My Books of the Moment: July

I haven't posted one of these in a long time, so I thought I would spice up the middle of the week with a little book-talk.

This is the time of year where it seems that every publication publishes a "summer reading list" or "best books of the summer" list. Where's the winter reading list? Where's the best books of fall list?? (probably somewhere and I just haven't looked closely enough) I just want to have lists of books in all seasons, is that too much to ask?

I'm going to be honest. The first book I read this summer, I read only because the movie was coming out. And Khaleesi was going to be in the movie. This was Me Before You, and it took me about a day and a half to read it. This is a page turner. If you want to be transported to the English countryside, with a little wit and a few tears, this is the book for you. This isn't a groundbreaking literary master-piece, and it follows a few cliched plot-formulas (he hates her, he loves her!), but it is fun to read. The movie--big surprise--wasn't as good, in my opinion.

Next, I read The Circle, which pretty much haunts my dreams. I did not go into this expecting a thriller, horror, suspense story, but that's what it turned out to be. There aren't any guts, and there isn't a murder, but the distopia-disguised-as-utopia that it presents is so eerily similar to what our own world is headed toward, and it chills me. The plot follows a young woman, Mae, as she enters the world of The Circle, a Facebook-on-steroids tech company in California. The Circle provides one account for everything online, and requires users to register with their real name, address, and social security number. No more internet trolls! No more identity theft! The world is better, people are more connected. Everyone posts dozens of updates in a single day. Everything is shared and documented, increasing the world's library of knowledge. Nothing is deleted. The implications of this book were terrifying, because they were so plausible in real life. It seriously stressed me out.

Currently, I'm reading a light book, because of how much The Circle shook me. I need to recover. So I'm reading Mindy Kaling's newest book: Why Not Me? This couldn't be more different than The Circle. No "big brother" omens here. Celebrity memoirs are my weakness. A tiny part of me that I won't admit to elsewhere scours celebrity memoirs for "how I made it" stories. That tiny part of me thinks that maybe if I read enough of them, they'll rub off on me and I'll "make it" too, without even trying! This would never work.... Back to books! Mindy Kaling writes in such a familiar tone that you think you're reading a lengthy letter from your friend who for some reason doesn't have email. Mindy's writing gets its humor from its specificity, which is the best source of humor. If you want a quick, light read that gives an honest insight into Hollywood, Spanx, and on-screen sex, this is a good choice.

Next on my list is Sweetbitter. My mom gave me this book (hardcover! I feel spoiled. I would have waited for the paperback) because the author also went to my alma mater, Kenyon College. It's about a 22 year old woman who moves to New York City, so I really should read it because that's basically me. Except she works in a restaurant and goes to crazy parties, whereas I'm trying to get a job in PR and my favorite thing to do is stay in and watch TV while eating takeout Indian food. But apparently there's a lot of oyster and heirloom tomato eating in this book?

Also on my list is a new book called Eligible, which is a modern take on Pride & Prejudice. As you may know, I am a huge Austen fanatic, so this is a big thing for me. I've been on my library's waiting list to get it for months, and I'm next in line. Why must you torture me like this, library! (Fun fact: In her book mentioned above, Mindy Kaling says that Mindy and Danny in her show are based on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Danny, Darcy. I can kind of see it now. Kind of.)

What are you reading this summer?