The thing about Africa is, it’s hot. From 11am to 5pm you’re pretty much stuck sprawled on the bed soaking your sheets in sweat too weak to even fan yourself. The upside of this, though, is that I have caught up on some excellent reading. Since literature has been a pretty substantial part of my life here I thought I’d share some of my favorites.
*=extra good

Empire Falls
Atonement **
Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Shadow of the Wind*
Catch 22**
Villa Incognito
Jitterbug Perfume
Nickel and Dimed (NF)
Kafka on the Shore*
Trouble with Africa (NF)*
Poisonwood Bible
Prep
Into This Air (NF)
Middlesex*
The Kite Runner*
Shogun
Birds without Wings*
The Darling*
The Fountainhead
The World is Flat (NF)
Satanic Verses

The Trouble with Africa, Darling, and Poisonwood Bible are especially recommended for those of you interested in knowing what my experience has been like and understanding some of the problems this continent faces. Add Catch 22 to that list.



And, here are some books that are ridiculously overrated. I actually got mad reading some of them they were so bad. I’m sure many of you might not agree with me, but I have my reasons.
*=extra bad

Dune
Running with Scissors
One Thousand White Women**
White Teeth
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Zen and the Art of Moto Maintenance************************************************************************************************************************