Well, we received a reminder notice from summer last week that spring is soon to be sprung. All it takes is a few toasty days to prompt me to seek out ideas for keeping cool. When I was a kid, running through the sprinklers and eating popsicles kept me happy on hot days. Fast forward, oh, let’s say, multiple decades, and now I’m trying to stay away from sugar, so no popsicles for this middle-aged body. And because I don’t want to frighten the neighbors or small animals, there won’t be any sprinkler-running. Alas. But here is something a young-at-heart adult can do when the sun beams down oven-roasting heat: sit inside an air-conditioned location and read. Super cool.
In the spirit of all things chill-icious, here is a list of titles that, thermometer-wise, are decidedly not hot. Here’s the thing: the weather forecast tells me that by the time you read this column, current summerlike temperatures will drop and moisture is expected. So, this reading list might need to wait for days that sizzle instead of drip. It’s your call, dear readers. After all, reading knows no weather-related boundaries.
- “Empire Antarctica: Ice, Silence, & Emperor Penguins” by Gavin Francis.
- “The Fall Line: How American Ski Racers Conquered a Sport on the Edge” by Nathaniel Vinton.
- “Ice Tray Treats: Effortless Chilled Desserts That Everyone Will Love” by Olivia Mack McCool.
- “Journey to the Arctic” by Florian Schulz.
- “Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition” by Buddy Levy.
- “On Call in the Arctic: A Doctor’s Pursuit of Life, Love, and Miracles in the Alaskan Frontier” by Thomas J. Sims.
- “Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America” by Amy Ettinger.
- “Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North” by Blair Braverman.
