Summer reading list

I got a few notes from friends and strangers who enjoyed my recent recommendation of Frank McCourt's "Teacher Man," and would like to know what else I am reading this summer.

I always felt that summer was a time for guilty literary pleasures. So, I am planning to indulge with some Dune prequels: House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino. You hard core lunatics out there - spare me your grunts of disappointment. I have full knowledge of what I'm getting myself into, so just let it go. But if it'll make you feel any better, I am going to make up for it by reading some good science fiction, namely Walter Miller's "A Canticle for Leibowitz." Unfortunately, the New York Public Library only has two copies on reserve (the Columbia library has none) and I've been on hold for it for some three months now.

I am also looking forward to Kurt Vonnegut's "A Man Without a Country," which looked absolutely delightful. And to keep with that spirit of clever and sophisticated humor, I am going to pick up some Mark Twain stuff. Not the usual junior high school required reading, but some of his more obscure essays and non-fiction writing - "The Bible According to Mark Twain," "Letters from Earth," and "Mark Twain's Helpful Hints for Good Living: A Handbook for the Damned Human Race."

However, I am taking 3 classes this summer, so most of my time is going to be spent reading Dewey and Piaget. But if anybody has any good recommendations for fun summer reading, please send them on over.