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Summer by the Book, 2002
Warm-Weather Reading Recommendations
(Originally published in Minnesota Monthly Magazine.)
July 2002
Nothing whiles away a summer day like a good book. To help you choose your warm-weather reading, a few Minnesota Public Radio booklovers—who also conduct many of the author interviews on MPR—recommend some titles.
Krista Tippett, host of Speaking of FaithTM
 At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden: A Jew's Search for God with Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land
by Yossi Klein Halevi
William Morrow & Co., 2001
ISBN: 0688169082
This is an illuminating book on the religious dimension of life in the Holy Land by a journalist (and former Jewish extremist). Halevi confesses that this journey he took of worshipping with people of other faiths in the Holy Land would not be possible today. And yet his account of what he learned provides a context for imagining surprising and hopeful possibilities.
 Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations
by Michael Sells
White Cloud Press, 1999
ISBN: 1883991307
This book, by one of the leading American scholars of Islam, is an accessible and mind-opening introduction to "approaching" the Qur'an as a faithful Muslim does—as much as a work of beauty, including the very "sound" of the Qur'anic Arabic, as a book to read. In fact, the more fundamental spiritual and ethical teachings of the Qur'an, where Muslims themselves begin, are found near the end of the Qur'an. The book includes a CD of recitation of the Qur'an.
Also recommended: The children's books of Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
These delightful and beautifully illustrated books are suitable for people of many faiths, and provide a warm and inviting context for parents to discuss questions of faith, ethics and meaning with their children.
For similar book recommendations visit the Speaking of Faith book list.
Euan Kerr, senior news editor with Mainstreet Radio and Word of Mouth®
 The Feast of Love
by Charles Baxter
Vintage Books, 2001
ISBN: 0375410198
If you love the scary sensuality of A Midsummer Night's Dream, spend a couple of summer evenings with this novel. It's really a collection of connected short stories about the nature of romance and love set around Ann Arbor. The story begins as two insomniacs meet while taking a late-night stroll and get to talking about life.
 The Wasp Factory
by Iain Banks
Simon & Schuster, 1998
ISBN: 0684853159
What would you make of a kid, living on an island, who makes monstrous machines designed to predict the future by executing bugs? By the end of Iain Banks' book you may well be in love. Banks is a best-selling Scottish author you probably have never heard of before. His entertaining and thought-provoking books often display a macabre mix of humor and horror. If you like this one, there's a host of others, including an entire set of science fiction titles.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
by James Hogg
Everyman's Library, 1992
ISBN: 0862413400
I read a lot of current fiction as a result of my work, so I try to read a classic every once in a while. This one, first published in 1824, may be hard to find, but it's a good excuse to browse your local second-hand bookstore. The Scots have always been fascinated by the idea that within every person is the capacity for both great good and evil. Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is perhaps best known in this genre, but it was greatly predated by Hogg's chilling exposition on the human character.
Greta Cunningham, MPR newscaster
 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
Harper Perennial, 1998
ISBN: 0060995289
First published more than 50 years ago, Smith's warmly written novel takes readers into the world of Francie Nolan, an 11-year-old growing up in the slums of Brooklyn during the early 1900s. Francie struggles with an absent father, a mother who tries to root her in practicality, and a brother who is the favored child. But like the tree growing in through the sidewalk outside of her apartment, Francie finds a way to survive and thrive in difficult conditions.
 The Mammy
by Brendan O'Carroll
Plume, 1999
ISBN: 0141800798
This is the first book in a trilogy focusing on a poor Irish family in Dublin's slums. The main character, Agnes Browne, is a single mother raising seven spirited children in difficult circumstances. Anges' wit, her strong friendships, and faith help her maintain her sanity. This type of book could be a depressing summer read, but O'Carroll's vivid characters and humor make the book a funny, uplifting experience. O'Carroll is a playwright and one of Ireland's most popular comedians.
 A Multitude of Sins
by Richard Ford
Knopf, 2002
ISBN: 0375412123
Infidelity is the subject of this intense, dramatic collection of stories. The tales take readers into the lives of several flawed characters including real estate salespeople, a southern lawyer, an economist, and an ex-cop. They all have one thing in common: they've cheated on their spouses. The stories center on the repercussions the characters must deal with in light of their actions. Considered one of America's best short story writers, Ford won the Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for his book Independence Day.
Richard Ford and his book, A Multitude of Sins, was featured on MPR's All Things Considered. Listen to his interview with Greta Cunningham.
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