Great Summer Reads By John Carey

Summer is a great time for reading—either at the beach during a well-needed vacation or just hiding out in the air-conditioned house waiting for the sun to go down. Something about this time of year is perfect for discovering newer fiction. But at the same time, it’s always a gamblereading something new. So sometimes I’m happier re-reading some of my all-time favorites.

1. Writers of the Future Volume 41–This anthology has a variety of engaging and thought-provoking stories. Time travel, robot tales, fantasy, dystopian futures, space travel to new worlds, AI, or witches and strong demons. I’ll talk about just two of my favorites.

We’ve read many robot tales where the robot abides by Asimov’s rules, but a much more imaginative story follows a robot who inexplicably and suddenly doesn’t follow those rules. Another fantasy involves the “Groundhog Day” theme, where a day repeats over and over, except that EVERYONE in this story remembers, not just one person. It is an analogy for times when our own life seems to involve getting up, going to work, coming home, rinse and repeat.

2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams–I don’t think any book has ever made me laugh as much as this one. The humor, the fantastical storyline, and ultimately, the search for meaning in one’s life! This story has everything.

3. Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard–the absolute best sci-fi novel I have ever read.

Enslaved humans versus evil aliens who are just here for our gold. Mr. Hubbard knows how to write to pull out every emotion you’ve ever experienced with characters you’ll love or hate. Your feelings will run the gamut as battles are won, and suddenly, completely different and unexpected battles rise to the forefront!

4. At Home by Bill Bryson–If you’ve never read a Bill Bryson book, leave for your nearest bookstore now! His books should have a warranty posted on the front cover—GUARANTEED to increase your IQ by at least 5 points. At least, that’s the way I feel after I finish one.

At Home takes you through each room in your house, examining the history behind everything connected to that room. You will learn about the history of hygiene, sex, death, sleep, nutrition, spices, and much more.

5. Toxic Prey by John Sandford–For murder mysteries, Sandford is my number one read. And over the years, to keep the series fresh, his Lucas Davenport character has grown from a Minneapolis police detective who colors outside the lines and eventually gets fired but always moves on to a higher-level job and finally to being a Deputy U.S. Marshall.

After all of us collectively experiencing COVID lockdowns, this story presents an all- too-familiar theme: a gain-of-function virus about to be unleashed upon the world. Can Lucas and his adopted daughter Letty, who works for Homeland Security, stop them first? This quick read is action-packed and fast-paced.

Well, whatever your preference, I hope your summer reading is as adventurous as mine and you escape to worlds unknown.

Bio: John Carey paid the bills working as a programmer and IT project manager while he honed his writing skills at night and on the weekends. John has just published his second book, “Not Worthy of the Air you Breathe” set in the future where nations have taken a cue from the business world and terminate their low performing citizens at the end of each year.