10 books you should read this summer 2019

Summer is upon us; the sun beats down onto our sunglasses-covered faces as we sip onto an iced soda while reading beside the pool or as we bury our toes in the sand. School reading lists remain a distant memory… but a question arises: what to read? We often disqualify certain books as not being apt for summer reading; the veil of literariness is apparently unappealing for most readers, too reminiscent of the scholastic sphere (Dostoevsky seems incongruous lying on a beach towel). So here is a list of ten books, in no particular order, a mix of contemporary oeuvres and classics, where I am assured that at least one of them will be your perfect summer read. 

-Blue Eyes, Black Hair (Les Yeux Bleus, Cheveux Noirs) by Marguerite Duras

A desultory-seeming narrative that beautifully represents the impossibility of accurately and loyally depicting the intensity and rawness of human emotion. A story of nonreciprocal love, of obsession. One of the lesser-known books by Duras, but one of my favorites. 

-Dress your family in corduroy and denim by David Sedaris 

Sedaris never fails to make us laugh with his brutally honest and witty autobiographical essays. An addictive book that will leave your stomach sore from laughing. 

-Sweat by Lynn Nottage

Pulitzer prize winner Lynn Nottage impresses with her capacity to create such a powerful play, denouncing the effects of industrialization in small-town America using a bar as a microcosm for pre-Trump America. A unique theatrical and literary style and a strong political message, making it a must-read.

-Ariel by Sylvia Plath  

Plath’s rich, sophisticated and melancholic imagery immerses us in an emotionally complex world. Intriguing and personal. 

-The Spirit of Science Fiction (El espíritu de la ciencia-ficción fiction) by Roberto Bolaño 

A recently translated (into English) “beat-like” account of the life of two aspiring writers who fled the Pinochet dictatorship. Possibly not as enthralling as Bolaño’s other novels, but this short book is worth a read.  

-The Art of Fiction by David Lodge 

An accessible entrance into the theoretical world of fiction. I would debate that no external literary knowledge is needed to read this, just sheer curiosity and an interest in the novel as having more to it than simply being an amusing story. Lodge’s sharp insight and humor make this book strangely addictive. 

-In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood

An extremely entertaining and sometimes provocative book of essays by the master of science fiction, Margaret Atwood. Atwood here expresses her opinion on a variety of themes concerning science fiction. An interesting read that reconciles bookworms and science fiction fans.

-1985 by Anthony Burgess

An interesting response to George Orwell’s oeuvre constructed in two parts: the first is made of essays and interviews concerning 1984, showing us how 1984 is largely misunderstood, the second is constituted of a novella where Burgess integrates Orwell’s ideas as well as some that we can find in A Clockwork Orange. A provocative as well as thought-provoking work that renews the themes in 1984 in the context of a 1970s England destroyed by the power of unions and of cultural “weakening”.

-The Sound of the Waves by Yukio Mishima

A seemingly typical coming-of-age boy-meets-girl love story, much simpler compared to Mishima’s other works, that transports you into the world of WWII Japan. An underrated, memorable work with many tender and lyrical descriptions. 

That is it for today! Don’t forget to share this if you liked this post and don’t hesitate to comment down below if you have any book recommendations! Have a good summer and stay tuned for many more posts! (=^ ◡ ^=)