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As we get ready to dust off the beach chairs and shed our layers, we’re all looking for some new stories, perspectives, characters. We’re going to cover ten books we’re excited to see released for this summer, with nods to nonfiction and rom-com gals alike. We’ve got something for everyone to be excited about!
The Great Wave by Michiko Kakutani
As an exploration of the asymmetries of contemporary political power, the sequela of global interconnectedness, and an investigation of cultural shifts: Kakutani is obviously a journalist by trade. If you’re interested in the modern-day disregard of fixed institutions, the influx of traditionally marginalized voices in positions of power, and the consequences of rapid digitalization, The Great Wave is sure to intrigue and inspire.
Languishing by Corey Keyes
Keyes is a sociologist who studies mental health and currently teaches at Emory University. In Languishing, he explores the weariness of our inner worlds, how to combat said weariness, and how to productively reframe conversations about mental health. His is the first book to explore “languishing” as its own entity—independent of depression or anxiety—and is expected to change the trajectory of future publications about mental health.
The Age of Grievance by Frank Bruni
Bruni, an established columnist of the New York Times, weighs in on Americana: our decisive political divides, fractured cultural priorities, and the ways that diminishing common-ground is eroding the civility between partisan divides. For the girls interested in politics and social sciences.
The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities by Iris Lake
If you’re into magic and its preservation, creatures, monsters, and drama, you’ll be enthralled by Iris Lake’s world-building and her charismatic characters. Nepheli, the owner of the sole magic shop left in Elora, seeks to ward off the Dreadful Mundane; however, her pursuit gets side-tracked by Apollo, an unexpected visitor. Expect romance, magic, and thoughtful commentary on the ways that magic suffuses our daily lives.
A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke
Aubry has been cursed: she has to keep moving or suffer an unimaginably painful death. After picking up a wooden ball on her walk home from school—at age nine, might we add—she began bleeding to death at dinner. Fleeing, moving, embarking on a journey—it was the only way to quell the curse. This is expected to be a wholesome exploration of the journey versus the destination: a cliche reinvigorated by magic, spells, and contemporary humor/plights.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Emma wants to become a screenwriter with a focus on rom-coms. In the midst of taking care of her terminally ill father, she receives an opportunity to write for her hero—Yates—in L.A. Obviously, she takes the offer! Upon meeting Yates—who’s disillusioned by romance and views his work solely as his money-maker—Emma becomes frustrated with the industry’s callousness and indifference. She seeks to change hearts and minds with her fervor, passion, stories, and authenticity.
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
A uniquely feminine novel that explores the throes of motherhood, middle age, familial dynamics, and the unscrupulous tendencies of life, Same As It Ever Was follows Julia as she navigates the monotony of middle age. As her relationships with her teenage children falter, she’s forced to grapple with her previous (and much more exciting, albeit draining) life.
The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
Jack Schmidt is the third generation of Schmidt to operate the family’s beachfront restaurant. DelDine—a nation-wide mega-corporation—has offered Jack a generous sum of money to take over the restaurant. Feeling conflicted between upholding family legacy or taking time to pursue personal projects and relationships, he is terrified by the decision he has to make. This is a story reminiscent of David & Goliath as saturated by modern-day problems: work vs. living, corporations vs. locally-owned, authenticity vs. selling out.
The Principle of Rapid Peering by Sylvia Legris
Legris is interested in the natural: she uses anatomy, ornithology, herbalism, and a keen eye to obsess over the observations of the world around her. Plus, all of the illustrations and artwork are hers: an artist through-and-through.
The Adjustments by Claire Dyer
By organizing her works in reverse chronology, Dyer’s poems interrogate the mishaps, chaos, tragedies, elegies, happinesses, and identities synonymous with the passing of time. She’s interested in the balance we establish in the face of consistent uncertainty, and is especially obsessed with the adjustments we make in order to reach that balance.
Tell us what you’ll be reading this summer! Tag us in your #ToBeRead pile on Instagram—we’re always looking for recommendations!
