Books to sunburn by
Just slightly too late for the official unofficial kickoff of summer, Memorial Day, we finally prodded the Writing and Literature Department at the Institute to produce the 2007 Summer Reading for Higher Thinking reading list. You can purchase these books from the IHT bookstore by clicking the links provided. Book reports are due on Labor Day: I Love You, Beth Cooper, by Larry Doyle. A funny, true, sad, sentimental, cynical, hopeful and eminently enjoyable book about confessing love during a valediction speech is a shoo-in for a mention on a lot of summer reading lists. Easily the most laughs of the summer provided by the printed page.
Sit Down and Shut Up and Hardcore Zen, by Brad Warner. Very, very few people can stake claim to expertise in Zen Buddhism, punk rock and Japanese monster movies. Even fewer can tie all three together in an entertaining and – although it is painful to use the word for reasons Hardcore Zen makes plain – enlightening way. The former book is a new release centering on a single Buddhist writing with plenty of pop-culture references and allusions to hardcore punk bands you may have never heard before, while the latter is a bit more autobiographical, but still rife with references to ground readers unfamiliar with Buddhist concepts to the world they see every day (this includes Simpsons quotes, references to Fast Times at Ridgemont High and about 40 mentions of the Ramones). In terms of really moving literature about a deeply personal religion centered on the self/universe relationship, the book succeeds wildly, too. Anyone with an open mind towards their own beliefs should pick up these books.
Chuck Klosterman IV, by Chuck Klosterman. Although no one at the Institute of Higher Thinking has picked up this tome just yet, the quality and entertainment value of Klosterman's first three books are a fair indication that this collection of essays and insights should also be a winner. The author returns to a shorter form, which made Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs (his sophomore effort) the most accessible of the quartet by Klosterman.
The Brothers K, by David James Duncan. What says summer more than a novel about baseball? And family. And politics. And religion. Written in a style that will sometimes delight and sometimes challenge the reader, The Brothers K exhibits a broader eye for the traditional "Coming of Age" story. A hefty volume at over 600 pages with a title that makes one think of Dostoevsky, this may be the densest summer read you ever haul to the beach. Luckily, Duncan's style and tenderness make this book less of a chore than reading Crime and Punishment for A.P. English ever was.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling. The final installment of a series that has transcended adolescent literature hasn't hit the shelves yet and is already the most read book of 2007—assuming the End of the World doesn't come before the release, which would be unfortunate on a lot of levels. With a release date of July 21, more people will be in line for this book than for Spider-Man 3. The previous six books have grown in theme, tone and content as Harry (and, presumably, his readers) have, so the 18-year-old Harry could have some decidedly PG-13 action (mostly composed of action and magical violence, but a few subtle sexual references surfaced in HP6, so nothing's out of the question). It doesn't hurt that HP5 comes makes its screen debut a week before the book is released.
And finally…
The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear, by Walter Moers with John Brownjohn translating. This book is part Shel Silverstein, part Douglas Adams, part Monty Python. Absurd and illustrated, this tremendous tome (700 pages) is a quick read and a chance to just turn off your thinking mind and let your imagination go a bit haywire.
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