12 Authors Share Favorite Summer Books
Books to Dip Into and Out Of
Burroughs: The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson ($22, amazon.com).
We know Emily Dickinson lived in olden days and she was a poet and seldom left her home. But read one of her poemsany one
will doand youll see the evidence of a glittering genius. You will be amazed by what one brilliant woman can accomplish
alone in her bedroom without e-mail, a telephone, or a best friend.
Collins: Anything by Elmore Leonard. His books are short, smart, and hilarious.
DeMille: The Atlantic Book of British and American Poetry, edited by Edith Sitwell (find used copies online, amazon.com).
Sitwell picked the best of the best in the English language. Excellent with a bottle of wine on the porch or the patio.
Evanovich: Disney Princess The Ultimate Sticker Book ($7, amazon.com).
Stick Snow White and Cinderella on the pages and make up your own stories.
Fairstein: I always keep a volume of 19th-century British poetry near my bed. Its a delight to put myself to sleep with a sonnet or
a love poem.
Gilbert: Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius ($11, amazon.com).
I keep a copy by my bed. And the fact that the ruminations of a second-century Roman emperor bring me comfort, delight, and
inspiration is a clue to how timeless this is. Even those of us who arent governing empires can benefit from these musings
on courage and decency.
Gregory: Sappho: A New Translation, translated by Mary Barnard ($14, amazon.com).
It sounds fearfully heavy, but it is absolutely contemporary in feel. A friend who teaches a course in Sappho sent me one
poem: Dont ask me what to wear. This is a poet who lived thousands of years ago, yet her work will make a modern woman
laugh with recognition.
Kinsella: The Portable Dorothy Parker, edited by Marion Meade ($18, amazon.com).
I adore her wit and dark humor.
Macomber: Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis ($14, amazon.com).
A series of radio broadcasts Lewis made during World War II, which can be absorbed chapter by chapter without loss of continuity.
Patterson: Nine Horses, by Billy Collins ($15, amazon.com).
Collins makes writing accessible poetry seem easy.
Picoult: The Best American Short Stories ($14, amazon.com).
I am a sucker for this collection and keep a copy of the 2007 edition, edited by Stephen King, in the guest room of our lake
house.
Steel: Anything religious.
Most Popular Galleries
Hot Topic
How to Automatically Back Up Your Photos
What's Hot
What Causes Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?
If your dark circles aren’t quite this adorable, you don’t have to grin and bear it. Try these (en)lightening strategies to minimize them.











