Reviews & Views: Variety is the spice of summer reads
Summer reading is for pleasure, for following your whims, and having an adventure — wise words to pass along to the kids.
Take some reading risks this summer. Try something you wouldn’t usually pick up, or sample some newspapers and magazines at the library — and if you haven’t been to the library, remember, there’s air conditioning. And don’t finish a book if you don’t like it, even if everyone else is telling you it’s a must-read (“Audition” by Katie Kitamura, anyone?) Summer reading is for pleasure, for following your whims, and having an adventure — wise words to pass along to the kids.
To lift heavy books, you need muscle. “On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters” by Bonnie Tsui (Algonquin) is a fascinating read, not only about how we acquire that sinewy stuff that makes us human, but how to consciously keep it as we age. “Dark Laboratory: On Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis” by Tao Leigh Goffe (Doubleday) asserts climate breakdown is the “mutant offspring” of European scientific racism and colonialism, initiated by Western explorers who not only exploited and pillaged the riches and people they found in the Caribbean, but laid a template of modern capitalism that has almost doomed Earth. I’m keeping an open mind. If you need convincing there are bad guys intent on their own enrichment and pleasure at everyone’s else expense, “The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich” by Evan Osnos (Scribner) describes modern-day ships filled with rapacious billionaires exploiting everything and everyone.
To feel better about the state of nature, I picked up “Insectopolis: A Natural History” by Peter Kuper (Norton), a gorgeous graphic history of the 10 quintillion bugs with which we share Earth. Kuper, a cartoonist, somehow makes this reality a joy, not a terror. This makes me a supporter of the No Mow movement, which asks that we let nature flourish, bugs and all.
“Daisy Rewilds” by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Kerascoët (Random House), is a charming picture book about a young environmentalist who encourages others to embrace nature as it’s meant to be. “The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us about How To Live Well with the Rest of Life” by Rob Dunn (Basic Books) is an encouraging, informative, and reassuring read about how adaptive the world is, and how we can improve our collective lot. If things keep changing irrevocably, I found “Awake in the Floating City” by Susanna Kwan (Pantheon) strangely comforting. In a flooded dystopia of future San Francisco, two very different women bond over a shared fate, but find comfort in daily routines, a new community, and the promise of art.
Many thrillers come out in summer, maybe because we’re feeling mellow and can handle a fast-paced read. A fellow reviewer sent me “So Far Gone” by Jess Walter (Harper). I haven’t loved Walter’s other books, but this sounds promising — a cranky, cabin dweller comes out of seclusion to rescue his grandchildren from a militia compound. His best friend and ex-girlfriend come along for the ride and bring humor to this American nightmare. “Dark Maestro” by Brendan Slocum (Doubleday) continues his theme of a classical musician caught up in criminal activities. “The Doorman” by Chris Pavone (MCD) is a quintessential New York story about a doorman whose ex-Marine history and desire to protect his residents erupts into a made-for-Netflix battle in a high-rise. “Hotel Ukraine” by Martin Cruz Smith (Simon and Schuster) is supposedly detective Arkady Renko’s last outing. He gets involved with the invasion of Ukraine and tries to help innocents escape a terrible fate.
Every summer I attempt to get through a literary tome I’ve managed to miss. This year I’m tackling the letters of Virginia Woolf. It’s the 100th anniversary of “Mrs. Dalloway,” her most popular novel.
Try a book this summer that is an unlikely read for you. Mine is “Boys Weekend” by Mattie Lubchansky (Pantheon), a thoroughly enjoyable comic horror graphic novel about a trans man trying to survive a bachelor party in a resort that might literally be in hell. A big book for teens is “Katabasis” by R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager). This new book is a door-stopper fantasy about two young academics descending to the underworld to bring back their horrible adviser. Sounds irresistible.
A book both readable and perspective-changing is “Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves” by Sophie Gilbert (Penguin). Put the audio on in the car and cringe when Gilbert points out how some of your favorite films, songs, and music videos are actually toxic. You’ll be encouraged when you and your teen connect on what deserves to be forgotten. Get them “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart (Delacorte), a Cape Cod noir as hard-boiled as any American family saga could be, and watch the Netflix adaptation with them.
I’ve been following French language influencers to improve my French. I’m spooked by how swiftly the algorithms are reading my casual likes and how I’m presented with a stream of content about Paris, cream scones, cats, Jane Austen, etc. The screen’s eagerness to finish my sentences when I’m typing, and therefore, my thoughts as I’m having them, is disconcerting. “Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age” by Vauhini Vara (Pantheon) tackles these questions. Vara is an experienced user of AI and has convinced me that a load of warm, personalized content on my screen benefits corporations, not me.
“Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together” by Ilana Kurshan (St. Martins) is a wonderful reminder of how important reading with your child can be. I tried “Ahoy!” by Sophie Blackall (Anne Schwartz Books), a picture book about having an adventure without leaving your living room, with a group of ESL children. Having them yell “Ahoy!” every time we turned a page seemed to work.
The Acton Free Public Library offers summer reading programs (and prizes) for all ages, including adults, and special activities for teens offer a chill space with air conditioning and some peace.
