The most anticipated season of the year is finally here and soon we will have all the free time in the world. Yay! Whether you are travelling to a foreign place with friends, going on a vacation with your family, or staying in Calgary to earn loads of money, taking the time to read a few good books is definitely a summer activity you cannot miss out on. The worst thing that can happen would be to spend the golden days of your summer vacation reading through a bland book that you’ll probably forget about before school starts again. I hope this list will help you choose the absorbing and memorable books that you are looking for.
Thought-provoking reads:
1) The Outliers
How do you become a grand master of chess, a world-class violinist, or an ingenius programmer who invents Microsoft? Well, according to Malcolm Gladwell, there is a secret formula. The formula is 10,000 hours. If you dedicate 10,000 hours of your life whole-heartedly to perfecting a certain skill, then without a doubt, you will become a master at it. In his book The Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell investigates the social phenomenon we know as “success.” What makes an individual successful, according to Gladwell, can be explained through sociology just as effectively as psychology. If you pick up this book, you will not want to put it down because Gladwell REALLY knows how to capture audience attention. Be prepared.
2) The Tipping Point
You can tell I am a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell because all the thought-provoking books I am recommending are by him. The Tipping Point also explores a social phenomenon–the phenomenon of rapid and unexpected change. What can make a simple fashion statement become an icon remembered generations down the line? How does an obscure novel somehow become an international best seller? In other words, what is the secret ingredient to making something “tip”? From investigating New York crime rates to exploring the different types of social personalities that has the ability to make something immensely popular, Gladwell takes the reader through a case study of social change that is compelling and informative.
3) Blink
Or, as Gladwell put it, “the power of thinking without thinking.” So basically, according to Gladwell, sometimes our split second decisions are much more accurate than decisions which we make after much contemplation. He uses many interesting case studies to prove this statement, and it is definitely a worthy read, but I did not find it as convincing as his first two books.
Classics:
1) Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is an elegant novel with immaculate style, thoughtful dialogue, and clever characterization. It illustrates the social conventions of the Victorian Era between the upper class, focusing on courtship and marrirage. But more than that, it creates a world of perfect and delicate gardens, fancy dresses, a whirl of balls and dancing, and love. Love is not made of blind passion in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but constructed by careful dialogues, dances, and letters written in beautiful penmanship. Pride and Prejudice is a novel you can read five or six times and still find clever and interesting, for no particular reason that I can understand. If you’re too lazy to pack extra books on a trip, just bring this one and you won’t be bored.
2) Great Expectations
If you’re curious what the whole fuss over Charles Dickens is all about, you should check out one of his best-known works. Great Expectations is one of Dickens’ most influential works; its plot, ideas, and characters are still incorporated into many stories we know well today. Pip, a poor orphaned boy (big surprise there…), suddenly, by an unexpected turn of fate, steps into a life that he has always dreamed of. He is forced to fall in love with the beautiful yet cold hearted Estella by the strange and slightly morbid Ms. Havisham who still keeps her cob-webbed wedding cake from decades ago intact. It is a rags to riches story with a surprising turn of events that leaves you saying, “Wow, I didn’t expect that… at all.” It also somehow leaves the readers richer after having experienced all that Pip has been through. Dickens’ writing style is rather antiquidated, however, and the lenghty descriptions may leave the reader feeling dull at times. However, there is no doubt that Dickens is a master novelist who has the ability to compel the readers to continue reading until the very end.
3) Of Mice and Men
I cried buckets reading this book. Only a novella, it creates characters that immediately connects emotionally with the reader, making the plot very engaging. Of Mice and Men illustrates the American ideals, the idea that even in the worst of times, one can still have dreams and work toward them. Another reason that this book has become a timeless classic is because it captures the general social atmosphere of the Great Depression Era. A novella like this only takes about an afternoon or a plane ride, but it really touches on heavy themes and is not a light-hearted read.
4) The Outsider
Rated as the #1 novel of the 20th century, The Outsider is the novel that truly embodies the philosophy of existentialism that has come to dominate our contemporary society. The writing style is elegant and compelling, weaving together an idea (through the telling of a story) so well that it is hard to say it is not perfect. I have to say that the first reading will not bring much out of the novel, so if you are someone who has the patience to slowly unravel the ideas in a story, this is the book that you will enjoy.
5) Wuthering Heights
These days, it’s all about the fairy tale-like romance between Bella and Edward or the perfect love story with Kate Middleton and the prince. Back in the good old days, love stories had so much more to them. Wuthering Heights explores the darker sides of love, featuring themes of obsession, betrayal, and revenge. What I absolutely love about this book is its setting: an isolated manor standing in the middle of the moors, stormy summer nights in a cemetary, cold and dreary Novembers with a haunting mist. The setting really complements the emotions in the story, and is a feature in the novel that leaves a deep impression.
Interesting, enjoyable novels:
1) And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie’s detective fiction And Then There Were None is the best selling mystery fiction of all time. With 100 million copies sold to date, it even beat the timeless classics of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The book has had a large influence on the mystery genre since its publication in 1939. If you like gripping and tense mysteries with just a touch of morbidity, then this is the book that you definitely want to grab before you head off for summer.
2) The Book Thief
I read The Book Thief more than three years ago, and yet I still remember the events and emotions of the novel vivdly. It is a unique novel, not simply because of the poetic writing style but also because of its distinct point of view. Set in World War II, it does not tell the story of cruelty and suffering from the point of view of Jewish children, but rather through the lives of German children growing up in typical neighbourhood. What was it like to watch the ghettos from the outside? What was it like for children to grow up witnessing the deliberate cruelties that humans perform on each other as a fact of life? The Book Thief presents the world of WWII through children’s eyes, but more than that, it reaches the heart of readers through its convincing portrayal of love, ambitions and coming of age.
3) The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has been reviewed several times already, and indeed it truly looks like a great read. According to the School Library Journal, “Collins’s characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like ‘Survivor’ and ‘American Gladiator.'” I strongly recommend checking out this book (and the sequels, Catching Fire and Mockingjay) if you have the chance.
4) The Guernsay Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“Every once in a while I come across a book that I love, a book that I could read again and again, a book that I want everyone I know to read. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is one of those books. By far the best book I read in 2008 (and I read a lot), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a delightful piece of historical fiction that will make you laugh, cry and remember the transformational power of literature.” -Erin Collazo Miller
5) Water for Elephants
“The pages of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen burst with rich descriptions and action. You will be drawn into the world of ringmasters, elephants and sideshows. You will also experience the world of nursing homes and old age. You will not want to put Water for Elephants down, and when it is over, you will want more.” -Erin Collazo Miller (about.com)
Light-hearted reads:
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid
I was falling asleep in the library while doing homework one day when I decided to read The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, just because it was lying beside me on a table. For some obscure reason, however, I just could NOT put it down. It was so plotless and so hilarious and just 100% enjoyable, great for procrastination or passing the time during a flight. I remember fussing over the exact same silly things as a kid, and I wonder how the author still remembers what childhood was really like after all these years.
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