2012 Summer Reading Guide - Hopkins School

Malamud, Bernard The Fixer
This story of the pain and suffering of innocent Yakov Bok, a Jew in Russia, follows him as he is
falsely accused of murdering a Christian boy. Based on a true case, this story is very moving.
Mann, Thomas Death in Venice
This short novel follows the fatal obsession of the aging writer Gustav von Aschenbach with a young
Polish boy, Tadzio, whom Aschenbach encounters on vacation in Venice.
Márquez, Gabriel García One Hundred Years of Solitude
The history of the Buendia family over five generations, through civil wars, tragic deaths, and 1,789
consecutive days of rain. Magical realism at its best.
Maugham, W. Somerset Of Human Bondage
The development of hero Phillip Carey, from a childhood blighted by physical deformity to an
adulthood stunted by the intriguing Mildred.
Maxwell, William The Folded Leaf
Recently reissued, this novel is testimony to Maxwell's reputation. Keeping his emotional distance,
Maxwell sensitively portrays the complicated nature of friendship, growing up, and self-discovery.
Miller, Sue While I Was Gone
A suspenseful novel about how quickly and casually a marriage can be destroyed. A good wife and
respected veterinarian, with three grown daughters and a wonderful home, runs away from her life,
ends up in a Bohemian group home in Cambridge, and returns one day to a murder.
Mirvis, Tovah The Ladies Auxiliary
In this insightful debut novel, a free spirited Jewish convert and her daughter move into the closeknit
Orthodox community of Memphis, Tennessee. Small town psychology and chaos emerge as the
protagonist threatens the town’s ostensibly seamless lifestyle.
Mistry, Rohinton A Fine Balance
The story of five individuals living in India who face the horrors of the repressive caste system and
the corrupt Indian government.
Momaday, N. Scott House Made of Dawn
A Pulitzer Prize winner, this novel tells the story of a young American Indian caught between the
lands of his childhood and the cities of industrial America.
Moore, Alan and Dave Gibbons Watchmen
When vigilante justice is outlawed in an alternate, Cold War America, former masked heroes are
forced to redefine their place in a society poised on the edge of self-destruction.
Moore, Lorrie A Gate at the Stairs
Moore’s beautifully written novel explores the shadow of 9/11 on American culture through the
bumpy coming of age story of a young midwestern woman.
Murakami, Haruki 1Q84
A surreal tale of mystery, murder, the uncertainty of reality, and the power of true love, 1Q84 is set
in 1984 Japan - or is it? As the book follows the riveting stories of five different characters all caught
up with the same mysterious religious organization, readers will be enthralled by the amazing scope
of the novel and the suspenseful way in which the plot unfolds, as the certainty of the world around
them becomes questionable.*** adult content***
Nabokov, Vladimir Pale Fire
This novel intertwines the 999 line poem of fictional poet John Shade with commentary by his crazy
neighbor. Extraordinary writing and a fascinating tale.
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