B is for Beer & my (probably overly ambitious) summer reading list

"I've actually been writing since I was five. There are stories still in existence. But I didn't get published until I was seven." 

"Well, every writer has to have his years of struggle."

photo by Cade Martin

I’m really trying to prep my brain for focus in the coming three years of academia. So I’ve set up a rather rigorous reading list in the time before I leave. Seeing as I like to overwhelm myself, I’ve paired it with a rather rigorous “To Write” list, as well, of course “to figure out” and “to organize to ship to Scotland” list. Let’s start with the easiest one: “To Read.” It’s got some books I’ve been meaning to get to, some books vaguely related to Nicholas & Alexandra, as well as the books by my future professors (one, The Glister, I already read earlier this Spring.) It also features some of the books that were on last year’s MLitt curriculum list, in the hopes that they will be on this year’s list as well.

-Finish Mary McCarthy’s The Group (only about 100 pages left)

-Finish Meaghan Delahunt’s In The Casa Azul
(This is my future professor's book about a mother/son assassin team & Frida Kahlo's affair with Leon Trotsky-- also useful Trotsky research for Nic & Alix-- not that you ever see Trotsky in the musical)

-Meaghan Delahunt’s The Red Book
(her other novel, about photographers in India)

- Out of My Skin by John Haskell

- Unholy Ghost: Writers on Depression by Nell Casey

- Falling Man by Don DeLillo

- The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho

- The Modern Scottish Novel by Craig Cairns

And I'd like to get around to knocking out one or two more of Tom Robbins. That guy is so effing funny. The perfect example of this is his children's book B is for Beer.  Just hilarious. But I love Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, Jitterbug Perfume & Still Life with Woodpecker. So I'd like to get around to Skinny Legs and All or Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates.

For more examples of his fabulous humor (he loves puns! reminds me of Dad!) listen this hilarious interview with on Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me.


Oh, and I’m putting it on my list to get around to finally starting Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy.

I need a Kindle, stat. Anyone want to make a donation to my pitiful readers’ fund?

REMINDER: Cronin reading The Passage, TUESDAY 7PM Borders in Columbus Circle. Be there.