Here come digital books I plan to read during my summer holiday.
The Blade Itself, Joe Abercrombie - to be finished (90% done). I think Abercrombie is a good pick for the folks suffering from Song of Ice and Fire-withdrawal. Won't make my all-time favourites but it's decent escapism with some very interesting characters.
The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi - to be finished. This is a buddyread I'm doing with Michael from Knowledge Lost. The world has gone pear shaped and the remaining population lives in constant fear of mutating plagues. Lovely beach read.
Ubik, Philip K. Dick - I think everyone should have more Philip K. Dick in their lives.
Wastelands 2, edited by John Joseph Adams - anthology on the apocalyptic themes. I've always had a healthy interest (:p) in apocalypse narratives. I have ordered Wastelands 1 in print but it might take a while to arrive. The authors of the stories in this collection make me feel all kinds of excitement. Another lovely beach read.
Breaking Stalin's Nose, Eugene Yelchin - one of the first books on my Kindle, a very short read, yet I haven't got to it yet. The title is entertaining and I'm happy to give it a go.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betti Smith - one of the great American books. I don't care much for all things American, but I have a soft spot for some of their literature, and I think this would be a good pick as a holiday read.
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins - two words: low expectations.
Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell - I have no idea how this book got to my e-reader. But there it is and I suppose there won't be a better time to give it a go. Might be an actual, sarcasm-free beach read for a change.
Context: for the half of last month, I worked 12-hour days. For the rest of the half, I worked 10-hour days. Given that, it's fair to say I am slightly overexcited about the prospect of 3 glorious, summery weeks off from all the editing and translating and arguing with an irrational client and "herding the sheep" (this is a joke, I love my team a lot :) )
This may also be why I have listed 15 books in my to-read list for three weeks (plus one day... a lot can happen in one day).
Here are the print books:
Nine Stories, J.D. Salinger - a collection of short stories. Salinger's Franny and Zooey is one of my favourite books.
The Republic of Thieves, Scott Lynch (about half way through) - the last book of the series was pretty much a miss for me, but this one has been going a lot better.
The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia, Michael Booth - how is it that so many people seem to possess deep interest in Scandinavia/Nordic region, yet no one really knows anything much about it, not to mention dreams of living here? I'm afraid it might turn out a bit of a shallow read, but no doubt it will be entertaining, and at least semi-educating.
The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides - seems to be bit of a love-or-hate this one? Then again I guess Eugenides is... I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it because if you write like the guy who gave birth to Middlesex, it takes a sort of unimaginable skill to screw up a book.
Abaddon's Gate, James S. A. Corey - ain't no better combination than summer and space operas.
Apteeker Melchior ja Rataskaevu viirastus, Indrek Hargla - the smart apotheka owner Melchior continues solving brutal crimes in medieval Tallinn. Bloody love this stuff.
City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett - so excited for this one! Looks very promising.
And that's about half of it, I will be posting e-books tomorrow!
