The eNotes Blog What You Read Over Summer Vacation Readers Respond toeNotes

What You Read Over Summer Vacation Readers Respond to Remember, just a few months ago, when the summer seemed endless and our Loyal Blog Readers were asked what   books were going into beach bags and which were being chucked in the backseats of cars?   Some were novels recommended by a friend; others were purchased because of the rave reviews of trusted literary critics; still others were ones that had been Christmas gifts that we were finally going to have time to read.   Well, now those readers report back, with thumbs up or down or sideways about those earlier choices, and some that snuck in somehowimpulse buys or gifts.   Heres what you had to say about your summer reading selections:    THUMBS UP! Whered You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple Delightfully droll. Semplecuts a wry slice of a life-one thats populated by private school helicopter parents, obsessively eco-conscious neighbors, and green-juice swilling, TED-talking husbands-and one thats sharp enough to make us feel slightly relieved about not having to live anywhere quite so bucolic. (Megan OGrady, Vogue) MEH. Joyland by Stephen King Not too much joy to be found from one reader, who deems Joyland to be merely so-so. An amusement park and murder figure into a coming-of-age tale in this miniature thriller with a hint of the supernatural. – Los Angeles Times THUMBS UP! TWICE! Many   readers read this over the summer and highly recommend. More chimed in saying they have it on their lists as well. Hey, there are still a couple more weeks left in the summer of 2013! Cooked:   A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements- fire, water, air, and earth- to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer. THUMBS UP! Devil in the White City by Erik Larson This novel appeared on our Summer Reading Suggestions for 2013 and we are happy to report   it met our readers expectations. Erik Larson- author of #1 bestseller In the Garden of Beasts- intertwines the true tale of the 1893 Worlds Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction. MEH. Cell by Stephen King Sorry, Mr. King, but youve made the meh list twice this year.   Maybe its because sometimes you want the literary equivalent of McDonalds, but then you eat/read it and you realize it tasted like masking tape.   Anyhoo. heres the description should you feel like a (un)Happy Meal: Graphic artist Clay Riddell was in the heart of Boston on that brilliant autumn afternoon when hell was unleashed before his eyes. Without warning, carnage and chaos reigned. Ordinary people fell victim to the basest, most animalistic destruction. And the apocalypse began with the ring of a cell phone. THUMBS UP! The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks Meet Frank Cauldhame. Just sixteen, and unconventional to say the least: Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than Id disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. Thats my score to date. Three. I havent killed anybody for years, and dont intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through. OTHERS BOOKS THAT ALSO GOT THUMBS UP! Fall of Giants (Triology) by Ken Follet Declare by Tim Powers N0S4A2 by Joe Hill The Night She Disappeared by Alice Henry The Fault in Our Stars by John Green