Beach, Blanket, Book, Repeat
Our picks for sweet summertime reading
SUMMER’S ARRIVED which, for bibliophiles, means it’s time to stock up on both sunscreen and the season’s hottest books. From murder mysteries to uplifting memoirs, we’ve got your dock and beach reads covered.
The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong The rest of the world already seems to know and love You-Jeong Jeong, dubbed “the Stephen King of Korea,” and now you can find out why. The first of her novels translated into English, is about a young man with memory loss and deep family secrets who must determine whether or not he killed his own mother.
Small Country by Gaël Faye A powerful coming-of-age story about a half-French, half-Rwandan boy trapped amid civil war in East Africa in the 1990s, Gaël Faye’s award-winning novel — already a hit both in his native France and internationally — is finally available in English.
The Other Woman by Daniel Silva Love, treason, espionage and an international manhunt that begins in the historic mountainous region of Andalusia? Sounds like a job for Silva’s famed art-restoring spy Gabriel Allon.
A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay The Canuck master of suspense returns with a paranormal tale of murder in Milford, in which the ghostly victims of a serial killer attempt to make contact with one of the survivors via an old typewriter. A Course Called Scotland by Tom Coyne As the rest of the sports world embraces soccer fever with the 2018 World Cup, celebrated sportswriter Coyne putts his way across the country that invented golf, teeing off on more than 100 courses while exploring the roots of the sport and what truly drives one’s passion for it.
Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter This memoir of a famed historian who went back to school to study art in her 60s and faced everything from ageism to questions about the value of art is an inspiring tale for anyone who’s ever felt past their due date and dreams of exploring a new path.
The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson Yes, that Bill Clinton teamed with James Patterson, putting his real-world presidential knowledge to use in a tense tale of global chaos heightened by an AWOL commander-in-chief that’s already being developed for TV.
Invitation to a Bonfire by Adrienne Celt A followup to her award-winning novel The Daughters, Celt’s 1930’s-set psychological thriller sees a young Russian refugee enter a sexually charged and manipulative relationship with a famed Soviet author and his wife – whose characters were reportedly inspired in part by Lolita author Vladimir Nabokov and his wife Vera.
Florida by Lauren Groff Topping multiple 2018 summer “must- read” lists, Groff – whose 2015 novel Fates and Furies earned praise from everyone from book critics to U.S. President Barack Obama – returns with a collection of riveting short stories and a cast of characters that cross time and wide-open spaces, all within the sunshine state.
Little Fish by Casey Plett The author’s 2015 short story collection earned her laurels as a voice for LGBT writing in Canada. Now, Plett’s debut novel, set in her home province of Manitoba, follows in a similar vein, centering on a struggling transgender woman attempting to discover whether or not her deeply traditional grandfather was also transgender.
The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz The famed mystery scribe and BAFTAwinning screenwriter sets his latest work in London, where a woman plans her own funeral and is then promptly killed. A controversial detective sets out to solve the crime with the help of a sidekick — the author Horowitz himself.
My Girls by Todd Fisher Fans still reeling from the 2016 deaths of Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher will welcome this heartwarming memoir by their respective son and brother, offering insight and a personal glimpse into the life and love he shared with these two remarkable women.