The Rum Diary, by Hunter S. Thompson

I'm not entirely sure why, but I really liked this little novel. Perhaps it's the straightforward writing, the way Thompson says exactly what's happening and what Kemp is seeing and the way he's feeling. Or perhaps it just felt appropriate, given the mini-heat wave we're having here in California. Or maybe it's that I can empathize with Kemp's own particular brand of wanderlust, a need to be elsewhere without actually knowing where or why or what he should be doing. Whatever it is, I really enjoyed this novel of the Caribbean and San Juan, of rum and palms, of racism and imperialism and patriotism. It definitely makes me want to read more of Thompson's work (though I have little desire to see the Johnny Depp movie version).