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Imagine with us: You’ve just left work on a sultry Friday, and damn do you feel good. Why? Because it’s summer, for one, and you’re off for a weekend, or a long weekend, or a week even, if your boss isn’t a Nazi and your job still includes that sweet rarity, “vacation time”. The weather’s good, and you don’t have anything to do — just sit around, drink some brews, and hang with friends, if they’re lucky enough to escape slavery, too.
But you may feel an urge as you relax in the sun, or in the cool AC, or even lounge sumptuously in your pool (you lucky SOB). If only you could engage your thinker — lightly, mind you, god knows the last thing you want is a calculus set — with something pleasant, easy and entirely voluntary! And boom: you’ve got your need for a summer read. The category is entirely arbitrary. There’s not a genre that lends itself to being a “summer” book; you’re an adult, and you know what you like. Feeling adventurous? Try out that book you’ve been secretly eyeing up, embarrassed to read because it involves 50 shades of a color and some slightly taboo activities. We’re not here to judge you (note: yes we are). In any case, we’ve got some slightly better suggestions because, well, we’re pretty well-read, and we’re pretty into summer, and we’ve enjoyed the two together many a time. And hey, if nothing here works for you, you could always just pop on over to our Definitive Men’s Library for 100 options.
50 Articles, 150 Gear Essentials, 1 Trek Across Cuba: Your Guide to Making Summer 2013 The Best Ever »
EIGHT SUMMER READING ESSENTIALS
1. If at all possible, a lovely assistant/better half to maintain your vital hydration/nourishment needs while you are immobilized in that comfy chair/hammock/poolside chais. If desperate, substitute offspring, needy friend types or paid help.
2. Fingertip wax for doing battle to bastard-esque slick pages, and/or usage as lip balm.
3. If outdoors, sunscreen.
4. If outdoors, sunglasses.
5. If indoors, delightful pet for interludes of partnered napping.
6. Cigar, preferably of the Churchill size.
7. Scotch, bourbon, rum, etc.
8. If reading Henry James, Pynchon, Tolstoy or Bill O’Reilly, a different book.