A Little Summer Reading

OK, so I’m a planner. I’m one of those folks who constantly makes lists and updates my calendar. I plan my calendar out for months at a time, so my summer is pretty much mapped out- pool, polo matches and reading. There are a couple of book related things that may rear their literary heads and conscript me into massive rewrites, but so far all is quiet on the editorial front. I have one manuscript with an agent awaiting a verdict, and two with a publisher ironing contract details, but all is moving at a glacial pace. I have a couple of new projects in the works but both are in the conceptual stage and my muse is only showing them to me as ‘coming attractions’, and not the full fledged feature film that scrolls across my brain from which the real stuff of my books is made. Like most writers I have a stack of ‘to read’ books by my bed and a list of enough e-books to be downloaded into my kindle to keep my lips moving all summer. So I thought I’d share a summer reading list with you. And for those who know me, you know my literary tastes tend to be a little different than some of the stuff that passes for literature for the vox populi (I mean you Fifty Shades of Lame). Summer Reading - 1. Ray Bradbury - In memory of the greatest scifi writer ever, I’m going to dig up my old copies of Dandelion Wine and The Martian Chronicles. Mahalo Ray. 2. Terry Pratchett and Steven Baxter – New book called The Long Earth, I don’t know much about Baxter, except that he worked with Arthur C. Clarke which is good enough for me. 3. Ken Grimwood – Replay, main character dies at 50, wakes up back in college, leads a new life, dies at 50 again, wakes up in college again, amazing book. 4. Donald Ray Pollock - Knockemstiff- I loved The Devil All the Time, kind of a Ohio Gothic, complete with a prayer log, so I’m betting this one is good too. 5. Joe R. Lansdale Edge of Dark Water – Joe always spins a good Texas mystery. 6. Lawrence Shames - The Angels Share – Larry really captures Key West and he is funny as hell. 7. Chris Moore – Sacre Blu – I have read all of Chris’ books and will still give him a plug, even if he won’t reply to my publisher’s request for a book blurb. Right, mister Chris la-te da, look at me, I have 12 books and sold all my movie rights for mega bucks and have a house in Maui, Moore? 8. Charles Shields- And So It Goes – The difference between fiction and non-fiction is that fiction has to make sense. That’s why and I don’t usually read non-fiction. But I liked this one. 9. Andrew J. Fox- The Good Humor Man- Loved Fat White Vampire Blues and Bride of Fat White Vampier so I'm betting this one continues his absurdist humor style with his unique and hilarious style. So there you are, a summer reading list, a little dark, a little light, some funny, some grotesque, a little altered perception, a childhood summer musing on wine, some mystery a little art, and the biography man who drew pictures of assholes in his book and got paid for it. Enjoy your summer. I have the bar stocked and a cool, new zombie Snow White sticker on my Macbook that gets odd looks at the pool, so I know I will.