Summer Reads 2009

It’s that time of year again – time to take stock of what you’ve been waiting to read, the books you’ve been hearing about, that stockpile on your bookshelf, possibly a holdover from holiday gift giving (I won’t ask which year). Or perhaps your reading slate is clean and you’re looking for advice? 

I’m interested in where people get ideas for what to read next. So when it comes to summer reading lists – who do you get reading advice from?

Do you look to traditional newspaper sources? The Boston Globe has some recommendations.

Do you ask your local librarian for a little help? The New York public libraries website has lists for all ages.

People who’ve already demonstrated an ability for creating new literature might be a good source for titles new as well as old. So do you consult what your favorite author will be reading? The Philadelphia Examiner asked several local authors what they’ll be reading this summer.

In a similar feature, the magazine School Library Journal highlights authors of young adult and children’s literature, asking for their recommendations.

National Public Radio recently talked to Nancy Pearl, librarian and writer of the Book Lust series of reading recommendation books (not to mention the model for the Librarian Action Figure. I am not making this up). Pearl is something of a guru in the library world when it comes to reading recommendations. 

And people who listened to the NPR program left messages with their own recommendations. So are those random folk who call into a radio program about books a good source for new reads?

Perhaps when all else fails, you check out what Oprah has to say on the subject?

There’s no shortage of suggestions out there. Naturally they’re not created equal. Do you have a preferred source to share?