SUMMER READS 2021
Street Roots’ picks
Kids’ picks
Advocacy leaders’ picks
Vendors’ picks
Bookseller’s picks
We asked Street Roots staff, vendors, contributors, volunteers and their kids, as well as local advocacy leaders, to recommend books for summer reading.
Here are the Street Roots vendors’ picks. They are also all available through local booksellers and the Multnomah County Library system, unless otherwise noted.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
by V.E. Schwab (2020)
A New York Times best-selling novel about a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever — and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
“I relate to it sometimes. I sometimes feel invisible and think people forget me.”
– Char Garcia
Permanent Record
by Edward Snowden (2019)
Permanent Record is the extraordinary account of a bright young man who grew up online — a man who became a spy, a whistleblower, and, in exile, the Internet’s conscience.
“It’s the truth.”
– Bob Dickey
Castle Roogna
by Piers Anthony (1979)
This fantasy novel is the third book in the Xanth series.
“It’s a fantasy fiction book that is well written. It’s a nice escape.”
– Jason Scheer
An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It
by Al Gore (2006)
A groundbreaking book about climate change from the former vice president of the U.S.
“It’s an eye opener. It’s very informative.”
– Doug Marks
East of Eden
by John Steinbeck (1952)
East of Eden is a sprawling epic in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love’s absence.
“It’s one of the best character stories I’ve ever read.”
– Daniel Toole
The Bible
(1611)
“Some people need to read it.”
– Honey Badger
The Wheel of Time (book series)
by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson (1990-2013)
A series of fantasy novels spanning 14 volumes.
“It’s a really good series. There’s morals behind everything the characters do. There’s gender equality. Every one of the books was a struggle. A fight between good and evil.”
– Shaun Kirk
Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls (1961)
“It’s a classic, and every young person loves the adventures he does.”
– John Smith
Star Trek Voyager Homecoming
by Christie Golden (2003)
After seven long years in the Delta Quadrant, the crew of the Starship Voyager now confronts the strangest world of all: home.
“It’s the events that immediately happen after Star Trek Voyager.”
– Tina Drake, Street Roots vendor liaison
The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively
by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell (2012)
Discover how to speak your child’s love language in a way that he or she understands.
– James Duby, Street Roots vendor team staff
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts
by Gary Chapman (2015)
“Everybody should read it. It makes sense if you want to have a strong relationship with your significant other.”
– Jack Van Dyke
Crash
by J. G. Ballard (2001)
A classic work of cutting-edge fiction, Crash explores both the disturbing implications and horrific possibilities of contemporary society’s increasing dependence on technology as intermediary in human relations.
“It takes erotica to an interesting level. It explores the human brain and what turns somebody on and what doesn’t.”
– Bronwyn Carver
The Fountainhead
by Ayn Rand (1996)
Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.
“The author is someone I don’t agree with politically, but it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.”
– Daniel Toole
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This article appears in June 23, 2021.