I Wouldn’t Do That If I Were Me: Modern Blunders and Modest Triumphs (but Mostly Blunders)

Wall Street Journal sports columnist Gay (Little Victories) considers fatherhood and middle age in this entertaining collection of 32 short essays. In “Vroom,” he describes taking his six-year-old son to the Daytona 500, where Gay discovers he is “a sad dad who is equipped to explain to his son the finer points of Arcade Fire, but I’m useless here.” “Surrender Dad” is a candid take on caving in to serving pizza in lieu of healthy food and granting a free pass on unsupervised screen time. “Fish Story” finds Gay on “a profound detour” in which, after being “very good at hating fishing for many decades,” he develops a passion for the pastime, and “Yeller” sees the author confess what kind of soccer dad he is: “I am the Zen one. I promise. Most times. Like 85 percent. Or 65 percent. Really.” Some essays take the form of lists, as in “Things That Take Less Time Than an Average Little League Game” (medical school, winemaking, smoked barbecue ribs, “the entire Scorsese oeuvre”). Though he doesn’t quite transcend amusing surface-level jokes, Gay’s winningly self-deprecating voice will keep readers hooked. This is just the ticket for fans of Jim Gaffigan–style dad humor. Agent: David McCormick, McCormick Literary. (Nov.)