Recent Reads

Although I haven't gotten through much of my summer reading list (unfortunately), I have been reading since I last updated (obviously).

In reverse chronological order:

My Own Country by Abraham Verghese- This was part of my assigned Stanford summer reading, which has been fun largely. A work of nonfiction, it explores Verghese's early years as a doctor treating AIDS in a small town in Tennessee where residents were largely ignorant of its existence within their community and the stigma Verghese encountered simply for treating the disease. It's not riveting if one's not interested in infectious disease, but I do enjoy reading about the subject so I found it fascinating. The story is told through personal anecdotes and individual patient stories. It is a long and heavy read though.

Also by Abraham Verghese: Cutting for Stone (fiction)

The City of Fallen Angels by John Berendt- I read this on the recommendation of my dad and loved it. Technically a work of nonfiction, I like to call it "nonfiction with some creative liberty". In fact, it has sat on my fiction shelf for several months (oops). It did read like a work of fiction and was absolutely fascinating. He made me want to travel to Venice and encounter all these characters (real people) myself. I have now added "Venetian Palazzo" to my list of dream homes.

Also by John Berendt: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (highly recommended)

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino- I read this on the enthusiastic recommendation of Jane who always has great taste in literature. Calvino both enthralled and frustrated me (in a good way) and truly made me think about the connection between writer and audience since the point of the novel is to draw one's attention to that relationship. It's an absolute must-read for any lover of books. Highly literary and ultimately satisfactory. His craftsmanship of plot, chapter, paragraph, sentence etc. is extraordinary.

Also by Italo Calvino: Invisible Cities, many more, all translated from Italian.

I'm positive I've forgotten a few, but I will try to post those reviews soon, along with more (and varied blog posts). Hopefully, I can make updating a little more regular.

Stay classy,

Kaitlin