Now that Summer gets its own branding each year – Barefoot-Boy Summer? Side Chick Summer? – may I suggest that this Summer is coined “Our Summer,” a chance for each of us to personalize the next few months. A chance for us to give our bodies exactly what WE need to get the most from this limited and much-needed opportunity to invest in ourselves. And if I may make a play on words, “Our Summer” can also be “R Summer,” with the R representing recovering, relaxing, resting, reinvigorating, reinventing, and of course, READING.
Reading remains one of my favorite acts of self-care, and summertime is my favorite time to read. Not only does reading boost my brain health, but it’s also an opportunity for me to devote quiet time to myself, usually early in the morning but also late at night.
Each year I collate a list of 9 books to read throughout the Summer. In many ways, this is a hopeful list, and I don’t always finish each of them, but the list represents the books that have been on my reading stack for a while now, some recommended by educators on Twitter and some recommended by students of mine. I will read some of these books for pleasure, some for personal and professional development, and hopefully, some will fulfill both categories. Does it bother me that I won’t finish ALL of the books on my list? No, especially not having read this quote from Melissa Kirsch:
Will I finish the many books I’m partway through before I move on to this bounty of summer picks? Honestly, as much as it pains me to leave things undone, I’m giving myself a fresh slate. I want to read enthusiastically, athletically, this summer. I’m determined to be a closer. My itinerary is set, my reading list planned. Now, I leave it up to the season to bring on the sunny days and shady patches of grass.
Melissa Kirsch
At the end of this blog post, I share a collection of fantastic book list suggestions from other sites. There is ALWAYS something for everyone in my annual #summerreads blog post.
The Rhythm of Time by Questlove with S.A Crosby
This is Questlove’s world and we are just living in it. My favorite music aficionado, joins forces with ‘Souther noir’ crime fiction writer S.A Cosby, to create an entertaining, time-traveling, hip-hop referencing story that I hope know will be the first in a long series. This was my first audiobook listen of the summer, listening to the book on Audible, which is always my go-to for audio books when my local library doesn’t carry the title.
A Delicate Game: Brain Injury, Sport and Sacrifice by Hana Walker-Brown
I downloaded the kindle version of this book as it is less than $6. As a father of two young athletes I think it’s important that I educate myself on the subject of concussion.
A Delicate Game is a “searing investigation that explores the truth about brain injury in sport and beyond it, from the social dynamics that send young men into violent and dangerous pursuits, to the scientists searching for truth and the families living with the consequences – and it will change the way you think about sport forever.”
Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood by Allison Yarrow
This is my July book of the month selection, and for good reason. The authors TED Talk ‘ What to Expect Post Expecting’ marked the first time the graphic details of postpartum struggles were shared on the TED stage. The book goes further, revealing that childbirth in America is in crisis. Drawing upon the experiences of 1,300 participants in a survey, Yarrow documents how women are controlled, traumatized, injured, and even killed, because of traditionalist practices of medical professionals and hospitals during pregnancy, labor, childbirth and after. I’m expecting a powerful, and difficult read.
Walking Meditations: To Find a Place of Peace, Wherever You Are by Danielle North
I seem to have a fascination for books on walking, and it’s purely because I think that, with intentional planning, there is a place for a walking unit in every physical education curriculum. My walking book collection includes The Walking Curriculum, Born to Walk and 52 Ways to Walk.
This beautifully illustrated book guides readers through the process of finding inner peace while on the move, with a selection of meditations for every season, long and short walks in both a natural and an urban setting, and meditations for creativity, calm and focus. I plan on using this book to help me weave walking meditations into my #PhysEd classes.
The Last Party: Britpop, Blair and the Demise of English Rock by John Harris
Call it neural nostalgia, but right now I’m craving the music from the early to mid 90’s. From Acid House, to the indie sounds of Manchester, through the Acid Jazz movement and the rise, and fall, of Britpop. If you remember Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Elastica then you’ll love The Last Party from John Harris. I started reading it at the beginning of the summer and I can’t put it down.
Britpop, which came on the scene as I started my teaching career, had a significant impact on popular culture, fashion, and the music industry during its peak in the mid-1990s, but its influence gradually waned by the end of the decade as musical trends shifted. That said, I return to this playlist of mine often.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
This will be my first beach read of the summer (man, I wish they released all new books on paperback) as it seems to be on everybody’s list of suggested summer reads. Of the two previous David Grann books that I’ve read, one has already been made into a movie (The Lost City of Z) and the other will be a Scorcese movie (Killers of the Flower Moon), in October.
This is a retelling of a remarkable story that is fully revealed in the book blurb. You already know what happened…but the author shares all sides of the story so that the reader can decide which parts of the story ACTUALLY happened. I’m 4 chapters in to the book and I literally feel like I’m in the ship with the sailors. My dad likes seafaring books, so I also bought him a copy in the hope that we can bond through a shared read.
The Antiracist Educator by Pranav Patel
I seem to know so many wonderful educators who have written their own book (or two – yes, Scott Todnem I’m looking at you) and I’m super excited for the new book from Christopher Pepper. Reading The Antiracist Educato, from my friend Pran, allows me to support his work, while doing the work. The work of becoming a better educator myself.
“In a society that privileges whiteness, racist ideas have become normalized throughout our educational institutions and curriculum. We are not born racist or antiracist; these result from the choices we make. Choosing this book means making a conscious choice to learn about how racism is embedded within the UK education system and deciding to fight against it. Choosing this book starts you on your antiracist journey as a teacher.”
The work of making classrooms, and society more inclusive and diverse can never stop. This book will be my reminder to do better.
California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival by Keith Corbin
This memoir from Keith Corbin sounds AMAZING. Born in 1980s Watts, Los Angeles, notorious for gang activity, he started cooking crack at age thirteen, becoming so skilled that he was flown across the country to cook for drug operations in other cities. Unfortunately, this lifestyle soon caught up with him. It led to years in California’s most notorious maximum security prisons—witnessing the resourcefulness of other inmates who made kimchi out of leftover vegetables and tamales from ground-up Fritos.
After his release, Corbin managed the kitchen at LocoL, a fast food restaurant spearheaded by celebrity chefs, designed to bring inexpensive, quality food and good jobs into underserved neighborhoods. With the increased attention that this success brought him, Corbin has used his story to move onwards and upwards, sharing that journey in California Soul.
The book promises to take readers into the worlds of gang hierarchy, drug dealing, prison politics, gentrification, and culinary achievement to tell how Keith Corbin became head chef of Alta Adams, one of America’s best restaurants.
Other reading lists from which you might find inspiration:
UC Berkeley has a cool summer reading list for new students with their theme this year being “(Re)Writing the Rules”.
Summer Books 2023 from The New York Times.
23 Books to Read This Summer from The Washington Post.
The Ultimate Summer 2023 Reading List from Literary Hub.
Summer Books List 2023 from NPR.
Readers’ 54 Most Anticipated Books of Summer from Goodreads.
The Great American Read downloadable checklist of 100 great books.
Race, Racism and Rebellion, an essential, and ever-growing collated list of social justice reads.
The Slowchathealth Books of the Month. See what books have been recommended by the blog over the last few years.
Please share what books you plan on reading this summer on social media or in the comments section below.
If you’re interested in what I’m listening to right now, here’s my 2023 playlist of songs that have caught my eye/ear this year to date.
#slowchathealth 