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Jan
26
Wanted: Summer Reading Recommendations!
2009 at 2pm Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Okay, dear readers, I need your help. One of my favorite clients is putting together the summer reading list for the high school where she is the chair of the English department. This school takes a really fantastic approach to summer reading and aims to use it to inspire kids to discover new kinds of books and to (hopefully) increase their love and appreciation of the written word. They save the “dead white Russian guys” for school-year reading and generally offer tons of contemporary options for summer reading.
Anyway, this client was hoping to include Brad Meltzer’s The Book of Lies as an option for seniors on this year’s list, but it won’t be out in paperback in time (they only assign books that are available in paperback in order to make them affordable and accessible for students). Mrs. E is looking for another great thriller to take Meltzer’s place on the list, and I’m stumped.
The criteria are pretty flexible, but the books must be available in paperback by June 15, 2009, and books that have been adapted for film are NOT eligible (this knocked The Secret Life of Bees off the list). The content can be edgy (they’re not afraid to get a little hardcore as long as the book is quality) but should be appropriate for high school seniors. And again, books should be relatively recent and contemporary. Here are a few examples of books that were given as options for seniors last summer:
- The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- Prey by Michael Crichton
So, reco me a few thrillers to share with this client….here’s your chance to contribute to the literary education of a couple hundred of America’s youth. Tell me what you’d recommend and why. Thanks!
Related posts:
Tana French’s In the Woods? Too long, maybe, but hard to put down.
Catherine O’Flynn’s What Was Lost? The fact that it opens with a preteen as protagonist might put off high schoolers, but the ennui-ridden twenty-something record store clerks who turn up soon might make up for that.
Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44, out in pb in April, might do.
Richard Stark’s final couple of Parker novels might also do, starting with Nobody Runs Forever and running through Dirty Money. They’re violent and star an amoral heister, but I know that I would definitely have enjoyed them as a high school student.
What fun! I would suggest any of the following, which I think would be appropriate for highschool seniors:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
The Terror by Dan Simmons
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
If you get updated on what Mrs E. picks, let us know!
Oops! Realized I forgot to say why I picked the books I did!
The first three would be great choices because they all deal with book culture, but make it a bit more daring and adventuresome, which I think is something we want teens to feel when they sit down to read – like they’re about to get swept up in a grand adventure. Afer all, isn’t that what summer reading is all about? Also, some of them may have read Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights by this point, so The Thirteenth Tale might be a fun extension of those for them. The Book of Lost Things turns fairy tales on their heads in a very dark and creepy way, and would probably be a fun read.
The Terror is about a monster terrorizing a group of sailors in the Arctic. Perhaps not very seasonal, but I’ve heard the book has transportive qualities, and despite its length, it’s a real page-turner.
The Historian delves into the Dracula myth and is both creepy but scholarly. The size is a bit daunting, but all of the foreign locations would make it a wonderful summer book.
Finally, The White Tiger won this year’s Booker prize and involves murder! What more could a book need to recommend itself?
Let’s face it: no one would want me to contribute to anything to do with America’s youth, LOL. I’m a bad influence.
On the weird side: so I visited the BN at the university in Richmond this past weekend. There was a tarot card reader there doing a whopping business. Right in the middle of the store. Interesting.
I am currently reading The Terror by Dan Simmons. It’s long and has a few bad words and mentions sex a bit but the storyline is very interesting and has me flipping pages. Basically it’s about a monster in the Arctic.
I thought Montana 1948 by Larry Watson was really excellent. Very meaty without being dense.
“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro. They’d love it. It’s pretty intense, and that’s what they’s love about it.
A couple of my favorite books were on your list from last summer. I really enjoyed reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was for youngsters, but I enjoyed it too.
84 Charing Cross Road was a treat (although I don’t know what the teenage crowd would think of it) and I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. A good recent release is The Little Giant of Aberdeen County.
For fantasy titles I really liked Graceling by Kristin Cashore and Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman. So many good books out there!
Remembering the Bones – Francis Itani
FANTASTIC BOOK
I think Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr was awesome, and my non-reading sister (who’s 20) called me to say how much she loved it. But I don’t know if its content is school-appropriate (definitely high school senior appropriate).
Wow, everyone has suggested some great books. How about some John Green books? Looking for Alaska was fantastic and I just finished Paper Towns…all about Seniors!!!
Sticking to thrillers, I’d say Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene (because it’s funny, suspenseful and thought provoking) or something by John le Carre, either his Cold War stuff eg The Spy Who Came in from The Cold or Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy or his more recent efforts (because he writes a tense thriller with social, ethical and political commentary thrown in.). If you wanted to really stretch them, I’d reccomend The Untouchable by John Banville, where he attempts to tell the story of the Cambridge spies.
I’d knock off “The Secret Life of Bees” mostly because it’s terrible, but if it’s off the list either way then I suppose I’m good.
I’d second “The Shadow of the Wind”. It’s a fun, intriguing read with characters high-school students could easily relate to. For a book that’s semi-thriller but also dead white Russian, “The Master and Margarita” (Bulgakov) is splendid. If a better “devil comes to Earth” novel exists, I don’t know of it. The book is hilarious, easy-to-read, fun, and interesting all at once. A good mix for seniors. “Life of Pi” gets my vote too. While it didn’t blow me away, it’s certainly got a lot of food for thought without cramming it down the reader’s throat and is a fun, good read. Then again, I guess you want newer ideas. Still, any of the recommended books could be pretty great, as long as nobody knows that Bulgakov is a dead Russian.
I’d second Looking for Alaska. Unfortunately, my top choice (Thirteen Reasons Why) won’t be out in paperback until October, so that takes it out of consideration (which is a shame because it’s a really fantastic book- one I think every teenager needs to read).
Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone! Though they’re not exactly thrillers, I love The Thirteenth Tale, The Shadow of the Wind, and The Historian, and I think they would be good additions to the list.
Life of Pi has been on the list for the last few years, and I imagine it will stay there.
Alyce–they’ve already decided to add Guernsey, since it will be out in paperback in May.
Shauna–They’ll actually be teaching Thirteen Reasons Why in the fall after it comes out in paperback.
Keep ‘em coming!
I love reading your book suggestions! Thanks. The stack on my bedside table has gotten even taller and I’m farming out titles for others to read. Everything has to be reviewed by at least three teachers before it makes the list. Plus, we like good, quality, thought-provoking stuff that will appeal to avid and reluctant readers alike. I’m with the Book Lady. Keep those titles coming!
I really enjoyed The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, but of the books I’ve read recently.
I would probably recommend The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The Road by Cormac McCarthy because they have intriguing narration and deal with tough subject matter…
I remember reading post-apocalyptic stories by Ray Bradbury in high school and those always held my attention.
Great recommendations. I second The Shadow of the Wind and Looking for Alaska.
How about The disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks by E Lockhart and Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones too, I loved both of those.
Oooh City of Thieves! I just read it and it would be perfect for a summer reading list.
I had a few High School reading suggestions:
# White Tiger; Adiga
# The Road; McCarthy
#Tortilla Curtain; TC Boyle
BTW…I enjoy your blog!
Bad Traffic by Simon Lewis – It’s fast, smart and surprising.
I wish I had my son’s old summer reading list – it was great. They divided it in categories and would mark which teacher had read each of the books. One book I do remember him reading was ALL OVER BUT THE SHOUTIN’ by Rick Bragg.
I loved The Hunger Games – which is YA anyhow – but the sci-fi morality play could make for some interesting discussion. And I’m glad to see 13 Reasons Why has already made the list.
I’d add Undiscovered Country by Lin Enger is a well done, modern retelling of Hamlet, that reads like a thriller, and may be helpful for Shakespeare students.
I’m not sure about the paperback dates on either of these…
William Dietrich’s Napolean’s Pyramids and The Rosetta key both are a series of sorts…
Historical Fiction and Thrilling every bit of the way..
I’d second the nomination for The Hunger Games, but I don’t know if or when it will be out in paperback.
The Secret Keeper by MItali Perkins isn’t a thriller at all, but if your client needs suggestions for another category, multicultural family issues book, this one is great.