Books to Read This Summer

Summer Reads

We read for many purposes, to stay informed, to be entertained. I think the most important reason to read is so that at the next social event, when conversation turns to literature and current affairs, you don’t clam up and become as quiet as a church mouse. Not just to impress, reading could actually make you smarter. We round up some recommended books, fiction and non-fiction, for you to read this summer. Enrich your minds and broaden your horizons now.

The Tigers’s Wife, Tea Obreht

The Tiger's Wife

In Obreht’s masterpiece, the protagonist and narrator, Natalia travels to the Balkans as a doctor to tend to the children there. As she carries out her mission of mercy, she encounters secrets everywhere around her, but she also has her own mystery to solve; why her grandfather had left home and died alone. She then proceeds to recount the stories her grandfather told her as a child and in doing so, finds answers to her questions. A moving tale that reminds us of the power of a well-formed narrative and their abilities to influence change and move lives.

Obreht, at 25, has already enjoyed success that few writers can. The Tigers’s Wife, her debut novel, won the 2011 Orange prize for fiction. It’s a high honour for any writer, even greater for one at her age. She demonstrates that talent knows no boundaries. We’ll be keeping an eye on this whiz kid.

The Pale King, David Foster Wallace

The Pale King

It’s tragic that many of our generation’s most creative minds have met their end before their time, and often at their own hands. But through their works, they leave us their immortal legacy and a statement of their brilliance. Such is The Pale King. Released posthumously, it is by no means finished, but Wallace’s literary genius shines through. Using the IRS as a metaphor, he explores the contemporary human existence and invites the reader into a reflection on our own moral condition.

It’s not going to be an easy read, but you should read it, if only to catch a glimpse of Wallace at his finest. The novel is long with over 50 chapters and 500 pages. Characters drift in and out of pages without introduction, but that’s reality, you never really know anyone you meet. His narrative is not going to flow as Marquez’s, but his fractured style has an unexplainable draw on our attentions. Read it.

Voting in change: Politics of Singapore’s 2011 General Election, Kevin YL Tan and Terence Lee

Voting In Change: Politics of Singapore's 2011 General Election

At the peak of the 2011 GE, I had enough of self-proclaimed political pundits. Count me in as one of those still apathetic Singaporeans; I could not care less for absurd conspiracy theories and groundless, inflamed opinions. It’s not that I hate to listen to any political commentary; I just detest poor arguments and emotional chatter. Undeniably, the 2011 GE has been the most significant one since independence, and has sparked a whole new era in Singaporean political awareness, but enough with coffeshop talk.

I recommend this read, because here, established scholars have their say on the impact of this election, from the perspective of law, sociology, history, media and politics. They’re vetted and reviewed by high academic standards, so you know it can’t be random, unprocessed thoughts of a distant relation. This collection of essays provides an in-depth insight to the days leading up to and the immediate aftermath of the elections. Scholarly, educated commentaries are the only things I want to hear when it comes to politics. Read before you spout politics, even if it’s to you 3-year-old cousin.

The Lover’s Dictionary, David Levithan

The Lover's Dictionary

It seems that the women in our lives love it when we can wax poetry and appreciate literature concerning the area of love. But Shakespeare’s sonnets have been mumbled to their deaths, Winterson is lesbian, and Plato is too philosophical for many. Incidentally, the sonnets are addressed to a younger man, which might make you want to rethink your anniversary now, or not.

Love is a many-splendored thing; it’s the April rose that only grows in the early spring, only to be killed by winter’s cold sting. These are the highs and the lows of love which Levithan captures perfectly. Framed as dictionary definitions, the novel explores the emotions of falling in and out of love. It’s not going to be one mushy love story. The narrative is brief and non-linear; a just reflection that love never goes as planed. Your lady will appreciate you reading something other than Tom Clancy, and you will find a new universal expression for your love. My favourite example: “Catharsis, n: YOU F**KER, I LOVE YOU”.

The Psychopath Test,  Jon Ronson

The Psychopath Test

Jon Ronson was the author of Men Who Stare At Goats, a wacky take about US Army paranormal experiments, which was made into a film staring George Clooney. Just as his earlier works, Ronson’s latest, The Psychopath Test, similarly involves zany characters and crazy events. He sets out to explore the minds of madness and define the psychotic. But his characters and interviews are not limited to the asylum, he finds his subjects in the halls of power and ordinary life. He interviews a death-squad leader, a man who fake madness and now cannot leave the madhouse, and a top CEO who’s psychotic nature has been the subject of the media.

Sometimes we’re convinced our bosses are crazy. Unless you’re already at the top, then you should know that everyone thinks you’re nuts. But from the Hare Psychotic Checklist, from which the title is influence, I believe most of us are insane and should soon be warded. In Ronson’s journalistic exploration into the realm of madness we’ll find kindred spirits and confirmation that it is a crazy world out there.