Books to read by the pool. Or in* it.
By: Bethany Porter, Collection Development Specialist.
I rarely reread books throughout most of the year, but every summer I take it upon myself to reread a handful of my favorites. If you’re an educator or a librarian who works with kids throughout the school year, you may feel like reading a few adult-level books over the summer, too! I enjoy reading by the pool with a cold beverage in hand. Here are the titles I’m going to revisit this year:
Have you read this yet?? It was published in 1990, and has a sort of cult following. This is the funniest book about the apocalypse you will ever read, I promise! I first read Good Omens 8 years ago. It taught me that “all tapes left in a car for more than about a fortnight metamorphose into Best of Queen albums.” I was, of course, listening to a Best of Queen album in my car during this time, and had the kind of “OH MY GOSH THIS IS WEIRD” moment that rarely happens while reading. This book will stay with you, and you’ll be reminded of it every time you hear Queen on the radio. I can’t think of anything better.
David Sedaris is possibly my favorite essayist of all time. I was thrilled to be able to see him speak last October, so of course my obsession has increased just a little since then. I’ll be reading this collection of essays for the second time. I’m excited to revisit stories about his childhood in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sedaris is awkward and hilarious, and never quite fits in. He makes me feel better about my own weird idiosyncrasies. If you like NPR or funny stories, check this out.
- Rogue Squadron by Michael A. Stackpole (book 1 in Star Wars: X-Wing series)
Ok, I admit. I have not actually read these books yet. Last summer I read the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn, so I’m going to try to expand my own personal Star Wars universe even further. I enjoy reading about some of my favorite characters, and while these novelizations are not the most literary works, I’m often surprised by how good they are. I have noticed that Star Wars novelizations are often well-written, characters are well-developed, and stories, while sometimes repetitive, are interesting. I’ll keep picking away at the virtual stack of (pre-Disney) expanded universe books. I could read 3 of these books every summer and still not finish them all!
I try to reread one of my favorite classics every summer. Last summer it was To Kill a Mockingbird, so it’s time for something older. I have recently read a slew of Jane Eyre retellings, short stories, and even a book about the Brontë sisters. I’ll probably start at the halfway point of this book – I’m not ashamed to admit that the first half of this book bores me to tears. The second half, on the other hand – I won’t be able to put it down. I love the excitement of the twist in the ending (I won’t spoil this 170-year-old book for you, just in case you haven’t visited it yet). I love that Jane is a strong, independent female narrator who is capable of making her own decisions about her life. Most of all, I love to hate Mr. Rochester.
Check out what other titles I might be caught with this summer.
*NOTE: If you’re planning on reading IN the pool, I recommend finding some paperbacks at your local library’s book sale. If you own a waterproof reading device, go ahead and lounge on your preferred pool float! If you DO own a waterproof device, I want to know what it is so I can get one, too! Let me know in the comments.