When summertime, with its heat and humidity, rolls in, we tend to look for lighter clothing, lighter food, and especially lighter reading, as opposed to more stimulating literature. It’s a perfectly natural feeling; we all work so hard during the colder months that, for some of us, taking a break from the serious side of life allows us to feel lighter.
However, summer is also a time when we tend to have more free time, as the days are longer and we stay up later, allowing us to relax more. Reading is by far one of the most relaxing traditions, but what if we used that extra time to delve into something more profound?
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Reading A Classic During The Summer Months
The suggestion here is to stimulate our minds while relaxing, and here are some ideas to help you do just that. To start us off, there is the novel Middlemarch by George Eliot, published under the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, which was written between 1871 and 1872.
The storyline is set in a fictional English town in the 1930s. It is an intense exploration of ambition, marriage, and idealism. It stands out from other publications for its rich, realistic, and intricate character development, which also provides an insightful understanding of motivations and societal restrictions.
We continue with a more recent publication. The next option in the fiction category is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, written in 1995 and set in India during the mid-1970s.
Although a work of fiction, it represents the realistic and delicate balance between dreams and hopelessness, and how these can be a challenge in a world of injustices. It explores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of political instability. The Overstory by Richard Powers was written in 2005. It has been called a literary and ecological masterpiece as parts of it are inspired by reality.
As the characters develop a deeper understanding of nature through their growing knowledge of how trees communicate with each other, it may lead readers to a more profound understanding of their place in the world. This final entry addresses a topic that is crucial to many of us today. It focuses on themes that challenge human connection, the power of nature, and our place within the ecological system. It is considered a complex read by some, while others loved it to the last word.
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Want To Head In A Different Direction?
If you prefer non-fiction, there are also possibilities that not only inform but also contain some controversy, which leads to further reading and increased knowledge.
For example, one could start with a general history, such as Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari, which was first published in Hebrew in 2011 and then in English in 2014. It is a captivating tale of human history from different perspectives, which includes some controversy due to some of the conclusions the author draws.
There is also The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson, published in 2010, which chronicles the Great Migration of Black Americans from the South to the North and West between 1915 and 1970. It is a narrative nonfiction work featuring three representative protagonists who choose to escape the Jim Crow era in Mississippi in search of better wages and a better life.
The title is borrowed from celebrated black writer Richard Wright, who also fled the South to feel the warmth of other suns. It presents an effective and improved look at universal racism and spirit.
Our final nonfiction entry, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, published in 2011, dives deep into how we make decisions. It differentiates between two types of thinking: one that is intrinsic and emotional, and the second that is slower, more cautious, and logical. The aim is to sharpen our critical thinking and decision-making skills.
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Other notable fiction mentions are 2005’s The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, a young man’s obsession with another man’s story, or 2017’s Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, which spans two continents, four centuries, and seven generations—about two sisters on two different paths.
In the nonfiction category, one could try Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, which explores the mutual relationships between humans, the land, and traditions. And finally, there is The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt, published in 2012, which explores our six moral foundations, according to the author.
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Our Take
There you have it; whether you want to broaden your mind through fiction or nonfiction, there is an excellent array of possibilities. The idea of enjoying summer, relaxing, and even learning and expanding our minds is all possible.
Summer reading can lead to the development of empathy, as well as a deep enjoyment of finishing a complex book and feeling accomplished and enriched. Now, go online or head to the closest bookstore and pick up a book that will prompt you to think critically, consider various options, and open the door to potentially excellent discussions with your friends or family.
