what we read this summer

This summer we decided to cut back our cable and read more books. Blake and I both were readers once-upon-a-time but since we've been together (nearing 8 years) we've really only each read a handful of books. It was a wonderful experiment and a successful one at that. In classic Blake-style, he went at it in full-force...one of the many reasons I love this man is his determined and impassioned nature. I had to laugh when I saw the reoccurring theme of his final list--such an atheist! *chuckles and shakes head* Nearly half of his list are things he read in his late teens and early 20's that had profoundly influenced him and he very much enjoyed the greater depth the 2nd time around now that he is older (like the Miller stuff). I, myself, am proud of my own list which is well-rounded and done while caring for a newborn. Technically, I think we started reading in the spring and just finished our last book on the list a week ago. But whatevah.


B's books:
Tropic of Capricorn (Henry Miller)
Blackspring (Henry Miller)--possibly his fave H.M. book
Crazy Cock (Henry Miller)--not his favorite H.M book
The Will to Doubt (Bertrand Russel)
Why I Am Not a Christian (Bertrand Russel)
The Portable Atheist (Christopher Hitchens)
Me of Little Faith (Lewis Black)
Nothing Sacred (Lewis Black)
Beware of God (Shalom Auslander)--Blake's favorite new author, check out The Foreskin's Lament
Up Til Now (William Shatner)
Aku-Aku (Thor Heyerdahl)
Growing Up In New Guinea (Margaret Mead)
The Painted Bird (Jerzey Kosinski)--oy, Blake says, you should be forewarned for this one....VERY heavy--geezma jones....

Lou's books:
A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)
The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)--best read of the summer for me, I am so unoriginal :)
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (Jessie and Susan Wise)
How to Grow More Vegetables (John Jeavons)
Animal Vegetable Mineral (Barbara Kingsolver)
Blink (Malcolm Gladwell)--author of The Tipping Point. A recommendation from Blake's dad.

Mayan's books:
The Tale of Despereaux (Kate Dicamillo)--we LOVED this, a tad intense, better for 6 and up. While googling this I found out that it is being made into a movie)
Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
Where the Sidewalk Ends (Shel Silverstein)--Mayan first full poetry book
The Witches (Roald Dahl)--too freaky for Isadore


Did you have a favorite read this summer, bloggers?