Juliette’s Book Club: Summer Reading #1 – the longest list ever.

Welcome to Juliette’s Book Club – a semi regular feature here at Vampiremaman.com. It is HOT out and time to get a cool drink and read some great books out on your deck, or anywhere in the lovely shade. The following are books I’ve read, and books I think you might like. 

In future posts I’ll add short story anthologies, new books, and books on my to-read list, as well as my favorite book series. You can find all of these books online (Amazon, eBay, and tons of other online booksellers), at your public library, on our friend’s shelves (but don’t be an asshole and always return books in the condition you borrowed them in), and in your local bookstores, including used bookstores. 

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

Books I’ve Read Again and Again – Non-Fiction

Attending Marvels: A Patagonian Journal by George Gaylord Simpson

 Journal of scientific expedition to Patagonia in 1930. to search for fossils to help understand the evolution of mammals. George Simpson was a young scientist in a wild place, looking for answers. This beautifully written book covers not only the scientific aspect of the expedition but also includes cultural and personal observations. The good news is that there is nothing dull or dry about this book. 

Eldorado by Bayard Taylor

American poet, literary critic, translator, and travel author, Bayard Taylor (1825 – 1878) led a remarkable life and left a fascinating legacy. His travel books are known for their keen details, humor, and adventure. His poetry still stands up and his translations were at one time considered some of the finest. In 1849, Taylor made a trip to California and Mexico. Throughout the journey he kept detailed accounts of adventures, mishaps, happy times, and interesting characters he met along the way. In the tradition of classic travel writers, Taylor takes you along to a fascinating world that no longer exists. Gold prospecting in California and surviving robbers in Mexico were just part of the exciting adventures Taylor encountered. This book is amazing.

We Took to The Woods  by Louise Dickinson Rich

At one time in my life, I might have followed a handsome man into the woods for a life of adventure. I wouldn’t do it now, but I absolutely LOVE this book. It brings out a sense of adventure in me that I love. There is also the sense of being self-sufficient that rings true in my comfortable suburban life. In her early thirties, Louise Dickinson Rich took to the woods of Maine with her husband. They found their livelihood and raised a family in the remote backcountry settlement of Middle Dam, in the Rangeley area. Rich made time after morning chores to write about their lives. We Took to the Woods is an adventure story, written with humor, but it also portrays a cherished dream awakened into full life. First published 1942.

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer

Like all Krakauer’s books I’ve read, you won’t be able to put this one down. He is a master at telling stories of adventure, the human spirit, misadventure, and stupid tragedy. He can also write about the forces of nature unlike anyone. 

A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that “suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down.” He was wrong. 

By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer’s highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber’s death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others’ actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself. 

A Walk in the Woods – Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail* by Bill Bryson 

Granville Redmond: The Eloquent Palette* by Scott A. Shields 

Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper

Fiction

I’m just going to list the title and author here because there are so many. A few have brief notes. As always, READ THE BOOK, because the movie versions often/usually suck.

*Books I’ve read multiple times

Dirty Blonde* by Lisa Scottoline
I love most of her books. She has series, as well as stand-alone novels. Her historic novels are wonderful too. 

All of the Oz Books*  by L. Frank Baum. 
Yes, there are more than 20 books AFTER Dorothy’s first visit of Oz. And YES, she does go back. The best thing is that in Oz cats can talk, and boy do they have a lot to say. I love the film with Judy Garland but read the books. Even if you are a grown up you’re in for a treat. After the first book Baum hired a better illustrator and the stories got crazy. These books are absolutely wonderful. 

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Somone by Benjamin Stevenson

______________

John Steinbeck:

Cannery Row*
I love this book so much. It is a quick read. It is amazing. You’ll laugh out loud. You might even tear up a bit. It is just brilliant.  (The movie was beyond bad and NOTHING like the book, except both had humans in them, and the same title.)

East of Eden 
(The movie was beyond bad, and Julie Harris was the worst actress they could have chosen for this part, and I can’t even stand to watch any movie with her in it. I hate it when people don’t read the book and only see a lame ass film or mini-series)

Travels With Charlie*
John Steinbeck travels around the country with his dog Charlie. 

Cabinet of Curiosities* by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Read this book first, then read “Still Life with Crows”. 

Still Life with Crows* by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Boys Life* by Robert R. McCammon

NO THIS IS NOT THE MOVIE THIS BOYS LIFE. 
I love this book so much. 
Robert McCammon delivers “a tour de force of storytelling” in this award-winning masterpiece, a novel of Southern boyhood, growing up in the 1960s, that reaches far beyond that evocative landscape to touch readers universally.

Boy’s Life is a richly imagined, spellbinding portrait of the magical worldview of the young—and of innocence lost.

Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson—a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake—and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible, haunting vision of death. As Cory struggles to understand his father’s pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that surround him. From an ancient mystic who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown—for his father’s sanity and his own life hang in the balance.

The Wolf’s Hour*by Robert R. McCammon

One of the most wonderful and amazing books I’ve ever read. It is about a Russian werewolf, living in England who hunts Nazi’s during WW2. It is in my top 5 favorite books of all time. The characters are true to life and believable. On the eve of D-Day, a British secret agent with unique powers goes behind Nazi lines Michael Gallatin is a British spy with a peculiar talent: the ability to transform himself into a wolf. Although his work in North Africa helped the Allies win the continent in the early days of World War II, he quit the service when a German spy shot his lover in her bed. Now, three years later, the army asks him to end his retirement and parachute into occupied Paris. A mysterious German plan called the Iron Fist threatens the D-Day invasion, and the Nazi in charge is the spy who betrayed Michael’s lover. The werewolf goes to France for king and country, hoping for a chance at bloody vengeance.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Shadow of the Moon* by M. M. Kaye

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon* by Stephen King 

My favorite Stephen King novel.

On a six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland quickly tires of the constant bickering between her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. But when she wanders off by herself, and then tries to catch up by attempting a shortcut, she becomes lost in a wilderness maze full of peril and terror.

The Poe Shadow* by Matthew Pearl

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie* by Alan Bradley 

Tales to Chill Your Bones To by Michael Haberfelner

A Feast Not So Fancy* by Mandy White

Dysfictinal 3: Down the Psyco Path (Disfunctional Fiction)* by Mandy White

The Feeder by Mandy White

THE* by Nathan Tackett

Perfume: A Story of a Murder by Patrick Susland

Interview With a Vampire* by Anne Rice

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Much better than the movie. READ THE BOOK. You’ll lose some sleep over it but it is worth it.

World War Z by Max Brooks

In the Palace of Ordeal & Death  by J. Harrison Kemp

Exceptional Liars by Marla Todd

Unfortunate Souls  (Unfortunate Souls Series) By Jade M. Phillips 

Spence and Nameless by Dave Henderson

Whatever you do, never get between a man and his cat.

This is my short list. I’ll have more recommendations later. The fiction list above includes mainstream fiction, humor, horror, fantasy, suspense, and books that can’t be classified. The whole genre thing is weird because most books are more than one of these classifications.