Swim the Fly

Don Calame
Star Rating
★★★★★
Reviewer's Rating
Feb 5, 2010

There is a trend online to find your favorite unsung books, books that you love but aren't widely read. The criteria that I am using is to look at my Goodreads account and any book that I have given 5 stars to that has been read by less than 500 people. Here is my list of unsung books!

Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Fifteen-year-old Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Coop and Sean, always set themselves a summertime goal. This year's? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time — quite a challenge, given that none of the guys has the nerve to even ask a girl out on a date. But catching a girl in the buff starts to look easy compared to Matt's other summertime aspiration: to swim the 100-yard butterfly (the hardest stroke known to God or man) as a way to impress Kelly West, the sizzling new star of the swim team.

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Meet Ed Kennedy—underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger. . . . Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

A man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life- he's leaving home to build a better future for his family. A totally wordless book full of beautiful illustrations.

Swifter, Higher, Stronger by Sue Macy

Let the games begin again! Acclaimed sports writer Sue Macy’s comprehensive portrait of the Summer Olympics has now been fully updated for the 2008 games in Beijing, China. This new edition includes a complete retrospective of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. The new text will also incorporate updates to all charts and records, as well as fun facts and anecdotes from the most recent Olympics and training, making this a perfect Olympics history handbook as the 2008 Games unfold historically in China.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo's CosaNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he's a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that's striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about Infocalypse.

ReadyMade

You need this book. As the stuff of life piles up and things spin out of control, we could all use a little help. These never-before-seen designs and how-tos are full of surprise and wonder. Learn how to turn everyday objects into spellbinding inventions to give away to friends or keep for yourself. Our simple self-improvement techniques will make you smarter, better-looking, and more well-adjusted. What are your unsung books?

Reviewed by Kate M.
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