Summer Reading

The Bay Area Festival of Books is happening this weekend. I don't plan to attend (originally I did, so we'll see) as I have way too much to get done this weekend. I have Midterms next week. I was thinking I would at least walk the tables but then I gathered up the books I randomly purchased (intending to read when I have more time) and realized I have my summer reading stack:



I probably don't need to pick up more books at the Fest. I should read the ones I have and then send them back out into the world. Several of these I found on "The wall" at Half Price Books, and several I picked up at $1 Book Sale at the Doe Library. I think of all the titles I am looking forward to reading "The Disappearing Spoon (and Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World From the Periodic Table of Elements)" which I picked up at the campus bookstore for like $4. Last summer I read "Radium Girls" which was about the radium dial painters. This is totally different but it fills that niche for me I think: informative and fun ...science stuff.

Then there's my other things,(keeper books on my shelf):



So many titles (& a random library book) I'd like to read including the biography of August Vollmer. He was the Berkeley Chief of Police who brought many things that people take for granted in their local police department: the use of lie detector tests, bicycle (and later motorcycle) patrols, and he required his police officers to have college degrees. And he was born in New Orleans but made Berkeley his home. But no, I haven't read the book yet. This is just a few things I've learned about him over the years. So many books.

We'll see what I actually get done. I won't be taking a Summer course, so I have plenty of time to read, right? I had thought to put together a list of true crime/noir titles like Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, James Elroy and Dashiell Hammett of course along with some other random shorts to check out from the library or read what titles I have here. I imagine there must be a literature course somewhere where you read stuff like that, but since I don't have space in my life for any literature classes, I would create my own reading list. Unfortunately, I may need to wait another year!

I have enough to read for now.