It’s beach reading season. Photo by Pedro Ribeiro Simões
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Summer is officially here. Work schedules are slack, school is out, and you have many, many hours of daylight in front of you. It’s book reading time. But, instead of dipping into the most recent “Twilight” fan fic, or holding your breath for the next “Game of Thrones,” how about reading a book about something you care about? Here are some beachy (and mountainy) reads for the long days of summer.
Summer reading list: “Pilgrim’s Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier”—Tom Kizzia
If you’re fascinated by the Alaskan wilderness and the people who move there looking to get away from society, this is your summer read. “Pilgrim’s Wilderness” is the story of Papa Pilgrim, a religious fanatic and megalomaniac who moved his 15 children to McCarthy, Alaska, and the journalist who found out about his dark past. It’s crazy and true; Kizzia was assigned to report on Pilgrim’s battle with the Parks Service, and uncovered a much more sinister story.
Summer reading list: “Welcome to Paradise, now go to hell”—Chas Smith
Surfing magazine contributing editor Chas Smith, who has put in a lot of time on the North Shore of Hawaii, digs in to the culture of localism and aggression that surrounds the surf scene there, and explains the mythology of North Shore surfers with an insider’s eye. He knows the stories, and in a lot of ways he’s a part of the stories. It’s a fast, gripping read, and fascinating for people who have followed North Shore surfers like John John Florence and Andy Irons from afar.
Summer reading list: “The Stench of Honolulu: A Tropical Adventure”—Jack Handey
In a similar vein (sort of), Jack Handey’s “The Stench of Honolulu: A Tropical Adventure” looks at Hawaii from a fictional visitor’s perspective. Two travelers come to Hawaii to try to find a treasure and end up on a wild goose chase. This is Handey’s—of “Deep Thoughts” fame—first novel, and he’s as hilarious in writing fiction as he is in writing parody life advice. There’s a good chance you’ll be laughing out loud.
Summer reading list: “The Dog Stars”—Peter Heller
The first novel from outdoor journalist Peter Heller, “The Dog Stars“ is the post-apocalyptic story of a man who survives a flu outbreak that kills 99 percent of the population, and how fishing and his dog help him hang on to faith in humanity. It received several nominations for best book of the year in 2012. If you like this, check out Heller’s memoir, “Kook: What Surfing Taught Me about Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave.”
Summer reading list: “The Snow Leopard”—Peter Matthiessen
An oldie but a goody. In the ’70s Peter Matthiessen went to the mountains of Nepal with biologist George Schaller to study Himalayan Blue Sheep and Buddhism. It’s equal parts travel, coming of age, science, and religious story. Matthiessen, who is considered one of the founding fathers of travel writing, passed away earlier this year, and in “The Snow Leopard” it’s easy to see why he was such a pro. His attention to detail is pointed without being heavy-handed, and he takes you through his own relationship with religion without being self-centered.
Want more? Check out what we were reading last year.
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