The summer reading season is here! With Memorial Day approaching and with the kind of winter we had, summer reading cannot start soon enough. I began thinking about summer reading during one of the many times I was snowed in this past winter. The advance reader copies of the books I am sharing on this list arrived at that time. The jiffy packs were delivered to my front door and I tore them open in anticipation of the fabulous books I hoped would be inside. Three things immediately came to mind at that time: I would plan a huge summer reading kick-off event, I would include many of these titles in a summer reading column and I would make the time to read as many of these delicious looking books as possible. Numbers one and two have come to fruition and as for the third, I’m working on it. My list includes novels, memoirs and an anthology. Here’s to your summer reading!
Providence Noir edited by Ann Hood
The latest in the very popular “Noir” series is Providence Noir edited by Rhode Island’s own, Ann Hood. “Noir is about sex and money and sometimes about revenge, “ Otto Penzlet, the owner of the Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan, told the New Yorker in 2010. Where better than Providence for Hood to feature essays by authors and local favorites such as : Peter Farrelly, Pablo Rodriguez, Taylor Polites, Amity Gaige and of course, Ann Hood. This is a must-have for any self-respecting Rhode Island reader.
Girl In The Moonlight by Charles Dubow
Girl In The Moonlight is one of the books I read this past winter and was the first book I knew would be included in my summer reading event. (Summer Reading With Robin at the Dunes Club June 24th is sold out) This novel is rich with passion and obsession as we follow Wylie Rose and his unrelenting pursuit of the elusive Cesca Bonet. Wylie having grown up with the Bonet children is cautioned by his father early on “ they’re beautiful, talented, rich. It’s all very seductive…” Will Wylie listen to his father? Who would?
The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy
I love reading a wonderfully written historical fiction novel and The Mapmaker’s Children is exactly that.
McCoy weaves the story of the very bold and artistic Sarah Brown who stumbles upon her father, Abolitionist John Brown’s work on the Underground Railroad with current day Eden Anderson’s story. Eden inhabits a house with a strong connection to the Underground Railroad and perhaps to Sarah Brown as well. This thrilling ride will keep you turning the pages until the very last stop.
Oh! You Pretty Things by Shanna Mahin
I love sharing a debut novel and Oh! You Pretty Things is one of those witty novels told with a sharp and original voice that is not to be missed. Set in Los Angeles this book is about celebrity and the people who push you down on their way up. Mahin is a high school dropout who rallied late despite her ninth grade English teacher’s prediction of a lifetime of wasted potential. Who could possibly pass up the chance to read a novel by this author? Not me!
9 ½ Narrow…My Life In Shoes by Patricia Morrisroe
If these shoes could talk, well in this memoir they do.
In this funny, poignant coming –of-age memoir, 9 ½ Narrow shares the stories of a generation of women who have enjoyed a world of freedom and opportunity that there mothers did not have as well as Morrisroe’s own story. From wedgies to earth shoes, heels and more this memoir spans five decades and countless footwear trends this clever book will induce you to look back and some of the shoes that carried you through.
Inside The O’Briens by Lisa Genova
Yes, that Lisa Genova from the author who brought us Still Alice and Love Anthony comes her latest novel about the O’Brien family of Charlestown, MA. (Bottom of the Hill as the area was called) Joe O’Brien is a respected Boston police officer and all around good guy when he begins experiencing bouts of strange, involuntary movements, fits of rage and disorganized thinking. In this heartrending novel, what Genova did for Alzheimer’s disease in Still Alice, she will do once again for Huntington’s disease with her mesmerizing storytelling. Colorful language and passionate prose move this page-turner along all too quickly. Savor this one.
Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot
You are cordially invited to attend the royal wedding of Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia…well, not exactly. You are, however, invited to read the very first adult installment from the author who brought us The Princess Diaries. Fans of this popular series will be thrilled to know that Royal Wedding opens five years after Mia has graduated from college. Mia has a whole new life living in New York City, which is quite the opposite of her reign in Genovia. Even in the word of the royals there are bumps along the way and fairy-tales aren’t always what they seem.
I Regret Nothing by Jen Lancaster
From the hilarious and brutally honest Lancaster comes the latest, a memoir about turning her midlife crises into a midlife opportunity. From attempting a juice cleanse and starting a new business to training for a 5K Jen shares every effort at making her life better again and again. Lancaster embarks upon the first part of her journey with a warning from her husband, “Don’t get a tattoo.” Does she or doesn’t she?
The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg
Elizabeth and Berg –what else is there to talk about? From the beloved novelist who has written classics such as : Talk Before Sleep, True To Form and Ordinary Life: Stories, comes a gorgeous novel rich with history, bravado and passion. At the beginning of The Dream Lover we meet Aurore Dupin as she is leaving her estranged husband and their estate in the French countryside to begin a new life in Paris. This storyline might not be quite as scandalous if it were set in modern day, but this story is set in the nineteenth century. It’s in Paris that Dupin gives herself a new name – George Sand and pursues her dream of becoming a writer and embracing the life she longs to write about.
Re Jane by Patricia Park
Another debut and this one is a fresh and contemporary retelling of Jayne Eyre by Korean-American author Patricia Park. I had the pleasure of meeting Park recently and was so engrossed by her talk about this book that I couldn’t wait to add it to my summer reading stack. Jane Re is a half-Korean, half-American orphan who has been trying to escape her life in Flushing, Queens. She just might find that new life a lot closer to home than she imagined. Jane embarks on a journey from Queens to Brooklyn and Seoul and back. Jane must find a balance between two cultures and learn to accept who she really is.
Reading With Robin radio can be heard Fridays from 4-5pm on AM790 WPRV. The podcasts are available online at www.readingwithrobin.com (Look for interviews with some of the authors mentioned in this column: Charles Dubow, Sarah McCoy and Elizabeth Berg)
If you are interested in joining the most low-key, no pressure, no guilt online book club please email [email protected] for more details. We meet on the Reading With Robin Book Club Facebook page on Thursdays from 4-5pm with the chosen book’s author and discuss the book and ask questions. Recent selections include: Jane Green’s Saving Grace, Sally Hempworth’s The Secrets of Midwives and Marisa de los Santos’ The Precious One.
ROBIN KALL is Rhode Island’s own book maven. From author interviews to events with best-selling authors, Robin shares her love of books wherever and whenever possible. You can connect with Robin on Facebook.com/readingwithrobin and follow her on Twitter @robinkall, online at http://www.readingwithrobin.com is updated constantly with all new author interviews and bookish information. Reading With Robin is on AM790 Fridays from 4-5pm and on I Heart Radio (search AM790 WPRV)
