I’m lame. I know it. I launched Fiction Fridays way back when, but never posted another story. I could make excuses like “It was summer” and “I was working on my MFA applications” but at the end of the day, I got lazy. I’m sorry!
That being said, I did finish my applications for three schools: Warren Wilson, Bennington and Vermont College of Fine Arts. I got accepted to two out of three—I am apparently not WW material! After a week of agonizing, I chose Bennington and will be starting in January. Thanks to all for your encouragement and I did use the story I posted for the one and only Fiction Friday for my manuscript. I had to add about 24 pages to it, but that’s how the manuscript began… (If people are interested, I can post the rest of it for future FFs, but otherwise, I’m going to post new stories up here.)
Part of getting your MFA is reading. Lots and lots of reading. I have to come up with reading lists every semester and get through about five books a month—five books!! Yikes. But I love reading and the greatest luxury for me this summer was being able to devour more books than I’ve been able to in a long time. Despite Dman’s complaints that his wife’s face was replaced by a Kindle all summer long, it’s really thanks to him that I was allowed this wonderful luxury. So thank you, hubby, for letting me read in peace (most of the time.)
Here’s what I read during my summer vacation. And if you’ve got suggestions for future reading lists for me, please leave a comment. I love hearing about the books people love.
Room, Emma Donoghue
Super Sad True Love Story, Gary Schteyngart
The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins
A Song of Ice and Fire series (Game of Thrones for you HBO watchers), George R.R. Martin. All 6,000 pages of the five books so far. I blame these books for taking me away from other fine novels. Damn you, George.
Freedom, Jonathan Franzen
Keturah and Lord Death, Martine Leavitt
Forever, Maggie Stiefvater
A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness
A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan (think I read this before summer officially started, but it’s such a good book that it must be mentioned.)
And I almost forgot this one because I read it in actual book, and not Kindle, form: My Korean Deli, Ben Ryder Howe
Some of the books were great, some not as great, all entertained me in one way or another. If you want to discuss any of them, again leave a comment. Let’s talk books!
Tags: Bennington, Books, Kindle, low-residency MFA, Vermont, Warren Wilson
which one would u recommend as a “first choice”? youve recommended a book on here before and i loveddddd it! i think it was the one by sarah dunn?secrets to happiness?
Anna, it totally depends on what you feel like reading: literature, pop culture lit, young adult? Out of this list, A Visit from the Goon Squad and Room were my favorite, but for different reasons… let me know what you’re into and I’ll tell you off this list