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I keep hearing that people aren't reading much anymore, and that ction is in a free fall. And yet for me, the column that generates the most reader feedback -- by far, without fail -- is my annual offering of perfect prose for the poolside, bodacious books for the beach. Why? Because readers are insatiable sorts who love hearing about books that may well be up their alley, and they go gaga when they nd one. And because by now, everyone this side of Oprah knows my umpteenth annual list of superb summer reads has been known to incite bedlam in bookstores, lunacy in libraries, and rioting (or, at very least, reading) in the streets. These summer books may incite reading in the streets That's Life Andy Juniper Guest Contributor 7 | Thursday, June 19, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Must reads Here we go: · Benediction, by Kent Haruf: The fth novel by Haruf, a gifted and yet relatively unsung writer whose work is purposeful, full of pleasure, artful and inspired. While thin on plot, Benediction is slathered in setting -- the ctional town of Holt, Colorado, home of all Haruf novels -- and characterization. I'm giving nothing away to say the story wafts like a high plains breeze ushering in change around the fact that protagonist Dan Lewis is slowly dying. · To Be Sung Underwater, by Tom McNeal: Speaking of unsung, turns out poor Tom McNeal does not even have a Wikipedia page. Well Wiki: in 1998, McNeal published Goodnight, Nebraska, a superb novel that left readers pining for more. And although he made everyone wait 13 years, To Be Sung is well worth it. This is a story about the kind of love "that picks you up in Akron and sets you down in Rio." That, and so much more. · Perfect, by Rachel Joyce: The wonderful follow-up to her unlikely international megahit, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Howard Fry. A busy, ambitious novel with parallel plotlines, detailed characterization, and more than enough twists to keep a reader guessing and speed-reading to the novel's conclusion. · Extraordinary, by David Gilmour: Death by assisted suicide is the dark topic Gilmour tackles in this beautiful, brief novel (it's a onesitting read). And he tackles it with aplomb via precision pacing, charm, and an unexpected lightness. Love or hate Gilmour the man -- with his reputation for arrogance and penchant for cramming his feet into his mouth -- he is a rst-rate writer, a remarkable storyteller and someone who can make most any sentence sing. · Crossing to Safety and Remembering Laughter, by Wallace Stegner: Last fall, I entered a bookstore in Chicago that was featuring the 1972 Pulitzer Prize winner and honouring his literary legacy -- by the time he died in 1993, he'd written 13 novels and more than a dozen non- ction tomes. I read the bio they'd posted with his books, in which he was compared to giants like John Steinbeck, and felt, well, embarrassed -- because he was that loved, that acclaimed, and I'd never heard of him. I bought Crossing to Safety, the last novel he wrote, which was published in 1987, and quickly cracked its cover. Two days later, high on Stegner, I returned to the bookstore and bought Remembering Laughter, the author's rst novel, published in 1937. Talk about beautiful bookends. This summer, I plan to dive deeper into the Stegner catalogue. Perfect prose for the poolside; bodacious books for the beach. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook www. facebook.com, or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. Keynote Speaker: Deborah Simon, RN, MBA An exciting chance to hear from one of the province's preeminent healthcare leaders, Deborah Simon, CEO of the Ontario Community Support Association, will share her vision for the future of home and community care as part of a fully integrated healthcare system. Time: Reception at 5:30pm | Presentation at 6:00pm Location: Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre | 2302 Bridge Rd, Oakville Register online at: http://tinyurl.com/AcclaimHealthAGM June 24th, 2014 A N N U A L General Meeting 45TH ANNIVERSARY SALE FREE INSTALLATION INSTALLATION* 12' X 24' INGROUND KIDNEY SHAPED POOL $ FREE SWIM SPAS FROM 25,995 INSTALLED* VINYL & FIBERGLASS AVAILABLE 15' ROUND $2299 12' X 20' OVAL $3499 18' ROUND $2499 15' X 25' OVAL $3999 INSTALLED* ABOVE GROUND POOLS $16,999 FREE INSTALLATION FACTORY DIRECT VINYL LINER SALE REPLACE YOUR OLD LINER AUTO POOL CLEANERS HAYWARD I/G POOL PUMPS 250,000 BTU POOL HEATER SOLAR BLANKETS 12' X 24' $49.99 14' X 28' $59.99 16' X 32' $79.99 18' X 36' $99.99 20' X 40' $129.99 MANY MORE SIZES AVAILABLE SAVE BIG!! 12' x 24' $999 14' x 28' $1199 16' x 32' $1399 18' x 36' $1599 20' x 40' $1999 2013 MODEL HOT TUBS* CLEARANCE FROM $2599 A/G Pools I/G Pools $ 7999 $14999 $ 29900 $129999 Visit Our Showroom! 504 IROQUOIS SHORE RD UNIT #1, OAKVILLE, ONTARIO L6H 3K4 *Restrictions apply chek in-store for details. *Product not exactly as shown. 905.815.5252