REQUIRED READING

I Wouldn’t Do That If I Were Me

Jason Gay (essays, Hachette) In a series of essays covering everything from the highs and lows of Little League parenting to road trips with his son and coming to terms with the death of a close friend, Gay ponders life with humor and grace.

Ted Kennedy: A Life

John A. Farrell (nonf iction, Penguin Press) An in-depth new biography of one of America’s most important political figures. Includes snippets from Kennedy’s personal diary and private conversations with family members in the days that followed the Chappaquiddick accident.

Sign Here

Claudia Lux (f iction, Berkley) Peyote Trip works on the 5th floor of Hell, which isn’t a bad place to work, even though the coffee machine hasn’t worked in ages. But if Peyote can get just one more member of the wealthy Harrison family to sell their soul, a big promotion is all his. He just needs to make it happen.

The Women of Rothschild

Natalie Livingstone (nonf iction, St. Martin’s Press) A fascinating look at the women who helped shape the famous Rothschild dynasty in a far-reaching biography that takes the reader from the East End of London to the Eastern seaboard of the United States, from Bletchley Park to Buchenwald and beyond.

Other Side of Night

Adam Hamdy (f iction, Atria) At the beginning of this novel, a man named David Asha writes about the biggest regret of his life: his separation from his son. Asha is later seen jumping off a cliff. But why? The lives of a police officer, an author and an ordinary citizen are intertwined in a narrative that takes the reader through many plot twists and turns.

The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves

Alexandra Horowitz (nonf iction, Viking) What’s it like to be a puppy? Author Horowitz, who also wrote “Inside a Dog,” studied her own puppy over the course of a year while also poring over research of early dog development for a book that takes a new look at dog’s behavior that goes well beyond the early focus on training.