{Summer Reads}...Essays

Over the years, my taste in reading has been refined into a seasonal rotation. During the school year, I read many novels and plays; my interest is heavily invested in these stories for lengthy periods of time. Characters seem to manifest themselves in my head, and at times, I have picked up speech patterns after spending so much time with remarkable characters. (I found myself speaking like Zooey after pouring over Salinger's Franny and Zooey not long ago.)

So during the summer I give myself a sort of mental vacation. I admit to watching hours of television and movies, reading trashy magazines, and distancing myself from critical news. Instead of marathon novels, I love to read collections of essays. They are concise, engaging, and thought-provoking. I usually read one or two a day, and they always leave you with something to talk about with others.

I'm currently reading Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays by Zadie Smith (genius!) and I'm already hooked. Next on my list will be her breakout novel White Teeth. I'd highly recommend any book by her!

P.S. This looks like a great list for they 25 best essay collections "of all time".