My spring break officially begins at 3:45 p.m. today. I’m not going out of town, but I’m looking forward to having no schedule and being at home and sleeping late. And reading. I’m planning to lie around on my screened porch and read. A lot. It should come as no surprise that I have a huge pile of books at the ready, which makes me wonder what you’re reading. What’s on your beside table? What can’t you put down? What do you think everyone else on the planet (or at least on your bloglist) should read? Leave me a comment and recommend a book; tell me why I should read it; include the Dewey number and an annotated bibliography. Kidding. Ha. Ha ha.
I’ll start. I think you all should read The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.
I have read The Bean Trees six times, the first as a junior in college, and I could easily pick it up right now and start reading it again. It is heartbreaking, haunting, uplifting, inspiring. It makes me want to write, and it makes me want to love. Every time I read it I see new angles and turns of phrase. Most recently I read it as someone who hopes to be a parent soon, and the mother-child images and themes made me weep. The Bean Trees is Kingsolver’s first novel, and one of her best. It is certainly one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read.
So…who’s next?
one small corner of the universe 
Currently I’m reading The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I’m only a few pages in but I’m loving it already.
I’ve read the Bean Trees several times. In fact, a few years ago I helped organize one of those programs where you try to get a lot of people to read the same book at the same time. We tried to get all of Utah to read The Bean Trees. It was pretty cool!
As for a suggestion, you can see in my sidebar all the books I’m going to be working through in the next few weeks. I just finished The God of Small Things by Arhundadi Roy. I am strongly recommending to anyone who will listen that they read this book. Not only is it beautiful, with lovely language, but it will break your heart. Seriously. Can’t say enough about this book.
HD–I am in the process of reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I have not gotten very far but it pops up A LOT on mama’s librarian list serv. I am just a few pages in and it’s good. I think you will really like it.
I, too, have read The Bean Trees…thanks to you letting me borrow your copy! =]
I’ll be in touch about hopefully being able to come visit the week after Easter. Enjoy your break!
Read Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett. Can’t get it out of my head. Plus she and Lucy Grealy (whom the book is about) went to my college.
I am just finishing Louis Sachar’s Small Steps, the sequel (sort of) to Holes. In adult books, I have a pile by my bed that I don’t seem to get to that includes Roth’s Plot Against America and whatever the newest by Bohjalian is. And some other things. I started a book of Sarah Vowell essays on the plane back from Turkey but haven’t gotten back to it yet.
What I read over and over: all books by John Irving and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.
PS – there’s another Wes in the blogosphere, huh? I got all weirded out thinking it was my Wes commenting!
D, DEFINATELY read The Kite Runner. It is so good. My book is Stephen King’s The Stand. It is about 3 million (or so ;-)) pages long, but all of the different people and aspects coming together just thrill me. I have literally read it so many times that I can sit down and open it to anywhere and just read. I want to try your book though, maybe at the end of the semester!
ahh, i love that book. you have 2 books of mine that you know you should read.. BUT! i’ve almost finished Reading Lolita.. and I think that you should read that.. or finish it.. whatever.
I am currently reading Miss Juila Meets Her Match by Ann B. Ross. Maybe you’ve heard of her… she is a North Carolina author. She’ll be at our Barnes & Noble this Thursday night at 7:00. Miss Juila is a true “Steel Magnolia.” The books are really light-hearted and funny. If you haven’t read her books before, pick up a copy of her first novel, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. I’m sure you’ll like it. As for books I can read over and over… the Harry Potter series is at the top of my list at the moment. I actually just finished listening to them on cd. The whole “books on cd” invention is perfect for busy moms like me who can’t find time to read books that don’t have Dora or The Backyardigans as their main characters. I listen to them in the car while driving the girls to preschool and play dates, etc.