One of the chief joys of my summer has been reading in the park. It’s such a peaceful, quietly enjoyable experience, I often think it’s a wonder that it’s free. But it is, save for the price of the book in my hands — although, to me, the singular joy I get from reading a good book is priceless.
One morning last week I was sitting in the park near my home under a very tall and sprawling elm tree, immersed in a short story from Sigrid Nunez’s wondrous new collection It Will Come Back to You, when it occurred to me to look up and look around. It wasn’t something I’d heard that gave me pause, although there were children cheerfully playing in the water feature nearby and, not far off, several parents pushing their kids on swings — I couldn’t hear the children, but I could sense their joy. And the parents looked content as well. The only sound I was aware of was overhead: the murmur of leaves shivering in the breeze. It was a restful sound. And I realized that’s what made me mark the page in my book, look up, and take a breath: an invigorating sense of calm.
I felt happy. And grateful.
It’s no wonder, really, as science tells us that both reading and spending time in a park or any green space have many health benefits, physical and mental. Reading is said to reduce stress and help us develop empathy. Time spent in green spaces significantly reduces cortisol, which is a stress hormone, while boosting endorphin levels and dopamine production, which promotes happiness. On a sunny day, you’re also taking in a lot of good Vitamin D. When you add in a book you’re really enjoying, your mood is also sure to improve. I know mine has.
August — with its warm temps and oodles of sunshine — seems an ideal month to venture to the park and lose yourself in a great read. Publishers tend to stack their fall catalogues, but thankfully there are still plenty of first-rate new releases coming out in August, and I would like to highlight a few.
First up is a book I’m really looking forward to from Michael Cunningham, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours. It’s called Unsayable: A Life in Writing, and it’s an intimate memoir portraying a life spent trying to describe the indescribable. If you’ve read The Hours, you know Cunningham does that exceedingly well. He writes truly gorgeous prose. This memoir is already being called a treasure. Susan Orlean (Joyride, The Orchid Thief) says it’s “gorgeous, engaging, and heartfelt… a joy to read.” Sounds good to me. In all fairness though, I’m such a huge fan of Cunningham’s I’d be picking up this memoir regardless.
I’ve been hearing a lot about Paul Yoon’s novel Etna, due out on August 4. It’s been on a bunch of “most anticipated books of the year” lists, lauded by the New York Times, Time, Lithub, the Chicago Tribune, and the Boston Globe, and that’s not normally a coincidence. The novel is short, at 204 pages (short books are terrific summer reads!) and narrated by an ex-military dog, Etna, who is trying to find its way home in the aftermath of a war. Its journey home through desolate, war-torn landscapes is treacherous, but Etna — a kind-hearted shepherd mix — longs to return to the coastal farm of his puppyhood. The book, said to be elegantly written, is ultimately a parable about finding hope in the bleakest of times. And who couldn’t use that right about now?
Not many novelists write about small-town life better than Richard Russo. In Under the Falls, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls returns to those small-town environs, this time with a literary page-turner about a crime that exposes long-held secrets and betrayals among a lifelong group of friends in the small town of Stone Mountain, N.Y. Like most Russo novels, this one is a character-driven, deeply empathetic drama, but Under the Falls marks the first time — that I’m aware of, at any rate — that he’s taken on a crime thriller. Russo is a remarkably talented prose stylist. I can imagine this book will be a sure-fire winner. Under the Falls promises to be a perfect summer read. It’s due out on August 11.
I’m already a goner for this next recommendation: Summerland by Helen Humphreys. Humphreys is one of our best writers, period. Her novels are exquisitely written; her non-fiction richly detailed, fascinating, deeply moving and endlessly thoughtful. Summerland is a memoir on “family, loss, and the inheritance of dreams.” In it, Humphreys writes about her grandfather and her father, exploring the nature of inherited dreams within a family. Do dreams and desires pass through DNA like a physical trait, from one generation to the next and the next after? What continues? And how does it continue? I can’t wait to dive into this one. Helen Humphreys is one of those writers who is simply so good you know she will not disappoint. Her books are worth every penny. You buy them day one, without question. “Here,” you say (as “the kids” do). “Take my money.” Because you know you’ll be generously rewarded. Summerland is out on September 1.
As a bit of a bonus: Humphreys will also be appearing at this year’s edition of the Kingston WritersFest, in early October. Check my column in the September issue of theHumm for a detailed preview of this year’s festival.
Meantime, they are presenting a special event on August 19 at The Spire in Kingston: Ancient Myths, Modern Nightmares featuring Yann Martel and Iain Reid. Martel and Reid will be discussing the art of storytelling, translating text to screen, working in Hollywood, and a lot more. Martel’s latest novel, Son of Nobody is available at a fine bookstore near you, and Reid’s latest book, A New Kind of Clean — a groundbreaking collaboration with filmmaker Ellie Foumbi — will be out on October 6. Tickets are on sale at kingstonwritersfest.ca.