The Reading List: Dad Books
Since moving to Brooklyn, I've been making my way through about two books a week. At least the long commute is good for something? Anyway, a recent conversation with my dad about new reads revealed that his only time to read is while on the beach and he needed some new book recs. It dawned on me that we here at HTJL don't always consider the older, male demographic and that's a damn shame. My last beach reading list wasn't specific to my fellow ladiez, but it didn't include any, what I like to call, "dad reads." Books that my dad, my brother and my other male friends tend to pick up on the beach, a.k.a.: spy novels and sci-fi thrillers. Though "dad reads" isn't my go-to genre, I do venture into it from time to time. And since I'm blowing through my current Kindle list at a rapid-fire pace, I'm in need of some new summer books myself.
After some asking around and quick research, here's a list of beach reads worthy of my dad.
Dark Matter
This one doesn't come out til July, but it already has a ton of buzz. It opens with a guy strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits who wakes up to an entirely new life. It's being described as a mindbending sci-fi thriller, and is already being touted by the NY Times so I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing this all over this summer. The author is a well-known screenwriter, so you can bet that it's going to be a movie or show at some point.
The Passage
My friend Sean (producer and assistant editor of Weiner - go see it in theaters now!) recommended this one to me even though he hasn't read it yet. It's that buzzy, apparently. This first book, which is part of a trilogy, came out in 2010, but the final installment came out last month, so you can binge read them all now! This book has graced the top of a ton of "best of" lists including Esquire, NPR and The Washington Post. There's shady government experiments gone wrong, special agents, a ruined world, and a future of darkness and violence. The perfect beach read, right? Stephen King endorsed it, so you know its legit.
End of Watch
Speaking of Stephen King, he just came out with a new one that's already been named one of Amazon's top books of the month. It's the finale of a trilogy (everyone's got a trilogy these days) that concludes the story of the "Mercedes Killer." I guess it makes sense to read the first two in the series before jumping into this one, but this one just came out, so its making the list.
Call for the Dead: A George Smiley Novel
After finishing the excellent "The Night Manager" miniseries (watch it NOW!) I'm going through a bit of John Le Carre withdrawal. (OK, maybe its more like Tom Hiddleston withdrawal. Tomato, tomahto.) What better place to get my spy thriller fix than with La Carre's very first novel?
Packing for Mars
This is the only non-fiction book on the list, but Mary Roach isn't a typical non-fiction writer. She's funny, fearless, and best of all, curious. I want to read all of her books, but since this is a dad list (my dad's favorite movie being Apollo 13), I'm going the space route. She covers everything from crash-test cadavers to cramped spaces and isolation to G-forces and practicalities like religious observations and eating. If you've ever wondered what its like to be a NASA astronaut, you'll want to read this.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
This one comes out next week, and I already pre-ordered it. This debut novel is supposed to be one of the best in a while. The psychological thriller is suspenseful, harrowing, and "stays with you." I'm in!
What will your dad (or you!) be reading on the beach this summer?
-Jen
