Summer reading feels specific, regardless of where you spend your summer. I think of the hammock by the lake at our cabin in Wisconsin. That’s where I read Between Meals for the first time. This was a gift from my dad before I spent a semester in Paris. I was almost twenty years old, excited, a little nervous, and I adored A.J. Liebling’s book about his love of that city. He was a student himself who, as far as I could tell, was loosely affiliated with Dartmouth (he stopped attending classes after the first week). He lived off the generosity of his father (who, in a memorable scene, he described as the wealthiest man in Baltimore which Liebling correctly concluded was impressive but unverifiable—the key to all good lies). If he was short on funds he would intimate that he might settle down with an older German woman, which got the old man’s attention. A young man should keep his options open, he counseled, and wired over the requisite funds that allowed young A.J. to continue his time out on the town and really continue his eating.
I still try to read that book most summers. I love it as much as any book. Oddly I still like reading about Paris in Wisconsin—maybe it’s because France feels so far away. I also like reading about American concerns: road trips, grilling, fishing, the usual. Here are some books, old and new, that might get you in the mood for summer reading, wherever your summer takes you.
[I’m linking to Amazon just for easy access to blurbs, summaries, samples, etc.—I recommend ordering from your local.]
Battle of Ink and Ice: A Sensational Story of News Barons, North Pole Explorers, and the Making of Modern Media. Darrell Hartman. My friend Darrell’s new book comes out tomorrow. It’s, not to put too fine a point on it, fantastic. I love this tale of North Pole exploration set against the modern newspaper age. Well-researched, fast-paced, perfectly measured and a joy to read. A real accomplishment. Bravo, Darrell!