Summer Reading With a Twist
Today is Memorial Day, the solemn commemoration of those who have died in service to our country. As you’ve no doubt been hearing and seeing all weekend, it’s also the UNOFFICIAL START OF SUMMER! Which, of course, is just a marketing tactic—school’s still in session for most kids below college age, the summer season doesn’t actually start until June 21, and, where I live at least, the weather has been cold and rainy all weekend—not exactly the optimal setting for the first outdoor barbeque of the year.
The incongruity between the seriousness of the holiday and the ridiculous frenzy surrounding the kickoff of summer made it hard to come up with a blog topic this week. I’m not the right person to talk about the ultimate sacrifice our veterans have made for us. Given my crankiness about the forecast, I’m also not the right person to expound on the wonders of summer. Not only that, on a federal holiday, no one wants to read about the Trump Administration’s latest attack on the rule of law, and I certainly don’t have the heart to write about it.
So, rather than focus on current events, I’m going to riff off that classic media darling—the Summer Reading List—but add a little twist. This past week, I saw a social media post claiming that men don’t read books written by women. Apparently, the phenomenon is real: statistics show men read female authors at much lower rates for both fiction and nonfiction. In fact, it seems fewer men read fiction at all anymore. Without attempting to figure out the reasons behind these trends, I’ve decided to do my part to push back. So, with Father’s Day (June 21st) and summer vacations approaching, I present my first (maybe annual?) list of:
Books the Men in Your Life Will Love: Written by Women
Nonfiction
Sally Jenkins, The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life
The sports fans you know would no doubt enjoy The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life, the most recent book by legendary Washington Post sportswriter/New York Times bestselling author Sally Jenkins. In The Right Call, Jenkins outlines seven principles of success she’s gleaned from years of observing, interviewing, and analyzing elite coaches and athletes, and argues those principles can help anyone who wants to “act well in the face of extraordinary pressures.”
Annie Duke, Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts
One title that’s come up repeatedly in my male-dominated household has been Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by former World Series of Poker champion now business consultant Annie Duke. Both my husband and younger son read and enjoyed the book, which draws on examples from sports, business, politics, and (naturally) poker. From my eavesdropping on their conversations, I would bet (pun intended) Duke’s work would appeal to any man who fancies himself a STEM guy.
Anne Applebaum, Autocracy, Inc.
For anyone of any political persuasion who’s interested in current events, Anne Applebaum’s Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World is a must read. In the book, Applebaum, a Pulitzer-prize winning historian and writer, describes the disturbing dictatorial forces now at work around the globe and outlines suggestions for how democratic governments can begin to fight back against them.
Fiction
Stephanie Danler, Sweetbitter
If the man in your life enjoys the television show The Bear, I’m guessing he may also like the “brilliantly written,” semi-autobiographical novel, Sweetbitter, by Stephanie Danler. Billed as a coming-of-age story set in the “glitzy, grimy” world of New York City’s most elite restaurants, the front-of-the-house setting has now become familiar, but the challenges of being young and inexperienced in a tough new job remain a relatable as ever.
Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
The profession at the center of Gabrielle Zevin’s novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow –video game design—might be the initial draw for male gamers/ prospective readers. But the epic story of creativity, friendship, and love will compel them to keep reading to the end. It’s no surprise the novel made the New York Times list of “The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.”
Natalie Sue, I Hope This Finds You Well
A funny, insightful workplace novel, Natalie Sue’s I Hope This Finds You Well would be a great fit for fans of The Office or Parks and Rec. Ignore the pink on the cover and female protagonist. With its recognizable, tortuous corporate setting, long-suffering employees, and unexpected plot twists, the story makes for a fast, entertaining read.
Feel free to let me know if you have any other recommendations. And it goes without saying—all of these books would be great for the female readers in your life too.