A Summer Reading List with Books That Actually Exist
Alissa Grosso
This week’s big kerfuffle in the literary world is a summer reading list that appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times. I have strong feelings about summer reading lists. Part of this stems from my days working in the children’s department of a big public library, where teachers would routinely write up their own summer reading lists, and the first we would learn about it was when twenty kids came in looking for a book that had gone out of print ten years ago, and for which we had a single battered copy. Plus I think summer reading should be fun, and you should just read whatever you feel like reading.
That said I, and many others in the literary community have especially strong feelings about the now infamous Chicago Sun-Times summer reading list, which was apparently written by AI, and though the authors on the list are all real, more than half of the books mentioned do not actually exist. My heart goes out to all the librarians now trying to explain this to the patrons who want to read these imaginary books. To be fair to the Chicago Sun-Times this was not actually one of their articles but something that appeared in an advertising supplement. I do feel for all the authors and publishers who are trying to get some media coverage for their books, only to have to contend with nonsense reading lists.
So, to try and balance the scales or whatever, I decided to put together my own summer reading list. I know for a fact that all of the books on this list exist, because I have actually read them. As for whether or not they are all still in print, well, that I can’t say for sure. (Sorry, librarians!)
Anyway here’s some books I’ve read more or less recently, and which I enjoyed:
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell - I’ve seen this book described as cozy horror, and I think that’s a pretty good way to sum it up. There are monsters and brutality, but at the same time it’s kind of a sweet story. It’s also wonderfully weird. I don’t really do horror because I’m a big scaredy cat, but I enjoyed this book.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore - If you prefer your creepiness more grounded in reality, then this one’s for you. This mystery thriller is perfect for summer taking place during a couple of summers that are decades apart. It was one of those books that I had a hard time putting down.
Life in the Present by Liz Climo - Too busy to do much reading over the summer? This short little comics collection is a perfect choice. Liz Climo is one of my favorite comic creators, and her sweet little comics about quirky little animals will bring a smile to your face.
A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers - I had a cozy horror book on the list, so it only seems fair to include a cozy science fiction tale as well. This little book is set in the far future and chronicles the journey of a monk and a robot trying to find their place in the world.
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino - And for those trying to find their way in the world this novel filled with both sweetness and sadness along with some quirkiness chronicles the life of someone who attempts to understand the humans around her.
Model Home by Rivers Solomon - For someone who considers herself a scaredy cat it’s weird that there’s more than one horror novel on this list, but this is an unconventional haunted house novel that will pull you in.
Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross - This one’s spooky too, but more of a thriller than a horror novel with lots of unexpected twists with a book within a book theme that I am always a sucker for.
The Naked Tree by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim - This graphic novel also has a book within a book aspect to it, and takes place in the 1950s against the backdrop of the Korean War.
The Appeal by Janice Hallett - This modern day epistolary mystery novel is one of those books that is really difficult to put down. The whole novel is told via a series of emails between members of a local theatre group and is brilliantly done.
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera - If there’s one thing I love in a book, it’s weirdness and The Saint of Bright Doors is brimming with it. I don’t even know how to properly describe it. I guess technically it’s fantasy, but really that label doesn’t do it justice. If you are tired of the same old, same old, pick up this book. It is wholly original!
Hope it All Works Out by Reza Farazmand - Yes, there are two different comics collections on this list. Sorry, not sorry. Poorly Drawn Lines is probably my single favorite comic. It can be dark and sometimes sweary, but it always makes me laugh out loud, and this latest collection has some great ones including one of my all time favorites, the strip about the houseplants fighting over sunlight. If you know, you know, and if you don’t get your hands on this collection.
The Road From Belhaven by Margot Livesy - I’ll admit that probably my least favorite genre is historical fiction, but with just a smidgeon of the supernatural thrown in this haunting tale set in a bygone Scotland brings to life the unique challenges women of the past faced.
The Hare by Melanie Finn - Covering a span of many years, this often dark novel also focuses on the unique challenges that beset women. It was one of those books that stayed with me long after I read it.
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee - This novel is science fiction of the weird variety. It’s a dark book that reminded me a bit of classic Philip K. Dick. I will say that if you’re looking for something to read during a summer vacation when you don’t want to think about work, maybe stick with something a little bit lighter because as Jonathan Abenathy finds there is no escape from work.
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - I love a good mystery, and this one is fun to read. It too has a bit of a book within a book aspect to it, one that makes me think that the author really doesn’t like copyeditors. I shudder to think about the work that had to go into getting everything just right for the different editions of this book. So, perhaps if you’re a copyeditor this one won’t count as escapist, but for everyone else this quirky (and apparently murderous) family will keep you entertained.
After reviewing this list, I realized it isn’t very well-rounded. It’s almost all novels. I read non-fiction too, but for some reason when I was trying to remember all the books I’d read of late that really grabbed me none of the non-fiction ones came to mind. So, this is why you should take any summer reading list—whether it was written by a human or artificial intelligence—with a grain of salt.
I hope you have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!
— Alissa
Weekly Inspiration
What I’m Reading: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
What I’m Watching: Driveaway Dolls
What I’m Listening to: “Ode to L.A.” by The Raveonettes
Find out more about my books at alissagrosso.com
Find out more about my art at alissacarin.com
My apologies for the typos and such this post is almost certainly riddled with.
That was embarrassing! A 'newspaper' using AI... when reporters are losing jobs...
I recently finished "A Serial Killer's Daughter" by the daughter of the BTK killer. No gore, but a look inside how monsters hide in plain sight all around us.
I seriously do not understand the infatuation with AI, when I keep hearing stories like this. What is the value of something that spits out nonsense?
An excellent nonfiction book I read recently was Failure to Appear, by Emily L Quint Freeman. The true story of an antiwar activist who becomes a fugitive and lives under assumed identities for a couple of decades.