. You will see this author show up 3 times on this list because I love him that much. He has become one of my favorite authors practically overnight because his stories are so intricate and believable. This book is an anthology of short stories he has written and published over the years, and it gets a score of 9 out of 10 because of one story in particular. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of literature ever written. :)



#4 What is the What by Dave Eggers. Big surprise, here we have Mr. Eggers again, only this time the story is about one of the Lost Boys of Sudan and his story from the time he was a boy fleeing his village and walking across the country to Ethiopia to his life as a resettled refugee living in Atlanta. The story is based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng and is an incredible picture of the life of millions of refugees we see and hear about. I definitely recommend this, especially if you always wonder who those kids are that Angelina Jolie is always seen loving on in refugee camps. My sister replaced To Kill a Mockingbird as her favorite book with this one, and in my family, that's huge. Read it. 8 out of 10.

#5 To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller. I mentioned this book about a month ago on my blog and credit it for the initial inspiration to dream of one day becoming a writer. I've been a consistent fan of Miller's for a long time and recommend all his books. Blue Like Jazz is and probably always will be my favorite, but To Own a Dragon offers good insight into the life of a boy growing up without a father. Miller describes his experiences of not knowing his father in addition to developing a father-like relationship with another man in his life. Good, quick read. 6 out of 10, and only because I can't as closely relate to his experience as, say, a guy without a father would.

#6 The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama. You've been hearing this guy's name a lot lately, and this book helps you get to know him better. He wrote this supposedly before he was considering running for president, but it gives a good history of his political career and where he stands on key political issues. It shows very clearly his vision for the United States and every American. All in all it's a good read, especially if you're interested in hearing more than "I opposed this war from the beginning." 7 out of 10 for its informational value.


#7 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd. I'd been hearing about this book for a long, long time and it's always gotten great reviews, so I figured I would give it a try. I enjoyed it but wouldn't necessarily say everyone should read it. It's another book about black-white relations in sensitive times (are we noticing a pattern here?) and has very lovable characters. I don't cry when I read books, but other people who do cried during this one. :) Just giving you fair warning. 5 out of 10.


**FYI my new laptop just arrived so these last couple will be rushed due to the fact that I absolutely cannot contain my excitement to play with my new toy. It's like Christmas.**

#8 Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. Another memoir, slow to get started, but pretty great if you love literature. I would recommend having read at least one of the books she talks about in the recent past otherwise you will be very lost and very bored. Another good book for insight into the middle east and appreciation for their culture that was robbed from them. 5 out of 10.




#8.25 You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers. Just started this one last night, but 50 pages into it it already holds Eggers' classic storytelling and writing style. So far from what I can tell it's about two friends who intend to travel around the world in one week going only one direction. They started out intending to go from Greenland to Rwanda, but already they discovered Greenland does not fly directly to Rwanda (go figure) and that Greenland's bad weather will delay their trip by days. Their travel plans have changed and they are now waiting to board a plan for Senegal. Should be another good one...so far, the first 50 pages get an 8 out of 10, Dave's traditional score. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Time to play!