What are the ingredients for a truly unforgettable summer? A few weeks ago we posed this question to our Pinterest followers, challenging them to create pinboards representing their answers for the chance to win a $500 Indigo gift card. The results were an overwhelming number of boards featuring beach reads, BBQ recipes, summer-inspired décor products, DIY projects, serene cottage scenes and more! Indigo's Product Developer Patrick Ramsey reviewed the entries and chose a winner: Sabrina Voci from Ontario! We thought it would be fun to get to know her a little better, find out what’s on her summer reading list and (most importantly) find out what she’s going to do with that $500 gift card!
Indigo: Can you describe the feelings you were hoping to evoke with your Pinterest board and the inspiration behind it?
Sabrina: I was hoping to capture the joy and excitement of all the things about summer we look forward to all year long: sunshine, spending time by the lake or ocean, travel, time with family and friends outdoors, and enjoying nature. I wanted to be sure to capture all the smaller things about summer we might overlook or take for granted—even if you don’t have fancy travel plans or a cottage to escape to, there are so many simple things to enjoy like sitting on an outdoor patio, taking a quick road trip on a long weekend, or having a picnic in the park.
Your Pinterest board is packed with fun imagery and products. Which pin is your favourite and why?
I love them all, but if I have to choose one it would be the lounge chair by the ocean. It reminds me of a cruise I took a couple of years ago in the summer. One of my favourite memories from that trip was just lying on a lounge chair and reading a book, with the sounds of the ocean and the sun shining, it was incredibly relaxing!
As the winner of our $500 gift card, what’s on your shopping list?
A Kobo eReader has been on my wish list for a long time, so I will definitely buy the Kobo Touch with a Kobo cover and several eBooks. I’m also going to buy a Native Union Retro POP Handset for my iPhone. I love all of Indigo’s lifestyle and home products, so there is no shortage of things I would love to buy. My challenge is not to spend the $500 all at once!
Do you have a favourite summer book?
I don’t have one favourite summer book, but the one book I am looking forward to reading this summer the most is The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty; it will be the first eBook I buy for my new Kobo.
Where is the best place to read on a warm, sunny day?
I think the best place to read on a sunny day is outside! If it’s really warm, I’d prefer to read in the shade, otherwise I’d prefer to get some sunshine—either in the park or some other green space, at a coffee shop patio with an iced coffee or tea, or on my own patio.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what three books would hope to have with you?
If I were to have any hope of surviving I’d probably need a book like the SAS Survival Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere by John Wiseman. Besides some sort of survival guide, I’d probably choose a very long novel or book of short stories to help pass the time, and Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe seems very appropriate!
You can check out Sabrina’s summer-inspired Pinterest board below, as well asthose from runners-up Jessica Yu from Alberta and Rebekah Cuff from Ontario!
You voted and your 2011 Top Teen Summer Read is Veronica Roth's Divergent!
Over 1500 votes were cast in a tight race that pitted Kelley Armstrong's The Gathering against Divergent, with Sarah Dessen's What Happened to Goodbye following in third place.
But it was more than the poll, Canada. You came back each week and read the interviews; you played along on Twitter, RTing and answering trivia questions to win books to read this summer. So thank you for making this a success!
We'd also to offer one more huge THANK YOU to our author guests and their publishers. HarperCollins Canada rallied the Canadian Dauntless to come and vote—proving yet again that we love Tris and Four!
If you happened to miss any of our Teen Summer Reading Series interviews, here they all are:
• Kelley ArmstongSo what do you think: Shall we do this again next summer?
Canadian author Kenneth Oppel has his own shop on chapters.indigo.ca, and he's best known as the author of the Silverwing and Airborn books. Last summer, Half-Brother hit the teen shelves to ask serious questions about animal testing and what it means to be human. The big buzz this summer is focused on his newest novel, This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, which releases on August 30th. We have an early review of it here.
Because we're so excited for This Dark Endeavour, you should know that we couldn't be happier to have Kenneth Oppel as our final guest for the Teen Summer Reading Series. Welcome, Kenneth, and thanks for helping us end on a high note.
Indigo Teen Blog: What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?
Kenneth Oppel: I've heard great things about Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad, so am looking forward to checking that out. I'll also be reading the latest from Tim Wynne-Jones (Blink & Caution) and Arthur Slade (Empire of Ruins.)
ITB: What's been your most memorable summer read and why?
KO: Last year I finally got around to reading The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler and was completely blown away by it. Such an amazing (anti)hero and story — and told with such energy and panache.
ITB: Describe your ideal summer day?
KO: My ideal summer day involves water — ideally the seaside, but Lake Ontario is good too, especially around Ward's Island and Centre Island, where I like to sail. Sailing, the company of family and friends, a good meal (overlooking water, of course) and a good glass of wine, and I'm happy. Maybe an episode of Mad Men thrown in afterwards...
ITB: Summer eats/treats you can't live without?
KO: Well, I love salads in summer, especially Caprese salad, with fresh mozzarella and basil. I'm also a huge fan of ice cream, preferably Italian gelato, but I'm not picky.
ITB: What drew you to writing about a young Victor Frankenstein?
KO: Mary Shelley's classic, Frankenstein, is one of my favourite books, and in its early pages she very quickly describes Victor's childhood — but there are a few tantalizing clues about some of the things he got up to, which inspired me to write about his teenage life, and how on earth he became the "mad scientist" we're all familiar with in popular culture!
ITB: What's the difference, for you, between writing a 9-12 novel and a Teen novel?
KO: Virtually none. The approach to the writing is exactly the same. The age of your protagonist dictates, to a certain extent, the events that might happen in the novel. But the process of writing for me involves trying to inhabit my character(s), get inside their skin, and see the world through their eyes, whether they're 9 or 16. I consider myself an escape artist: I want to give my readers an amazing experience, and take them someplace they've never been before.
ITB: If you could give your 14 year old self a message from the future—without worrying of completely disrupting your timestream—what would it be?
KO: Don't be quite so sarcastic and cynical — or self-conscious! Being comfortable with yourself is the coolest thing ever.
Great advice for anyone! Thanks to Kenneth for answering our questions and our friends at Harper Collins Canada for arranging the interview.
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Our complete Teen Summer Reading Series:
Lesley Livingston is the Teen Read Award-nominated author of Wondrous Strange, Darklight, and Tempestuous—the the three novels in the Wondrous Strange trilogy. Her new book Once Every Never is roaring good-time, a hip and smart time-travel historical romance that—like most of Lesley's writing—takes itself just seriously enough to pull off what it's attempting to do. Zany adventures, humor, plus historical facts blended with intrigue and romance make Once Every Never a perfect summer book—and the first in a promising new series by this Canadian author.
Welcome, Lesley!
Indigo Teen Blog: What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?
Lesley Livingston: Ooh… so many books, so little time…
I can’t wait to get my hands on the latest book in Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, GHOST STORY. Butcher writes devilishly fun, “paranormal noir” with wit and style and heart and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Private Eye/Wizard Harry Dresden next. Especially after the massive cliff-hanger ending from the last book!
I also want to finally get around to reading TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (I know! I know! I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet, either!).
Lauren DeStefano’s WHITHER is also on my radar.
And, and… well, that’ll do until I get the edits back on my latest manuscript!
ITB: What's been your most memorable summer read and why?
LL: I think I’d have to say Guy Gavriel Kay’s FIONAVAR TAPESTRY trilogy. These books were faves of mine when I was a teen and I still bring them out ever year or two just so I can sink back into that sweeping, epic fantasy world. The story is both fun and fulfilling, stuffed with adventure, romance, heartbreak and triumph of good over evil—which is what I call a great summer read!
ITB: Describe your ideal summer day?
LL: Sitting on a lounge chair in the shade on a sunny day with just a few fluffy clouds and a hint of breeze, somewhere near a sparkling body of water, with a cool drink in one hand and a book in the other. Oh, sorry… isn’t that the actual dictionary definition of an ideal summer day?
ITB: Summer eats/treats you can’t live without?
LL: Ice Cream Drumsticks. I mean… I can live without them. But why?
ITB: You must have done a great deal of research to write Once Every Never. What is one of your favourite fun facts about the time of the Celts?
LL: Thank you! I did do rather a lot and I’m glad you noticed!
I love the fact that, contrary to popular opinion, the people of the Celtic tribes were by no means benighted barbarians living in dark, smelly huts wearing animal pelts and eating haunches of meat with their bare hands. In fact, the Celtic culture was a rich, artistically vibrant one, overflowing with artists and craftsmen. They were a people who loved music and storytelling and beautiful things. The ornamentation and the fine, detailed work on jewellery and implements left behind from that period attests to that fact. In ONCE EVERY NEVER, I refer to actual historical artifacts—like the Snettisham Great Torc—that are breathtaking to behold, they are so marvellously made.
ITB: Normally I’m as fond of time travel ideas as Al and Milo—but I was really impressed with how Once Every Never works. Was it difficult to write a book about time travel and handle it in a mostly realistic way?
LL: Ha! I’m glad you think it worked! I will admit to it being quite a challenge keeping everything straight when I was working out the various plot loops and whorls and curlicues as I was writing. Occasionally I got brain-cramp following the bouncing time-lines, but things would always smooth themselves out eventually and I was always delighted at the ways in which they would.
As far as realism goes, I very much wanted to—even though Clare’s abilities are based in magic—keep the time-travel as grounded and plausible as I could within in the context of that mystical framework. Having real, historical events and personages to hang the story on helped immensely in that respect.
ITB: I read on your blog that Once Every Never is going to be a three book series. Can you tell us about what awaits Clare, Milo, and Al in the next book?
LL: It is! I’m very excited about it! I don’t want to give away much, but I can tell you that the story continues with a bit of a perspective shift and brings back most of the characters from the first book, while introducing a few new ones. Clare and Al find themselves once more caught in a shifting temporal web—although not, exactly, as they were in the first book. There is adventure. Romance. Danger. Magic. Milo is, of course, back. So is Maggie. So is…
Look! Over there! Monkeys!
*sneaks out the back door of this interview before spilling any spoilers*
Thanks to Lesley for answering our questions and Penguin Canada for arranging the interview.
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Whoa, mid-August! Already? Wait, just because I wanted the local peaches and summer tomatoes does NOT mean I'm ready for the arrival of fall. In fact I'm refusing to look at anything that has a whiff of fall or cooler temperatures. But while I admit that I'm stubbornly ignoring all signs of the demise of summer, I'm also madly in list-making mode. I intend to squeeze every last drop of summer in the city with this to-do checklist.
Get Outside: Urban Explorer
Open your eyes to your city like a tourist. Get a guidebook and consider doing one of the daytrips or adventures. You may know how to get from point A to point B efficiently but have you visited all the amazing parks, walks, historic sites, coffeehouses and hidden treasures in your own backyard? Retreats and vacations don't always involve flying 8 hours or spending 4 hours in traffic. Go local.
Day-by-day and Daytrip guides:
Toronto
Montreal
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI
Get Outside: Farmer's Markets
It would take a long time to visit every local farmstand. Thank goodness there are farmers markets. The farm comes to you! Take full advantage of all the wonderful (and tasty!) fruit and vegetables that are locally grown and available to you.
Alberta
BC
Manitoba
New Brunwwick
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatechewan
The Best of Summer Eating: Searching for the Ultimate...
In search of the best burger, ice cream or pastry? Me too. And my untested personal theory is that the messier it is, the higher its summer tastiness quotient (STQ). Burgers are at the top of my radar and The Huffington Post is compiling a list of Canada's best burgers. Hooray! I plan to thoroughly quality test each nominee. Plus, it's a great way to explore new neighbourhoods in the city.
The Best of Summer Eating: Taking it to the Streets
Who needs tables, chairs and flatware? Some call it street food; I call it the McGyver menu. Limited time, space, equipment, budget and one of the ultimate foodie challenges. Discover great food, interesting people and the city's hidden gems and unsung culinary heroes. The Live Local Marketplace is the perfect example of the new frontiers of street food.
The Best of the Worst Movie Vacations
It’s August. Sadly, Summer is halfway over. You may have spent a few nights in a tent by now, been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway trying to get away for the weekend, or maybe you've contracted poison ivy or been covered in bug bites, or you may have passed out from heat stroke...maybe all of the above. Not all summer vacations are picture-perfect. Sometimes they end up looking like the movies…horror movies, that is. But when it's time to pack up the swim gear and dig your sweaters and jackets out of storage and head back to school or work, you'll have the memories of your vacation gone bad that you can hopefully laugh at through the winter months. Speaking from experience, your family will learn to laugh about that time you got lost in the mountains of West Virginia, or that time someone broke into your rental car in Portugal, or when the cat fell through the ceiling of the cottage, or when you got attacked by a wild ape in Gibraltar. Today’s unplanned events are tomorrow’s dinner table topics that the family can reminisce about for years to come.
Hopefully your vacations didn’t end up like these folks' in our list of the Top 10 Vacations Gone Bad:
1) National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
An ill-fated cross-country road trip to Walley World introduced audiences to the Griswold family, who just can’t seem to have a nice relaxing vacation, whether they’re in Europe, Las Vegas, or staying home for the Christmas holidays. In the movie that kicked off the Vacation series, the Griswolds encounter a dead relative, get stranded in the desert, accidentally kill a dog, and try their hand at kidnapping.
2) Deliverance (1972)
Just a regular getaway with the guys, canoeing down the river, exploring mother nature, and soaking in the wilderness…and being terrorized by a band of inbred hillbillies. Not exactly the relaxing vacation the men had in mind. Guesome, sometimes gory, and always terrifying, Deliverance was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Perhaps the most famous scene from the film, The duelling banjos is one of the more gentile, before the trip became a nightmare:
3) The Beach (2000)
A hidden paradise sustained by a utopian community on a remote Thai island isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for backpacker Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio). When the idyllic beach vacation full of romance and respite takes a page out of Lord of the Flies, the film becomes a taut thriller directed by (future) Oscar winner Danny Boyle.
4) EuroTrip (2004)
The Euro-trip. It’s become a rite of passage for many people following that confusing time after graduation where you have to figure out what to do with the rest of your life. What better way to spend the summer than with a group of friends as you have misadventures around Europe in the hopes of meeting up with your German pen pal? Language barriers and foreign customs are the source of many laughs in the film, including a hilarious cameo by Matt Damon.
5) Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)
It’s so exciting to have your work recognized by your boss! Except when he invites you to his beach house to have you murdered. Due to an unexpected chain of events, insurance agency boss Bernie ends up dead while the two low-ranking employees he invited to his beach house are left to their own devices to make it appear that Bernie is still alive, lest they be blamed for his murder… or killed themselves.
6) The Shining (1980)
A working vacation in a secluded location can expose your family to new cultures and experiences and provide a refreshing break from everyday routines. Just make sure you’re not booked into the Overlook Hotel. The Staley Kubrick classic is often called one of the best example of the horror movie genre.
7) Brokedown Palace (1999)
Two girls get caught smuggling drugs in Thailand on their post-grad summer vacation when they are set up by a mysterious stranger. Sentenced to spend more than 30 years in a Thai prison, the girls struggle to maintain their sanity, innocence and friendship.
8) The Great Outdoors (1988)
When the yuppie in-laws crash Chet Ripley’s family vacation at a lakeside resort, it becomes a battle of outwitting and one-upping each other. While John Candy may not have taken very kindly to Dan Akyroyd crashing his family vacation, the result is nothing short of non-stop laughs.
9) A Perfect Getaway (2009)
One of the most surprising thrillers of late, A Perfect Getaway has all the elements of a great vacation film: lush scenery, bikini-clad ladies, shirtless dudes, the sun, the sand, and a spine-tingling mystery.
10) Open Water (2003)
Loosely based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, two divers who were left adrift in the open waters of the Great Barrier Reef on a dive trip, Open Water is not a film for those afraid of the water. When an erroneous headcount by the dive-boat team mistakenly abandoned the pair of divers under the water, they spend a long night at sea fighting for their survival in shark-filled waters.
Libba Bray is the author of The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing), the Michael L Printz award-winning Going Bovine, and most recently, the amazing Beauty Queens. Her books are fun and thought-provoking, and her sense of humor has won her many readers and followers online.
It's no secret that we loved Beauty Queens, and we're thrilled she's here to talk a little bit about it and her summer with us. Welcome, Libba!
Indigo Teen Blog: If you were on a possibly deserted island, what three things would you bring with you?
Libba Bray: Let’s see—snacks and water, because I like me some snacks, and I am completely ill-equipped to forage outside of, say, pizza foraging. I would bring toilet paper; I don’t trust those leaves—just sayin’. And I would bring HOW TO GET YOURSELF OFF A DESERTED ISLAND FOR DUMMIES, because I would really, really need to get back to civilization as soon as possible.
ITB: What would be your talent if you were in a beauty pageant?
LB: The ability to avoid answering any question I didn’t have a good answer for, like this:
Q: Libba, how would you characterize Milton Friedman’s theories of economics, and how would you compare and contrast that with Ayn Rand’s Obectivism?
A: (pause) I like you. Can I smell your hair?
ITB: Your next project, The Diviners, is set in 1920s Manhattan. Obviously, it’ll be awesome but can you tell us anything more about it?
LB: I’m going to try to remember that [it] will be “obviously awesome,” because right now, it is totally kicking my boo-tay. This one is a sprawler. It’s four books set over the course of a year. My pitch line is “X-Files with flappers.” I have no idea if the series resembles this ridiculous pitch line in any way, but it sounds good. I’m getting to play with some of my favorite things: the supernatural, historical fiction—or alt history, politics, mystery, monsterish things, the creepy, New York City, showbiz, great clothes.
You know what, let’s just call it “X-Files with flappers.”
ITB: What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?
LB: Well, mostly, I’m reading a lot of non-fiction—research on the 1920s. But I’m looking forward to reading Jo Knowles’s latest, Pearl. She’s a wonderful writer. And I can’t wait to read David Levithan’s EVERY YOU, EVERY ME (early September).
ITB: What's been your most memorable summer read and why?
LB: There are two that spring to mind. The first is THE THORNBIRDS by Colleen McCullough. I read it the summer I was eighteen and home recovering from a serious car accident, and it did that thing that books can do—it completely transported me and made me forget my troubles for a bit. The second is THE PRINCE OF TIDES by Pat Conroy, which I read a few years later while recovering from major surgery (due to that same accident). Apparently, I like to read sweeping family sagas in the summer. Just in case you’re looking for a summer present for me.
ITB: Describe 3 ingredients necessary for your ideal summer weekend:
LB: Good food. Good friends. Good weather.
ITB: Summer eats/treats you can't live without?
LB: I am pro-treats, for sure. Summer treats: watermelon, peaches, guacamole, grilled fish, lemonade, mint iced tea, chips & salsa, ice cream, and key lime pie. Mmmm. Okay, so who’s cooking?
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Thanks to Libba for answering our questions and Scholastic Canada for arranging the interview.
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We created a list of Top 50 Summer Reads and asked some of the authors featured on that list to pick their own favourites. David Nicholls, bestselling co-author of One Day (soon to be released as a major motion picture starring Anne Hathaway), answers our questions below:
What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?
The new novel by Alan Hollinghurst. It's been a long time since The Line of Beauty, and I do think he's one of the finest prose stylists writing at present.
Are there any titles on this list that you have read and loved?
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a wonderful novel—epic, moving, effortlessly entertaining.
What's been your most memorable summer read and why?
Tender is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald, one of my favourite novels. I remember a long journey through Italy one summer, re-reading the book in many of it's locations. It's such a beautiful, lyrical, moving novel, a much better book than Gatsby I think.
Sarah Dessen is the author of ten novels for teens, and she's one of the major players in contemporary teen fiction. It's hard to find someone who has never read one of her books. Her latest novel, What Happened to Goodbye, released in May of this year.
Given that Melanie Fishbane is an avid reader of and passionate advocate for Sarah's books, I bowed out of this interview to let the resident expert handle it. Thanks Melanie for the questions, and please welcome Sarah Dessen!
Indigo Teen Blog: In What Happened to Goodbye, Mclean is building a model town with her friends. Towards the end of the novel, she takes one last look at it and starts seeing all the places she's been...when you think about this being your tenth book and how you've essentially created two very unique places, Colby and Lakeview, I wondered if this was a way for you to look back at what you had created?
Sarah Dessen: I actually hadn't thought about that, but you're right! It is very similar. I loved the idea of Mclean, a person who for the last few years has had no roots and no real place, finally seeing that she's part of something bigger than just herself and her own life. I'd actually had the idea for the model town for years, as I'd seen something here in Chapel Hill similar to it when I was a kid and never forgotten it. I love the idea of the world in miniature. It makes things seem simpler and more complicated, all at once.
ITB: How do you approach handle writing about difficult subject matters?
SD: I think you just have to do it. My books tend to be really messy in progress: it takes me a while to figure out exactly what I want to say, and then how to say it. It's often the third or fourth time I'm going over a scene that I get it right. I've also found, after ten books, that the more I obsess/worry/think about my writing before I sit down and do it, the worse of a time I have. It's like I psych myself out or something. Ideally my subconscious brain is figuring things out while I'm grocery shopping or trying to get my kid to eat her vegetables. Then, when I sit down to work, it just comes together. That's a GOOD day, though. There are plenty of bad ones!
ITB: Recently, you wrote an article for Cosmogirl about the "not-so-perfect-boy" and on your website, there is a chat group devoted to the boys in the novels. What do you think it is about your guy characters that is so attractive to your readers?
SD: I think when the boy isn't perfect, you don't feel that you have to be either. In high school, I was never into the most popular or best looking guys at my school. Quirky and funny was much more interesting to me, and I guess that's still true on the page as well. It's so much more fun to write someone who is offbeat, and I think the fact that I'm having fun makes the character even better. Plus, I do get to crush on a new boy every book, which is a nice bonus.
ITB: What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?
SD: I've just recently discovered an author named Jonathan Tropper, and I've been busy finding and devouring his back list. One of my favorite authors, Jennifer Weiner, has a new book just out as well that I can't wait to get my hands on. I jump around a lot between genres and fiction and non-fiction. And I am a serious magazine addict. I basically stand by my mailbox and wait for my US Weekly to arrive. It's my guiltiest of pleasures.
ITB: What's been your most memorable summer read and why?
SD: I remember one summer, when I was in college, I read Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides. I just fell into it, reading for hours at a time. It riveted me, and when I was done I went and read everything else he'd done. I have the best memories of that experience, just stretched out on the couch under the ceiling fan on those hot, hot days, lost in his stories. I did the same thing another summer with Anne Tyler's books. I love finding an author who has published a lot of novels and just going on a tear through all of them.
ITB: Describe your ideal summer day.
SD: It would probably be spent at the NC Coast, with my family. Sleeping in, coffee on the deck, then reading by the pool or beach. Shrimpburgers and onion rings for lunch, LOOOONG nap, more beach time after. Apps and drinks, then an early dinner and a good DVD. Oh, you are KILLING me with this question. I wish I was there right now!
ITB: Summer eats/treats you can’t live without?
SD: Well, my love of deviled eggs is well documented. They ARE summer to me, although sometimes I cheat and make them before May or after Labor Day. Also, as mentioned above, shrimpburgers, which are fried shrimp mixed with a bit of cocktail and tartar sauce, served on a hamburger bun. Oh, my goodness. And then there's ice cream. But I eat that year round. You have to!
Thanks to Sarah for answering our questions and Penguin Canada for setting up the interview.
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Follow our Teen Summer Reading Series:
• Libba Bray
We created a list of Top 50 Summer Reads and asked some of the authors featured on that list to pick their own favourites. Anne Barrows, bestselling co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, answers our questions below:
What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?
My big treat for the summer is going to be The Thousand Autums of Jacob De Zoet. I've been looking forward to it for ages, because I loved Cloud Atlas, but I've been forcing myself to stick to Victorians for the last six months in preparation for a book I'm planning. I'm currently in the throes of studying Victorian lunatics, but as soon as I've finished with them—or they've finished with me—I'm going to reward myself with Jacob De Zoet.
Are there any titles on this list that you have read and loved?
Like everyone else in the world, I adored Eat Pray Love. Particularly the Eat part, which shows you where my heart lies. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay fills me with wondering admiration, both for the crafting of the story and for the research at its foundation.
What's been your most memorable summer read and why?
On July 16, 2005, I bought my eager daughter a hot-off-the-press copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince—and then stole it from her after she went to bed and read like a fiend through the night. Of course, I kept telling myself to cut it out and go to sleep, but I was too excited to sleep, and besides, I knew I couldn't bear to relinquish it to my daughter the next morning if I hadn't finished it. So I read through the night and finished it at 7 in the morning—and I was still too excited to sleep until later in the afternoon. I used to read like that—for hours at a stretch—when I was a kid, and the night of Harry Potter seems like time-travel to me when I remember it, a childhood night in the middle of adulthood, a vacation from being a grownup.
