Summer Reading List Favorites

I have read a great deal this summer. This can be attributed to the combination of listening to audiobooks at work and having few social functions to attend to after work. I'm not trained in the appreciation of literature, so I am going to be very brief. Here are some of my favorites in no particular order.

Bossypants: This was the first audiobook I got this summer. It is a good read. It is funny and relatively short. If you are a fan of Tina Fey or 30 Rock, you should definitely pick up a copy. It will give you a new appreciation for both 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live.

For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms: I am sure you are all familiar with these books, so I will not bother trying to sum them up. But they were some of my favorite books I read this summer, so I am putting them on the list anyways.

The Hunger Games Series: I believe these are classified as Young Adult reading material. They are not particularly profound, but they are enjoyable. They are suspenseful and read quickly. Good entertainment.

Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire: Book 1: A solid, well-written fantasy epic. I've only read the first book, but I look forward to reading further. George R. R. Martin does a great job creating a world that feels complete and real, in my mind the most important feature of a good fantasy writer. I haven't seen the show yet, but the book is great.

Blood, Bones, and Butter: Written by Gabrielle Hamilton, who I gather is a famous chef in New York, this books tells the story of how she got there. She is a very talented writer, incredibly adept at painting pictures with her words. If you are interested in food or would simply like to enjoy someone else's well-written nostalgia, you'll like this book.

Star Wars The Old Republic: Deceived: The second book in the series setting up the backstory for the upcoming game. I didn't much like the first one, but this one is good. If you are as excited as I am about this game, you'll like this book.

The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine: This was maybe my favorite book of the summer. Steve Rinella, the author, describes himself as a modern day hunter gatherer. The premise of the book is similar to The Omnivore's Dilemma. He plans a feast and gives himself one year to gather all of the ingredients. Unlike The Omnivore's Dilemma, this book is not terribly concerned with environmentalism. One third of the book is not dedicated to corn. Instead, this book is just a series of stories about Steve Rinella hunting and fishing all over the country to gather ingredients for his feast. There is a focus on how disconnected we have become from our food. If you are interested in the snout-to-tail movement or just becoming more closely involved in your own food procurement, you'll like this book. Assuming you are not a vegetarian, of course.