an addendum

An addendum to my previous post about the books I read so far this year. Here are a few standouts that I recommend. Warning: my taste in books is pretty boring. I don't really read too many fiction novels; I mostly like memoirs, biographies, non-fiction and travel writing. The classics are also good. Anyway, I recommend:

Come to the Edge--This is a book about JFK Jr.'s girlfriend before he married Carolyn Bessette. It's written beautifully and is simply an interesting depiction of young love and growing up, with NYC playing a background role. It's not a sensational book, in terms of exposing details about JFK Jr.'s life--it's just a simple and poignant portrait of two fascinating and complex people who thought they were meant to be together, but weren't.

The Paris Wife--If you like old-fashioned things like me, especially the era of the 20s and the lost generation of ex-pats in Europe, then you'll love this book. It's based on the real life of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, their time living in Paris and the ups and downs (and eventual dissolution) of a marriage. It does have some fictional elements, so it's not completely historical, but it's an good read and an interesting look at who Ernest Hemingway was (and his wife, of course).

Summer at Tiffany--a very quick, easy read. This will not stimulate you intellectually at all, but it's cute and fun. I read this in one night. It's a memoir about two college girls from the midwest who travel to NYC one summer to work at Tiffany. It's interesting because it takes place during World War II. It tells of their innocent adventures of discovering glamorous New York City in the 1940s. Very fun, nostalgic and light-hearted. It will take you back to simpler times.

Animal Vegetable Miracle--A depiction of a family moving from the big city to a farm in Virginia with the goal of living off the land and growing all of their own food. Very interesting and eye-opening.

And of course, read Catcher in the Rye, if you haven't. It's my all-time favorite book. The two books by Jonathan Knowles are also excellent. I'm sure most of you read A Separate Peace in high school, but Peace Breaks Out is sort of a follow-up book, also based in a prep school in New England of the 1940s during World War II

If anyone is considering reading any of the other books listed and has questions, let me know!