I've recently read a ton of graphic novels and memoirs - some I loved and others not so much but were still a thrill to read. Guts by Raina Telgemeier I am always on the lookout for Raina Telgemeier's comics, so when I found Guts available at my library's Overdrive catalog last year, I had to request it right away. Her comics are always delightful, designed for the middle-grade audience, and written very well. Guts is a continuation of her Smile nonfiction graphic memoir series (see Smile and Sisters ) and recounts a period in her childhood when she experienced IBS for the first time. When Raina wakes up one night with an upset tummy, she just assumes it's a stomach bug as her mom is also showing the same symptoms. But when it doesn't go away soon but is instead influenced by the daily highs and lows of being a middle grader - good friends, not so good ones, and then the bullies, she realizes there's something else going on. If you have not read the previous
I wasn't planning to do one of these, but since everyone else is posting their summer reading lists, I couldn't resist. Blame it on peer pressure.
Couple of months back, I planned to spend the second quarter reading science fiction and dystopian titles. And while I did read a few books from that category (Divergent, Battle Royale, Fahrenheit 451, The Knife of Never Letting Go, currently reading Unwind), I didn't quite get to as many as I had hoped to read. But mostly, none of the books I read so far have wowed me - they all fell far short of expectations. I will probably continue with more science fiction books (I still have Insurgent to read and maybe continue with the Chaos Walking series), but they may not exactly be on top of my pile. For now, I'm looking for something else to focus on.
I know that whenever I make a reading list, I never get to most of the books on that list. Reading lists, to me, are for ogling pleasure. I have no doubt, that history will repeat yet again, but lists are so much fun to make that I don't mind enjoying the whole process and patting myself for coming up with a final result. So rather than make a traditional list, I'm going for more of a project list. Moreover, summer hours are starting in a month, and I'm looking forward to using some of those weekends for reading whole chunks.
NetGalley

- A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama
- Between Gears by Natalie Nourigat
- The Lola Quartet by Emily St. John Mandel
- Smuggled by Christina Shea
- White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey
Personal Library

- The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (I'm really wondering what the whole deal over this writer is...)
- The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (And this writer...)
- Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (And this book...)
Chunksters

- One of my top choices is Haruki Murakami's 1Q84, which although huge, may still fall in the fast-paced category. Maybe.
- It's more likely though that I will read A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. That ought to be challenging - last I checked the book, I saw plenty of verse in there that pretty much scared me.
- My third option is Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace that I am adding here just for jest.
- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - the saga-esque book that's been on my wishlist for ever!
- And the much popular A Game of Thrones by George Martin.
I was also thinking of reading a book or two from my PIE list. My personal goal is to read five books from the PIE list every year. I've already read four so far (The Yellow Wallpaper, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Fahrenheit 451, The Knife of Never Letting Go) and I'm going through the fifth one right now (Unwind), so looks like for the first time in three years I'll actually complete one of my personal goals. I've also been itching to reread some of my old favorites (To Kill a Mockingbird, A Christmas Carol, Harry Potter), but the Fall season seems to be the season for rereads. So for now, this is my summer reading list.

Comments
I think it's funny that you have so many Netgalley books waiting! I treat Netgalley the same as other review books so they are on my spreadsheet and cannot be forgotten (yes, I'm one of those with a spreadsheet!).
I've realised I don't get approved some of the time (probably because I'm not in the USA) so I've been requesting more books than I expect will be approved. However, IF they are approved, then... oops!
But Atwood....oh how I love Atwood.
These lists ARE eye candy for sure, but I still like making them and I enjoy reading them even more.
However, Infinite Jest and A Suitable Boy are two books that really scare me away