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Uncapped Staff Top Summer Reading Picks

With another spectacular summer waiting in the wings, the staff and contributors at Uncapped have compiled a collection of our top books for summer reading. These books are best accompanied by a freshly mown patch of grass, a large blanket, suntan lotion, and a cooler of tropical punch—spiked or naked. We're referring to the punch, of course, what you wear to read is entirely up to you. If you can't get away physically, you might choose to sample a time-travel adventure or an out-of-this-world science fiction pick. If you want to stay grounded, choose a book on how-to-write or a collection of short stories. Perhaps you'll create a list of reading goals for yourself. Reading a classic or catching up on a favorite writer is a most satisfying way to fill those extra hours of mid-summer light. No matter how you do it, we've got a book title for you. Happy Reading!

(To see the title and author's name more clearly, mouse over the cover of the book.)

Fiction

Drop City-TC Boyle Blind Assassin-Margaret Atwood Poisonwood Bible-Barbara Kingsolver The Alphabet of Thorn-Patricia McKillip Murphy's Gambit-Syne Mitchell
The Steerswoman-Rosemary Kirstein Local Custom-Sharon Lee and Steve Miller The Rapture of Canaan-Sheri Reynolds Shopgirl: A Novella-Steve Martin Twelve Times Blessed=Jacquelyn Mitchard
Widow for one Year-John Irving Outlander-Diana Gabaldon How Stella got her Groove Back-Terry McMillan The Name of the Rose-Umberto Eco The Beach-Alex Garland
Hotel New Hampshire-John Irving My Antonia-Willa Cather The Hundred Secret Senses-Amy Tan The Joy Luck Club-Amy Tan Girl with a Pearl Earring-Tracy Chevalier
The Color Purple-Alice Walker East of Eden-John Steinbeck The Secret Life of Bees-Sue Monk Kidd One Hundred Years of Solitude-Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cry, the Beloved Country-Alan Paton
Secret Window-Stephen King The Great Gatsby-F. Scott Fitzgerald Beloved-Toni Morrison

Nonfiction

Essays and Poems-Ralph Waldo Emerson Tao Te Ching-Lao Tsu The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down-Anne Fadiman Me Talk Pretty One Day-Dave Sedaris
The Big Rumpus-Ayun Halliday The Power of Intention-Wayne W. Dyer Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books-Azar Nafisi 1,000 Places to See Before You Die-Patricia Schultz
When I was Cool: My Life at the Jack Kerouac School-Sam Kashner Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy-Frances Mayes The Millionth Circle: How to Change Ourselves and the World-Jean Shinoda Bolen

Writing Nonfiction

Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True-Elizabeth Berg On Becoming a Novelist-John Gardner Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life-Anne Lamott Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer's Life-Bonnie Goldberg
The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch-Julia Cameron Making the Perfect Pitch: Advice from 45 Top Book Agents-Katharine Sands (Editor) Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation-Lynne Truss Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write-Gayle Brandeis

Short Story Collections

Ordinary Life: Stories-Elizabeth Berg Self Help-Lorrie Moore

 

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