Summer Reading for 2022

This is not a complete list of all the books I am still reading as the season ends, but I thought that it would be interesting to look back at certain titles that I am glad to have picked up and enjoyed. They do not cover only one particular genre or style (my reading habits have always been very open and liberal; only science fiction and westerns have never really haunted my lists), but I did decide not to include graphic novels or comic books (I am still a fan, but I want to focus of novels and books that may not have the appeal of Marvel, Image or other imprints).

Here is what I imbibed…

Letters of Evelyn Waugh

He has always been a difficult case. Waugh was a snob, bully, racist, reactionary, and overall ass to certain people in his life. And I still read his novels and his non-fiction (I would recommend “Remote People” and “Ninety-Two Days”, his works on his travels in Ethiopia and Brazil). And I would also recommend these letters. Here you have the real writer, all the ugliness and surprising sweetness of a talented comic writer.

A Wild Sheep Chase – Haruki Murakami

I always feel when I read Murakami that my own writing should flow that easily on the page. This is one of those novels that can make you a fan of the writer or wonder what the hype is all about (I started with “Norwegian Wood”, so I did understand the fandom). Here, we have two people searching for a sheep. That’s pretty much it, and yet Murakami draws you into this tale of private histories, love and loss, and how memory is never just in the past. Enjoy it if you get the chance.

Dear Me – Peter Ustinov

I began this one by going back and watching the UN representative/composer/writer/actor in interviews where his skills as an impressionist still shock and amaze me. Then I listened to part of the audiobook version of the book. I even discovered that Waugh met Mr. Ustinov and was one of those rare figures he admired and found amusing. And you will find it amusing if you give it a chance. It might seem dated at points, but as he recalls his childhood, acting career, military career (not really the proper word for it) and his life and loves, you will feel like you have made a new friend.

A Healing Family – Oe Kenzaburo

This was quite personal for me. I was a teacher in Japan for many years and knew a little about the relationship between the writer and his son. The boy was born with a growth on his head and many psychological and mental problems. It was only through music that he was able to truly communicate with his family in a manner that was not aggressive or antagonistic (you can also find that music online). Hikari – his son’s name – means “Light”, and you might feel as if you have had a beam shone onto a very interesting narrative from one of Japan’s best writers and few literature Nobel Laureates.

How to Become a Virgin – Quentin Crisp

Now this one was a real surprise. I found this in a $1.00 pile of books at a secondhand shop, and I still feel that I ripped the business off. It is the sequel to the infamous memoir “The Naked Civil Servant”, and it charts the author’s growing success, interactions with the press and public and, once again, the great loves of his life (America, public speaking, etc.) I should have read it after the first memoir, but I have no regrets knowing how the story concluded. You can even forgive some of his more controversial comments on AIDS and gay rights once you see how many dues he paid. Read it and weep…tears of joy.

Open Heart, Open Mind – Clara Hughes

Canada’s Sweetheart also paid dues for her work, but not many of us would suspect it. Ms. Hughes is the only athlete to win multiple medals in both the summer and winter Olympics, but it seems remarkable that she even had an interest in athletics when you consider her childhood and teen years. A distant father who used alcohol to deal with his own pain, he would have a very intense influence over her. To read about a success in life means to learn about all those moments when success seemed like a dream. Please read about her highs and lows, charity work, and her important message for anyone healing and trying to find their way through their own personal pain.

Born into It: A Fan’s Life – Jay Baruchel

From a Canadian athlete to a Canadiens fan…This one was also personal for me. To be a Habs fan – to be a Canadian hockey fan – is to be aware that the glory days of our natural ownership of Lord Stanley’s best silverware might truly be over. But that does not mean we should give up on the game. Baruchel combines poetry, prose and scenarios to create an interesting picture of a hockey fan whose love of this team and game will never wane. Just wish I had the opportunity to convince him to follow the game back in the day…

Next Time Around – Billy Mavreas

This is the most tricky book to describe (I already have an article on Billy and my relationship with him and his work on this page). His work is almost totally visual, with very little need to use any written language to bring the reader – viewer? – on a journey through the life of a figure who explores his memories of family and past traumas. It was a very apt way to clear the palate between heavy tomes.

Doctor Sleep – Stephen King

Okay, okay… I did not expect to read this one, but again, I found this in a book box and felt compelled to finish it. I read “The Shining” when I was about eleven or twelve on a road trip across America with family and friends (felt a little uncomfortable when I knew how close we would be to Colorado), and I saw the film earlier and admired Kubrick’s vision (remember: it is pretty much about a boy and his family and how memories and ghosts cannot always be satisfied). But I did not see the film based on this one, or have any interest in reading the book…until I got a free copy in my hands. I really did enjoy getting back to King, but I thought that might be it for me. Maybe… Possibly… We’ll see…

And finally…

Concrete Island – J.G. Ballard

I just recently completed my third Ballard book – after “Crash” and “High Rise” – and I still feel a little bit off. What he does here is propose that a man could get stuck on a concrete slab in a motorway and find a way to not only live there, but to prefer it to life with his family, mistress, work, etc. It made me think of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe”, if they had been written for an age of technology and the internal combustion engine. A very ridiculous tale that somehow holds together towards a believable ending that many may see coming (I thought I did, but…)

And the ones I am still enjoying:

• Laughable Loves - Milan Kundera
• London - Peter Ackroyd
• Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker
• The Lottery & Other Stories - Shirley Jackson
• A Little Learning - Evelyn Waugh
• The True Believer - Eric Hoffer
• Mr. Nice - Howard Marks
• Languages of Truth: Essays 2003 - 2020 - Salman Rushdie
• South from Grenada - Gerald Brenan

What can I say? I like books...

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