Like me, I’m guessing most of you have reached the point where you need to find an escape from our nation’s political and economic state of affairs. Perhaps that escape will be found by cracking open a few of the books you’ve stored away for summer reading.
What follows are a few recommendations to add to your stockpile.
You don’t have to be a cat lover, though it helps, to be charmed by “The Traveling Cat Chronicles” by Hiro Arikawa as translated by Philip Gabriel. The relationship between Nana the cat and the man who adopts this stray is a gracefully told tale filled with lessons about the special bonds between humans and cats.
Another animal story – this one true – is “Raising Hare: A Memoir,” by Chloe Dalton. Did you ever find an animal out in the wild that you wanted to bring home? In my case, I recall as a young boy in Chicago, to the great distress of my mother, bringing home an injured pigeon. “Raising Hare” isn’t about a pigeon but a leveret – a baby hare – who is brought home by a woman living in the bucolic countryside of Northern England. Anyone who thinks a hare is just another rodent will come away with a newfound respect for this remarkable animal after reading this educational and endearing memoir.
The strong bond between people and animals is also the theme of “The Ride of Her Life” by Elizabeth Letts. This true story about an elderly woman’s incredible trek across the U.S. with her horse, Tarzan, and her dog, Depeche Toi, is – cliché alert – a real page-turner.
If you’re thinking that all I enjoy are animal stories, let me disabuse you of that thought. One of the best coming-of-age stories I’ve read recently is “A Childhood: The Biography of Place,” by the beloved writer Harry Crews. This slice of life about a dirt-poor upbringing in the rural south is at times a heartbreaking but ultimately an uplifting story about the resilience of youth.
I’ve highly recommended the historical works of Hampton Sides in the past. His most recent “The Wide Wide Sea” does not disappoint. This exciting bestseller, which tells the story of the great explorer James Cook’s third voyage across the globe, was selected by the New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. In addition to telling a rousing adventure story, I found this book also relates valuable lessons about leadership.
Another book about leadership – this time entrepreneurial leadership – is “Source Code: My Beginnings” by Bill Gates. This candid and engaging autobiography focuses on Bill Gates’ challenging childhood and how the lessons learned in that childhood eventually led to the creation of Microsoft. I found this coming-of-age story to be a powerful lesson on how one’s early experiences play a pivotal role in one’s future life. I highly recommend listening to the Audible version of this book since Bill Gates does a terrific job narrating his book.
We are fortunate at Chapman University to have on our faculty one of the world’s most respected writers – Richard Bausch. He has received the Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the prestigious REA Award for “Influence on the Form of Short Fiction.” Richard’s recently released “The Fate of Others” demonstrates his genius in exploring the conflicts and challenges in gender roles and societal relationships. Several years ago, Richard emailed me to relate an opening line he was thinking about for a new story: “In 1949, when I was twelve years old, I had lunch with Ernest Hemingway.”
A couple of weeks later, he sent me the completed manuscript entitled “In That Time.” I loved it and was pleased to see that it is the first of a collection of 12 stories included in “The Fate of Others.”
While this Leader Board is supposed to be about summer reading, I’d like to add a must-watch Netflix four-part series to the list: “Adolescence.” This totally absorbing account of teenage crime and how a family responds to it is the best I’ve seen lately in television storytelling. The real-time continuous shooting style was original and enhanced the buildup of dramatic tension. The actors are exceptional, especially Owen Cooper, who plays the 13-year-old teenage murder suspect. This series is difficult to watch, but well worth the effort. Be prepared to be emotionally shaken.
If you’re not in the mood for an emotional shakedown and would rather have a good laugh, there are always reruns of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
I hope one or more of the above recommendations catches your fancy. Meantime, have a great summer.
