Summer reading?

Summer is here, and with it a bunch of online articles recommending “the best summer reads.”

(Usually accompanied by a photo of a woman in a nice hat reading a paperback at the beach.)

But what exactly is a “summer read”?

Is it a novel that is literally about the summer?

Is it a light, easy-to-read novel you can follow even as your kids/friends/significant other/dog vies for your attention?

Is it a book you have no intention of keeping or reading again, so you don’t care about getting it wet or full of sand at the beach?

I’ve seen reading lists that support the first two possibilities.

The third one is my personal definition, since I can’t bear to expose a beautiful, pristine book—much less my Kindle—to water or sand or sunscreen-coated fingers. I usually buy a used paperback for beach reading to avoid worrying about this. (Yes, I do know I’m weird.)

What I really think—and find kind of depressing—is that the idea of the “summer read” comes from the fact that there are a lot of people who only read one book per year—one book—and the time they read that book is during a vacation in the summer.

I think that’s depressing because I love books. The thought of only reading one per year—fewer than 100 in your whole life—seems like a great loss.

A loss of entertainment. A loss of insight. A loss of connection.

I’m guessing you have similar feelings. You may well read 100 books per year. You’re a reader.

But back to the topic. I’m not sure any of my books fit the “summer read” category. Courtrooms aren’t exactly breezy, tropical locales. I guess the closest would be Hardcore, a thriller that takes place in sunny Los Angeles and involves scantily clad beautiful people (and murder). If you’re looking for a Winters summer read (ha, see what I did there?) check out Hardcore!

And go ahead and take Hardcore to the beach if you want. Just try not to get it too sandy. 😃