4 Books Every Man Should Read in the Summer

It’s the season of the beach read (which, incidentally, is a term no man should ever use when discussing books), so feel good about picking up an old Elmore Leonard, or the latest Stephen King. But, balance that warm weather pulp fiction with something a little more literary, but nonetheless appropriate for summer.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

You read it in high school, but there’s a reason this might be the perfect novel. Summer nights, the American Dream, broken promises, and short enough to read on the way to the cottage. (So long as you aren’t driving).

 GoodBye, Columbus, Philip Roth

A master’s take on being young and in love, being a man and class, all fit into a structure that mirrors the summer months perfectly.

A Sport and a Pastime, James Salter

Because when you see young lovers and you can’t stop yourself from imagining what they are doing that you aren’t, you don’t make it sound like this.

Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Michael Chabon

That feeling, common among young men, and not common enough among older ones, that you’re living through a summer that will change your life forever. That’s this book.