Let it be known: I am a total nerd. I seldom leave the house without a book, I have a reading bucket list, and I refuse to invest in an e-reader for fear that it will affect my ability to annotate and bracket in the margins. When I was twelve, while other preteens were outdoors riding their bikes and flirting poolside, I spent my summer indoors – reading Anna Karenina. The saddest part? I watched a movie that revealed the dramatic ending when I was only fifty pages shy of finishing it – and it ruined my summer (another admission to nerdiness – the movie was Funny Face, as in an Audrey Hepburn romance, not some cool Rated R movie).

I’ve come to terms with my fate, and now I embrace it. So I’d like to share with you, fellow dork, my summer reading list.

1.    Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Why? The man was a genius. A buddy lent me his essays (nerdiness loves company, after all), and I feel ready for the challenge. He’s partial to lengthy (albeit hysterical) footnotes, and he’s one of the most entertaining writers I’ve ever encountered. It’s a complex novel set in the future, and I cannot wait to get started.

2.    Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  A very smart lady recently recommended this to me, and it appears to be a must for anyone who cares about women’s rights, fighting exploitation and sex trafficking, educating girls, and more.

3.    Learning to Love You More by Harrell Fletcher and Miranda July. The book is based on the website, which was a very successful project. Participants were asked to complete various “assignments” – such as give advice to yourself in the past, take a flash photo under your bed, or spend time with a dying person – that range from lighthearted to humorous to poignant. This project was transferred to book form.

4.   The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Oh come on. Any nerd worth her (or his) stripes has a favorite quote (“YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”), can tell you the difference between Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White,  and will have a serious debate about the coolest battle scene (Battle of Helm’s Deep, obviously).  Why hide it? Go ahead, re-read your most beloved epic. Let that nerd flag fly high, my friend.