Last Days of Summer

Saturday night, after a gorgeous day watching Will Dailey perform outdoors and savoring some Great Pumpkin Ale at the Cambridge Brewing Company, we finally returned home to a chilly house — and lit our first fire of the fall.

Summer, I barely knew ya.

Now, I'm a huge fan of fall; October is even my favorite month, by far. But between the second cloudiest June on record, my workaholic month of July, and our late August sojourn to the cool, damp, west coast of Ireland, I kind of feel like I missed out on summer. For the first time in years, I'm not quite ready for apple picking, or football, or sweaters.

I mean, I probably donned shorts all of a dozen times in the last three months! What happened?

Anyway, this post is actually about a book: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger. Read it, and you will love it. It's hilarious, charming, and surprisingly beautiful. We met Mr. Kluger just last week at the Harvard Square "Bookish Ball," and I got him to sign a copy for my nephew, who's 8 years old and just beginning to develop what will likely be a lifelong love of baseball. I don't think he's ready for the book yet — there are far too many f-bombs for one thing! — but I cannot wait to give it to him when he's 10 or 11.

If you're a sentimental type, or if you love baseball, WWII-era history, or just good banter, pick up a copy and I promise you won't be disappointed.