Summer Reading For Moms & Dads

Now that school’s out for summer, many parents will tend to put the summer reading focus on their children–a noble and worthy pursuit of course–however, we think that it’s just as important for mom and dad to be able to kick back with a good book during the warmer months. So, whether you’re enduring a long flight to somewhere fun, lounging beach- or pool-side, or even just stealing some quiet time on a warm summer night…here are some of our top picks (many by local authors) for warm weather literature!

With World Cup mania still at a fever pitch (at least until mid-July) George Vecsey’s (a veteran sports columnist for the New York Times) Eight World Cups: My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer is the perfect tome to tide soccer-loving parents over between matches. The book is equal parts travelogue, expose, and historical guide. Jet-setters will enjoy his accounts of how each host country infuses local flavor into the event and futbol fans will relish his insider’s take on the often-shady dealings of international clubs.

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After accruing major acclaim (and speaking to the worst fears of many young women and mothers alike) for her novel Room a couple years ago, Emma Donoghue switches gears–whereas Room often seemed ripped from modern headlines (think Jaycee Dugard), her new novel, Frog Music, is ripped from those of the past. The plot centers on the female victim (with a mysterious past of her own) of an never-solved San Fransisco murder back in 1876 and escalates with themes of romance, betrayal, family, and the beginnings of Bohemia.

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Colson Whitehead, a native New Yorkers, knows a bit about out-of-the-box summer reading. The author of 2009’s beloved literal “beach read” Sag Harbor, his most recent offering takes a different, but very intriguing, turn. In a foray into non-ficition, Whitehead chronicles his own experience at the 2011 World Series of Poker in The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death. His signature brand of observant, and sometimes dark, humor offers a unique perspective into a mysterious and high-stakes world.

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Since summer in NYC, for many parents, means trips to the movies and to Coney Island (and even an exotic family vacation perhaps), exploring those themes on a literary level makes perfect sense. Brooklynite Andrew Lewis Conn’s latest novel, O, Africa, takes readers on a sweltering summer journey that touches down in both Coney Island and Africa in 1928. The story follows twin film-making brothers as they navigate the movie industry, the volatile social landscape of NYC in the 20’s, and travel to Africa on a mission to gather stock footage for their latest project.

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Foodie moms and dads are sure to savor Dan Barber’s The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food. Not only is Barber a gifted author, he’s also the co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant (here in NYC) and Blue Hill at Stone Barns (in Pocantico Hills)–both notable farm-to-table, sustainable eateries. With his knowledge of farming, food, and dining, Barber explains that we are currently living in a “second plate” era of food, though we’re moving towards a “third plate.” And just what’s on the table in the next wave? Read on and see (though, “single-udder butter” is one prediction).

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By turns witty, gritty, gripping, and fascinating, The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street, by Susan Jane Gilman, offers a first-personal fictional recounting of a remarkable life and character: a woman who started out in life as a poor crippled street urchin on the Lower East Side, and ultimately rose to be one of the country’s great ice cream sellers.  She’s plucky but problematic– think Leona Helmsley meets Joan Rivers meets Tom Carvel — which makes her story all the more compelling.  The book’s best flavor is life itself, but readers will also enjoy its interesting tidbits about the history of ice cream as well.

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Known for his examinations (in both his fiction and non-fiction work–think Generation X and J.Pod) Douglas Coupland has recently released Worst. Person. Ever., a novel that follows a “morally bankrupt” B-unit cameraman as he follows his his ex-wife’s suggestion and signs up to film a reality show on a remote island. The book promises plenty of laughs as it pokes fun at multiple facets of modern society and–hopefully– makes every reader feel just a little bit better about their own life.

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Ah, the ocean! It’s hard to image a summer without time spent by the shore. With this in mind, Iain McCalman’s tribute to undersea wonder, The Reef: A Passionate History: The Great Barrier Reef from Captain Hook to Climate Change, is essentially the ultimate “beach read” this summer. Dive into the world’s most spectacular underwater garden–home to 3,000 individual reefs, and thousands of marine species–as McCalman sheds light on the varying viewpoints on just what the Reef represents.

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Mira Jacob’s debut novel, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing, is the perfect pick for readers who love a book with rich family dynamics entwined in the complications of cultural assimilation.  The story jumps around from India, to New Mexico, to Seattle, as one Indian-American family struggles to make sense of their past, present, and future–as an aging father’s illness conjures the long-ignored demons of an earlier family tragedy. With plenty of surprises, mysteries, humor, and tenderness, Jacob’s tale also gets bonus points for having our favorite book title of the summer!

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Any parent of more than one child knows that sibling relationships can be fraught. In her psychologically-twisting and profoundly heart-breaking novel, No Book But The World, Leah Hager Cohen explores the complexities of sibling bonds and the influence of upbringing on a person’s future. The two main characters–a sister and brother–have been raised in a “dreamy” alternative lifestyle free from many labels and outside influence. However, when they grow up and oddball Fred (the brother) is accused of an awful crime, his well-adjusted sister is left to wonder what happened.