I am trying to enjoy one more week of summer before I get back to blogging and back to school strategies. Here’s a rundown of what I read this summer (get ready for some more Stephen King!), a quick synopsis of each book, plus my review.
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I, Iago by Nicole Galland
Synopsis: The critically acclaimed author of The Fool’s Tale , Nicole Galland now approaches William Shakespeare’s classic drama of jealousy, betrayal, and murder from the opposite side. I, Iago is an ingenious, brilliantly crafted novel that allows one of literature’s greatest villains–the deceitful schemer Iago, from the Bard’s immortal tragedy, Othello –to take center stage in order to reveal his “true” motivations. This is Iago as you’ve never known him, his past and influences breathtakingly illuminated, in a fictional reexamination that explores the eternal is true evil the result of nature versus nurture…or something even more complicated?
My review: A friend gave me this book for my birthday this year, knowing that Othello is my favorite Shakespeare play. I was immediately pulled into this narrative and loved imagining backstories to Othello, Emilia, Cassio, and of course, Iago. I did lose a bit of steam in the last 1/3 of the book, which retells the events of Othello through Iago’s point of view. Nonetheless, this was such an interesting story and a must-read for any Othello fan. 4.5/5 stars
James by Percival Everett
Synopsis: When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.
Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.
My Review: It will come as no surprise that I absolutely loved this book. Like many, I had to read Huck Finn in high school and hated it for many reasons. However, seeing the story from James’ point of view was powerful and necessary. I especially loved the narrative perspective and added code switching subplot to the enslaved characters. I will be buying copies of this book for my AP Lit independent reading library for sure! 5/5 stars
Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
Synopsis: Maya has returned to Princeton for her college reunion – it’s been a decade since she graduated, and this visit is special because she will also be attending the graduation of her little sister, Naomi.
But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya’s worst nightmare when she receives the news that Naomi is dead. The police are calling it an accident, but Maya suspects that there is more to the story than they are letting on.
As Maya pieces together what happened in the months leading up to her sister’s death, she begins to realise how much Naomi hid from her. Despite Maya’s warnings, Naomi had joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus – the same one Maya belonged to. And if she had to guess, Naomi was likely tapped for the secret society within it.
Maya knows that her sister isn’t the first person in the society to turn up dead. Now every clue is leading Maya back to the past . . . and to the secret she’s been keeping all these years.
My review: I have a love/hate relationship with the Reese Witherspoon book club. There are many I have really hated (Such a Fun Age, The Last Thing He Told Me). But there are others I’ve loved (The House of Eve, The Fire Keeper’s Daughter, Daisy Jones and the Six). This one was not a favorite. While the premise is interesting, the book had just a bit too much going on. I also thought the constantly shifting perspectives and settings were needlessly confusing. 2/5 stars
You Like it Darker by Stephen King (collection of short stories)
Synopsis: “You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in You Like It Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again.
“Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to Cujo, follows a grieving widower who travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful.
King’s ability to surprise, amaze, and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys, and mysteries; each feels iconic. You like it darker? You got it.
My review: There’s nothing like a collection of short stories to make you feel like a speed reader! Reading these in a series made me appreciate how King builds themes and weaves them through a collection. My favorites were “Rattlesnakes,” a kind of sequel to Cujo, and “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream.” 4.5/5 stars
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Synopsis: Years ago, the haunting of the Overlook Hotel nearly broke young Dan Torrance’s sanity, as his paranormal gift known as “the shining” opened a door straight into hell. And even though Dan is all grown up, the ghosts of the Overlook—and his father’s legacy of alcoholism and violence—kept him drifting aimlessly for most of his life. Now, Dan has finally found some order in the chaos by working in a local hospice, earning the nickname “Doctor Sleep” by secretly using his special abilities to comfort the dying and prepare them for the afterlife. But when he unexpectedly meets twelve-year-old Abra Stone—who possesses an even more powerful manifestation of the shining—the two find their lives in sudden jeopardy at the hands of the ageless and murderous nomadic tribe known as the True Knot, reigniting Dan’s own demons and summoning him to battle for this young girl’s soul and survival…
My review: The Shining is among my favorite Stephen King novels so I saved this for a time when I could really enjoy it. Not quite as scary as The Shining, I loved Danny’s point of view. I especially enjoyed how King weaved his own experiences with substance abuse and sobriety through AA into Danny’s story. The supernatural conflict reminded me of The Stand as well, another King masterpiece. 5/5 stars
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Synopsis: As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
My review: I was hesitant to read this after I hated The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes. However, this book was much better in so many ways. Also, Haymitch has always been one of my favorite HG characters and it was fun to see his background get fleshed out. 4.5/5 stars
Different Seasons by Stephen King (collection of novellas)
Synopsis: This gripping collection begins with “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” in which an unjustly imprisoned convict seeks a strange and startling revenge—the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award-nominee The Shawshank Redemption.
Next is “Apt Pupil,” the inspiration for the film of the same name about top high school student Todd Bowden and his obsession with the dark and deadly past of an older man in town.
In “The Body,” four rambunctious young boys plunge through the façade of a small town and come face-to-face with life, death, and intimations of their own mortality. This novella became the movie Stand By Me.
Finally, a disgraced woman is determined to triumph over death in “The Breathing Method.”
My Review: I had already read “The Body” and loved it (and I loved Stand By Me, the movie based on the novella). I also love the movie Shawshank Redemption, so “Rita Hayworth” was one I really looked forward to. I would say “Rita Hayworth” was worse than the movie, but not by much. “Apt Pupil” was truly one of the darkest stories I’ve read by King but it gripped me. “The Breathing Method” was the shortest of the three and was a very slow burn, but it was an interesting story nonetheless. 4/5 stars
That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally
Synopsis: She thought she had her life back. She was wrong. It was a mistake to trust him.
Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of a dirt road with no memory of how she got there―or who she is. A passing officer takes her to the police station, and not long after, a frantic man arrives. He’s been searching for her for hours. He has her school ID, her birth certificate, and even family photos. He is her father. Her name is Mary. Or so he says.
When Lola slammed the car door and stormed off into the night, Drew thought they just needed some time to cool off. Except Lola disappeared, and the sheriff, his friends, and the whole town are convinced Drew murdered his girlfriend. Forget proving his innocence, he needs to find her before it’s too late. The longer Lola is missing, the fewer leads there are to follow…and the more danger they both are in.
My review: This took me a while to get into it, but the novel reminded me of Lucy Foley or Ruth Ware’s thrillers. The book ended with a huge twist, which always makes me add a star to the review! 4.5/5 stars
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Synopsis: Abandoned by her husband, Amanda Wingfield comforts herself with recollections of her earlier, life in Blue Mountain when she was pursued by ‘gentleman callers’. Her son Tom, a poet with a job in a warehouse, longs for adventure and escape from his mother’s suffocating embrace, while Laura, her daughter, has her glass menagerie and her memories.
My review: Some English teachers in my department decided to read a book that the other teaches over the summer. I still have a few I need to get through, but I’ve never read anything by Tennessee Williams and was excited to read The Glass Menagerie. Even on paper, I can see how it’s a powerful story with themes of gender roles, ambition, and ghosts from the past. I would love to see it performed on stage one day! 3.5/5 stars
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
Synopsis: It’s September 11, 2001. Brandon, a 9-year-old boy, goes to work for the day with his dad . . . at the World Trade Center in New York City. When two planes hit the towers, Brandon and his father are trapped inside a fiery nightmare as terror and confusion swirl around them. Can they escape — and what will the world be like when they do?
In present-day Afghanistan, Reshmina is an 11-year-old girl who is used to growing up in the shadow of war, but she has dreams of peace and unity. When she ends up harboring a wounded young American soldier, she and her entire family are put in mortal danger. But Reshmina also learns something surprising about the roots of this endless war.
My review: I read this book after my 10-year-old finished it, and because I’m a millennial who was profoundly affected by 9/11. I couldn’t believe how tragic it was, especially as a children’s book, and yet it is not too much at the same time. This book led to great discussions with my son about 9/11, the war in Afghanistan, and the cultural themes of the novel as well. 4/5 stars
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Synopsis: Just friends. Just friends. JUST FRIENDS. If they repeat it enough, maybe it’ll be true…
Hazel knows she’s a lot to take – and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and taste for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter and tendency to say exactly the wrong thing will. Their loss. Not everyone can handle a Hazel.
Josh has known Hazel since college. From the first night they met – when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes – to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.
Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them . . . right?
My review: I loved Christina Lauren’s (not one author but two, actually) The Paradise Problem for its blend of comedy and romance. I wanted to see if their other works were equally good, and I would say yes! This is a light-hearted read, obviously, but a perfect beach read if you need a break from the heavy. 3/5 stars
The Mist by Stephen King (novella)
Synopsis: It’s a hot, lazy day, perfect for a cookout, until you see those strange dark clouds. Suddenly a violent storm sweeps across the lake and ends as abruptly and unexpectedly as it had begun. Then comes the mist… creeping slowly, inexorably into town, where it settles and waits, trapping you in the supermarket with dozens of others, cut off from your families and the world.
The mist is alive, seething with unearthly sounds and movements. What unleashed this terror? Was it the Arrowhead Project—the top secret government operation that everyone has noticed but no one quite understands?
And what happens when the provisions have run out and you’re forced to make your escape, edging blindly through the dim light?
My Review: I apologize to SK, but I hated this book. There mist was intriguing and the premise suspenseful, but it seemed more like a mythical boogey man than a real supernatural event. Plus, I found the characters flat and unlikeable. 1/5 stars
What were your favorite reads this summer? Leave me a comment so I can check them out!