When I’m on vacation, one of the rules I follow with the strictness of a Pharisee is that I don’t read books with footnotes. I read enough of those already.
Instead I read books that having nothing to with real life. I don’t want to think. I don’t want my vocabulary enriched. I don’t want to read something that sets me off on an idea for a sermon.
While I’m sitting by the pool or on the balcony of a condo or stretched out on a comfy couch, I want to lose myself in a good–I want to stop but I have to see what happens next–page turner of a book.
Here are a few that I’ve enjoyed this summer.
Barry Eisler’s John Rain novels are quick reads with lots of action. Rain is a half American, half Japanese assassin who does his dirty work (in a moral sort of way of course) against the backdrop of the Tokyo skyline.
Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels aren’t as quick a read as the Rain novels, but they’re a blast. Reacher is an ex MP who hitchhikes around the country helping out people who find themselves in the worst sort of trouble. Sounds corny, but I’m not going to tell Jack Reacher that.
Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp novels are hard to beat. Rapp is a Jack Bauer like character except that Rapp is much tougher than Bauer. Flynn has been a story consultant for the writers of “24” before and there is definitely a resemblance. Rapp does his dirty work in the field while politicians and bureaucrats engage in behind the scenes shenanigans that threaten the success of the mission.
I’m looking forward to the release of The Dark River by John Twelve Hawks. River is the sequel to The Traveler which I read on a no footnote vacation a couple of summers ago.
I’ll also be buying the final Harry Potter later this month.
So what are your favorite summer reads? If you try to sneak in a book with footnotes, I’ll mock you publicly and then delete your comment.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Good list you’ve got going! Check out Gayle Lynds, Greg Iles, and Daniel Silva. For something slightly different, I’ve loved the Susan Howatch series I’ve read.
The Kite Runner by Hosseini is one of the better books I’ve read all year–footnotes or non-footnotes notwishstanding.
Sara Barton let me borrow Kite Runner (set primarily in Afghanistan) and it gripped me from the first line to the last.
‘…Rapp is much tougher than Bauer…’
I’m still searching my Bible, but I’m pretty sure this is blasphemy… 🙂
Josh-I’ve got Kite Runner on my audible list. I’ll listen to it in the next couple of months probably. It’s been recommended to me too many times to ignore.
Steve–I’ve read a couple of the Howatch novels and I’ve enjoyed them. I haven’t read one in a while though.
Anything in the “Dirk Pitt” series from Clive Cussler.
Glad to hear you are a Potter fan as well. Can’t wait to see how it ends
You will be richly rewarded (and frightened beyong belief) for curling up with Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD. His best by far and hugely deserving of its accolades and awards. rtrr
rtrr–I have read The Road and was devastated by it. McCarthy’s descriptive powers are haunting. The Road has stuck with me unlike anything I’ve read in a long time. I enjoyed his “No Country For Old Men” as well.
The Bible???
Have you read the Color of Law. Mike recommended it a while back, and I really enjoy it.
The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer
And I’ve heard War and Peace is a real corker!
And what about The Quantum Physical Analysis of the Dynamic Equivalents Theory of Bible Translation???
Peace.
Yes, indeed. ‘No Country’ was rich. ‘The Road’ made me weep almost uncontrollably. I found it to be a rich template for all the reasons the world comes to an end (and sometimes keeps on coming to an end) for so many of us…and which ones of us keep on trucking.
Go back when you have time and pick up some (or all) of McCarthy’s earlier works. I’ve followed him for years and I have so enjoyed seeing the progression in his writing. One wonders where he will go next…or if there can be a next after ‘the road?’ rtrr
i’ve read the first five potter books since the beginning of june and I’ve started 6 so that I can read 7 when it comes out.
good stuff.
also you can’t go wrong with wendell berry bro.
I pounded out “The Innocent” in 16 hours earlier this week while waiting in Germany for my mom to heal up for a trip back to the States. Very disturbing but definitely a page turner. It left a residue of mistrust for the justice system on me.