One of my friends was over last night. He said, “I made a list of all the books I want to read this summer. And it’s more than 60.”
I was empathetic. Summer is historically the time of the year I catch up on all the reading I meant to do over the school year. This year is no different. And these past few days, I’ve flown through a couple of books. I figured since I’m doing a lot of reading right now, and my friends are too, you might be looking for a few books too.
"Under the Banner of Heaven," by Jon Krakauer -- don’t miss this book. It’s easily one of the best I’ve read in a while. Krakauer seamlessly intertwines the history of the Mormon faith with the story of Ron and Dan Lafferty, two Mormon fundamentalists who killed their sister-in-law and baby niece. It’s a fascinating and an addicting story. I couldn’t put it down. It’s been recommended to me numerous times and I’m glad I finally read it.
"I was Told There’d Be Cake," by Sloane Crosley -- I’d had high hopes for this book. My best friend and I discovered it last year. We immediately thought it sounded just like us. We’re willing to go just about anywhere if we’re promised free cake. We had visions of befriending the author. It sounded absolutely perfect. What a letdown. You can easily skip it. Crosley’s essays are predictable. But what bothered me even more was her whiney, self-aggrandizing tone. She drove me crazy.
"Standing By," by Alison Buckholtz -- This was a touching, I would even say heartwrenching, memoir of a military wife. She describes her time at home with her children, ages 2 and 4, while her husband completed a seven-month deployment in the Persian Gulf. The book is based off an essay first published in the New York Times. Buckholtz’s book opened my eyes to the struggles military families face each day, big and small.
And rounding out my reading: "I’m Perfect, You’re Doomed: Tales of a Jehovah’s Witness Upbringing," by Kyria Abrahams. Abrahams' disturbing memoir outlines her childhood as a devout Jehovah’s Witness and how those beliefs impacted her later on in life. "I’m Perfect, You’re Doomed" was interesting, but not fabulous. "Under the Banner of Heaven" and "Standing By" were far better.
Read anything good lately? Let me know.
