My Summer Reading List

By Jorge Antonio Vallejos

Around this time of year lots of media write about summer reading.  They look at the publishing industry and how it changes during the summer and give titles that are normally read during this time. 

Easy reading, portable, and books you might not have read but wanted to are what eyes usually eat up during these hot months. 

With all the stacks of books I have I decided to share my summer reading list with you all. 

Reading lists are something I write down on paper and stick on my wall.  I make them at the start of every season and just before the winter holidays.  Not all the books get read.  My word appetite can be bigger than what I can visually and mentally ingest, but I try.  Each book title on the list that I read is marked by a red checkmark. 

Since this is primarily a poetry website lets start off with collections of poems I’m planning on reading.  Poetry collections are short and I read them fast.

Poetry

Sovereign Erotics: A Collection of Two-Spirit Literature

The Fiddlehaed: Summer 2002  #212

In Search of Small Gods by Jim Harrison

Hoodlum Birds by Eugene Gloria

My Favorite Warlord by Euguene Gloria

The Romantic Dogs by Roberto Bolano

What I Keep by Jennifer K. Greene

Ehecatl/The Wind by Gloria Anzaldua

Say Uncle by Kay Ryan

The Bussiness of Fancydancing by Sherman Alexie (re-reading for the 7th time)

Runaway Dreams by Richard Wagamese

Song I Sing by Bao Phi

Whorled by Ed Bok Lee

Valley Sutra by Kuldip Gill

Next To Nothing by Christina McRae

Skin Like Mine by Garry Gottfriedson

Short stories are the cousin of poetry.  I really like how I can read them quickly and see the similarities to poems.  You’re in a story and quickly out!

Short Story

The Toughest Indian In The World by Sherman Alexie (re-reading)

The Dirt Chronicles by Kristyn Dunnion (re-reading)

Last Evening On Earth by Roberto Bolano

Volt by Alan Heathcock

Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson

Novels are books I don’t usually read.  That has to stop.  I do enjoy some novels but my preference is short story and poetry.  Reading these three short novels (not novellas) are me getting out of my comfort zone.  And it’s good to get out of your comfort zone!

Novels

The Fuck-Up by Arthur Neresian

So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell

Chango’s Fire by Ernesto Quinonez

I’m big letter writer.  Real letters.  I love to put pen to pad, share my life, insert the pages in an evelope, lick, seal, stamp, and send!  Reading these small collections of letters will be a blast!  And they’ll help me write better letters.

Letters

Letters To A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Letters To A Young Artist by Julia Cameron

The Best Of In A Park Productions by Sarah Bertrand

The Screwtape Letters by C.S Lewis

For the last ten or twelve years I’ve read lots of spiritual and motivational books.  I love them.  The beauty of the books listed below is that they are short and to the point! 

Motivational and Spiritual

Unleash Your Purpose by Myles Munroe

How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell

Winners Never Cheat by Jon M. Huntsman

Screw It, Lets Do It by Richard Branson

The Gifts Of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Tapping The Iceberg by Tim Cork

The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck (re-reading)

Essays, interviews, and memoirs are things I really enjoy reading.  You get to see what people are thinking, doing, want to do, and have done.  Essentially, a sneak peak into their lives.

Nonfiction

Ultra Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes

Zen In The Art Of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Roberto Bolano: The Last Interview and Other Conversations

Catalysts by Catherine Owen

The War by Marguerite Duras

You’re probably thinking, “That’s a lot of books!”  Yes it is. 

I’m a bibliophile, a book junkie, a book lover. 

Keep in mind that many of these books are short.  I can read a poetry collection in an hour and a half or less.  Short stories are similar; I work my through them in a couple of days.  Memoirs tend to grab me quick and take me on a ride I don’t want to get off, so they go quick too.

And to be honest, some of the books won’t be read.  They will carry over into the winter.  I’ve got until the end of September to read all these and I’ve already started.  Join me!

If you are reading some of the same books let me know.  Maybe we can talk about them.

Happy reading!

Tune into BlackCoffeePoet.com Friday July 6, 2012 for my new VLOG where I’ll be talking about and showing the books that are on my summer reading list.