My 5 Least Appropriate Summer Reads

Summe reading gives off the idea of sitting on a beach with a nice, light book in your hands that you’ll read a few pages of between sunbathing and splashing about in the water. These books are usually fun thrillers or heartfelt dramas. Many bookstores put them on an endcap so you can find them.

Well, I’m terrible at seasonal reading. I never read ‘Christmas’ books in the winter and my summer reading books are whatever’s next on my TBR. I went through my Goodreads history and pulled the five least summer-y reads I’ve read during the summer months. Here’s a countdown.

5. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
There’s nothing overly un-summery about this book, to be fair. However, I’d challenge you to find a lot of other people who want to listen to satirical plays while they’re doing outdoor summer runs. I bet I’m in the minority of this one. It does hit the mark for being short and ‘light’ in topic, but I think I’m a bit non-traditional in this pick.

4. The Bohemians by Ben Tarnoff
I can blame this one on the book club. This was a pick for a summer month but the topic was far too dense and a bit dry. It didn’t keep me reading long at the poolside before I fell asleep so I’d say this one puts you at risk of a sunburn. Best to avoid it while working on a base tan.

3. Critical Chain by Eliyahu Goldratt
My most recent fumble. There’s no time to read a business book than during the two months you get between semesters from business school. Interesting, yes, to be sure. What I wanted to spend my time off reading, not so much. I’m the only one to blame here. But like I said, it was next on my list so I read it. I have no method to this madness.

2. A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
Before I get murdered for having this on my list, please read on. The topic of these books is great for summer reading. It’s engaging and gives you great things to talk about with your friends who also like dead characters and dragons. However, holding one of these bad boys up on the beach is a wrist workout and a half. It’s hard to keep one of these babies supported with a pillow, let alone your poor hands. These are better suited for winter reading when props to keep the weight up are abundant on the couch and snuggled in bed.

1. The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
This will forever go down as the least summer-y book I’ve read in the summer. It’s a great account of Teddy Roosevelt traveling down a river in Brazil and the scientific mapping of a tributary of the Amazon river. The issue is that I had this book due to my book club and was so dedicated to finishing it before the meeting that I took it with me on my honeymoon to Mexico. So I’m sitting around a pool with all-you-can-drink service trying to concentrate on the timeline of the history and slogging through details so much that I forgot to look up and enjoy the ocean. My mom teased me. All the people in my book club teased me. And, of course, my new husband teased me (and likely reflected on a life-long promise he’d recently made). I don’t think I’ll ever live it down.

Are any of you as bad at this as me? What’s the least summer-y book you’ve read so far this summer? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time, write on.

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