Summer reading is an entirely different beast than winter reading.

Summer is full of distractions:  the warm grill in your backyard, the carnival down the street that promises thrills and fortune, the dog that just wants to go for one more walk.  How can you say no to any of that?  Summer reads should be intriguing enough to stick in your thoughts but not so involved that you have to re-read the last few pages to reacquaint yourself with the goings-on in the book.  Summer is best served with gritty crime novels and short story collections.  Save your classics and meaty manuscripts for the winter, when sitting and reading for hours on end is your best option for the day.

This summer, I’ve decided to dedicate myself to crime/noir/mystery genre, though I will fastidiously avoid any such book that can be purchased at Walgreens. I’ve started with George Pelecanos.  This guy is just freakin’ cool; he exudes bad-ass attitude in every story.  You can picture him sipping mid-rail whiskey at the local dive bar, Marlboro smoke surrounding his head like the halo on a fallen angel.  And his taste in music?  If you want an education on ’70’s soul, good classic rock, and bygone radio deejays, read one of his books.  Or read them all, you won’t be disappointed.

D.C. Noir
Edited by George Pelecanos

This series is great, the stories are good, and - if you’re fortunate enough to live in one of the featured cities - the setting familiar.  D.C. Noir features sixteen short stories by people from D.C. or people that now call D.C. home.  Pelecanos edited the book, and contributed a story himself.  Overall, I’d say about 75% of the stories are good, and three of those great.  Any time I like over 50% of the stories in a compilation by various artists I consider that a success by the editor.   The story, “God Don’t Like Ugly,” by Lester Irby really is well-written and stands out as one of the best in this collection.  Though who would know what God doesn’t like better than a man serving thirty years for bank robbery and two prison escapes?

The book is divided up by D.C. regions.  This is especially entertaining, because you get the true feel of the city - fancy neighborhood over here, gangland over there, souls trapped in the middle right about here.  Oh, and it emphasizes the fact that dirty cops exist everywhere - not just in Chicago, shockingly.

In addition to D.C, Brooklyn, Chicago, Dublin, San Francisco, and Baltimore have also been featured.  I just picked up Chicago Noir this afternoon, and can’t wait to dig in.  I’ll keep you posted.

-spiderpig