Egads, it’s summer, just like that! Rather than tell you about one or two books that I’ve enjoyed, I’m going to pass on selections from three sources. The New York Times Book Review Summer Reading issue; Bookshop, an online resource that supports independent bookstores; and Bas Bleu, an online catalogue that just featured the picture books noted below – all three of these sources are reliable places to find just what you need for the long days of July and August. But don’t hesitate to run to Morgan Hill in New London or Gibson’s in Concord for people-to-people suggestions.
From youngest to oldest, here are the children’s (3-18) offerings. “Eyes That Kiss in the Corner” by Joanna Ho and “Milo Imagines the World” by Matt de la Pena present one kind of worldview, as does “The Cat Man of Aleppo,” although the experiences are universal.
Pete Oswald’s “Hike” is a father-son jaunt into the woods. “I Am the Storm” by Jane Yolen reassures little ones that we have been weathering all kinds of natural disasters for years. Cynthia Rylant’s “The Relatives Came” will be familiar to anyone who attends family get-togethers, and it still gives me the giggles.
“The Case of the Stinky Socks” by Lewis B. Montgomery is a short chapter book. “The Adventure Is Now” by Jess Redman and “Hello from Renn Lake” by Michele Weber Hurwitz are summer camp stories that sound intriguing. “Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize” by Margo Rabb features a stubborn girl meeting her comeuppance and a mystery in The Big Apple; and then there’s “Atlantis: The Accidental Invasion” by Gregory Mone, a cracker of a sci-fi/fantasy mix.
For those who prefer adult reads, Stacey Abrams’ novel, “While Justice Sleeps,” features in every book list. Malcolm Gladwell’s latest is “The Bomber Mafia” about precision bombing in World War II.
“The Wild Silence” by Raynor Winn offers us a trip into the natural world, where the author feels much more at home than in towns. Remember the 1986 baseball season? Try Erik Sherman’s “Two Sides of Glory: The 1986 Red Sox in Their Own Words.”
For those who love the kitchen and all things food, there’s Julia Turshen’s “Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food.”
I love the title of Sean Flynn’s “Why Peacocks? An Unlikely Search for Meaning in the World’s Most Magnificent Bird.” Why indeed …
For those who fell into Andy Weir’s “The Martian,” his new one, “Project Hail Mary,” is getting good reviews. “Phase Six” by Jim Shephard was completed just before COVID-19 exploded; you’ll definitely recognize a lot of the novel’s action.
Finally, tucked into the Romance section (keep reading) is India Holton’s “The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.” Look it up for yourself (keep reading) and ponder this from the New York Times Book Review: “It’s the kind of book for which the word ‘rollicking’ was invented. … The book has considered realism and punted it out the highest window.” Whee!