Like so many other places, we here at Monkeybicycle think summer and books go hand in hand. So—also like so many other places—we’ve compiled a summer reading list. Take a look and let us know what you’re reading this summer.
J.A. Tyler
Another Governess / The Least Blacksmith by Joanna Ruocco (FC2, March 2012)
This book is a winner of the Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize, and it is stunning. I started reading it already and can’t stop, and won’t, can’t.
The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus (Random House Inc., January 2012)
I’ve read the first few pages as well as a load of positive and negative reviews of this, and all of that makes me even more excited to devour it in earnest very soon.
Snowflake / Different Streets by Eileen Myles (Wave Books, April 2012)
Who isn’t excited to dive into this book? Plus it sincerely looks and feels beautiful.
Daniel Fights a Hurricane by Shane Jones (Penguin, July 2012)
It has been years – YEARS – that I’ve been waiting for this, and now the release date is so so so close. I’m obliterated with excitement.
Steven Seighman
Resurrection of a Hanged Man by Denis Johnson (Picador, July 2012)
Denis Johnson is one of my favorites, but I’m way behind on reading his full library. This is his latest novel, so it’s a good place to jump back in. Picador also released the paperback edition of Johnson’s Train Dreams last year, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. I’ll be reading that, too.
Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma Straub (Riverhead, 2012)
Ever since reading Fly-Over State a few years ago, Emma Straub’s work has made me happy. I usually fight against reading or watching things that aren’t of this time, but I have a feeling Ms. Straub will convince me that living in the 1920s isn’t so bad after all.
Magic Hours: Essays on Creators and Creation by Tom Bissell (Believer Books, April 2012)
I love all things pop culture, and this book seems to look at them in a smart and unique way. Since pop culture is primarily stupid, Bissell’s approach is about the only way I can see myself digesting it and having a good time while doing it.
A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s, June 2012)
A lot of people aren’t fans of Dave Eggers, but I sure am. I love his work and am always excited to learn that he has something new available. In this case, it’s a novel, which hasn’t happened for some time. I’m extra eager to read this one.
Man-Made Lands edited by Scott Geiger (A Ninth Letter vol. 9 supplement, May 2012)
This is just such an interesting concept: The mingling of fiction and architecture. Stories are structures, after all, so the two seem to fit together perfectly. And I recently went to this book’s launch party in NYC, where I learned a lot about what the book explores. It was fascinating. And as a bonus, this book comes with the latest issue of Ninth Letter, one of my favorite journals. Two books for the price of one!
Check these books out on our Pinterest page!
What are your summer reads? Tell us below.
