In an unending effort to promote reading and literacy, the IE will occasionally feature summer reading suggestions from people in our community. We hope our readers will be inspired to pick up a book and share it with others this season. In this installment, we ask Bao Nguyen, program coordinator with the Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation (ACLF) what he suggests for great reading this summer. Read more about ACLF at: www.aclfnorthwest.org.
The Fountainhead
By Ayn Rand
| 752 pp | novel
“Read this book for Rand’s controversial ideas on philosophy and politics or, in the process, perhaps find your true self,” said Bao Nguyen.
The Tale of Kieu
By Nguyen Du | poetry
“More knowledge and wisdom about the Vietnamese people and culture are held in these 3,254 lines of poetry than in most travel guides and scholarly articles out there,” said Nguyen.
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
By Shel Silverstein | 112 pp | children’s lit.
“This book is often found in the children’s sections but the lessons contained are hard to grasp even for most adults. Nevertheless, share it with a child!”
The Wind’s Twelve Quarters
By Ursula K. Le Guin
| 303 pp | Sci-Fi
“If all you can say about science fiction and fantasy are ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Harry Potter,’ then you are stuck in what Le Guin calls the genre’s ‘ghetto.’ Let her show you the way out.”
Buddha, the Manga Series
By Osamu Tezuka | 14 volumes | historical, supernatural, humor
“The life of the Buddha, brought to you by the ‘Godfather of anime’ and the creator of ‘Astro Boy.’ What more can I say?”
