Summer Reading

By the time the summer rolls around, I have a stack of books by my bedside and a cue of titles on my Kindle to read. I have just finished listening to Impossible by Nancy Werlin which I highly recommend. The story is a tale of generations of women who are cursed... the curse they bear is that they will become pregnant at the age of 18, give birth to a daughter and then go crazy. But what if the curse can be broken? Is it impossible? Although the tasks that need to be accomplished seem insurmountable, true love and cleverness may be enough to break the curse. I have also read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks which was a page turner. I am almost finished with Lowboy which is about a schizophrenic young man who runs away from home and does not take his meds. The main character,Will Heller, allows us into his brain in such a way that you cannot help but feel confused and empathetic. The book is like a bad accident- you are afraid to look, but cannot turn away.I am not sure this is a book for everyone- it requires patience and attention, but it is well worth the effort. Another book that I am currently reading is The Soloist which is also a movie playing in the theaters. This is the story of a brilliant violinist, who also suffers from mental illness. He is discovered living on the streets by the author, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, who can't help but be drawn into this talented and troubled mans life. The writing style is pure newspaper reporting- bare and to the point, but the story more than makes up for the lack of literary accomplishment. I think I will go read right now... what are YOU reading?
UPDATE: Finished The Soloist- very readable, heartbreaking... here is a blogpost from ALA online( American Library Association)-Steve Lopez, the author, spoke at the summer ALA conference ALA Blog