Every June I try to come up with something cheeky, not cheugy, to describe my summer beach reading list that I make for friends and friends of friends. I look for a creative way to explain why I make an eclectic list of books to pack in your beach bag. I came across this reflection about summer reading by Halie Lesavage of Harper’s Bazaar and damn, she nails it! She explains, “There's a common misconception that beach reads always involve sun, sand, and string-bikini-thin plots. Readers who start summer with a straw tote full of new books know the truth. Whether you're cracking one open at a private beach resort or a lounge chair at your local pool, the best beach reads are ones that feel like stepping into an absorbing, alternate reality for a few hundred pages. It can be a lighthearted distraction from daily life or a nail-biting thriller: Whatever the specifics, if you don't want to go back in the water until you've reached the last page, you have a quality beach read on your hands.”
Halie Lesavage and I go way back so it’s only fitting that I include her quote in this blog post. Of course, by way back I mean that I have been following her on Instagram for six hours after reading her article The 23 Best Summer Beach Reads of 2023-No beach required. Okay maybe we aren’t meeting for a glass of sauvignon blanc anytime soon, but we both agree that summer is a perfect time to dive into a marvelous book and escape the reality of life.
Pack that straw tote, my friends.The sun will be shining and adventure awaits.
XO Cherylann
Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash
This is one of my favorite books of the year, but I must give credit to my book-seller friend extraordinaire Jen Sullivan who insisted I read it ASAP. She was right of course, the book is fabulous. Jen explains, “Every once in a while, a book comes along at just the right time, that tugs at my heart, in just the right way. Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash is that book this year. A quietly powerful coming of age story that explores the definition of family, love and impossible choices. This heartbreaking but heartwarming tale is written with grace and insight that it is certainly my top contender for book of the year.” Read this one my friends, Jen has exceptional book taste!
The Guest by Emma Cline
The Personal Librarian By Marie Benedict/Victoria Christopher Bennett
My friend Carolyn McGarry is a voracious reader and always picks gems to read throughout the year. She shared, “I’m always a sucker for a rich historical novel, and this one, based on a true story, didn’t disappoint. Belle da Costa Greene becomes financier J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian while keeping her identity as a black woman a secret. She deftly navigates NY society and gains Morgan’s trust and admiration all while creating a significant collection of books for the library. Belle’s intellect and bravery were captivating and I also enjoyed learning more about the Pierpont Morgan library, which you are still able to visit in NYC.”
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Lori Codega is my friend and long-time colleague who is the most bookish friend I could ask for. Her knowledge of books for adults and children takes my breath away! Lori loved this book that is getting rave reviews and explains, “Hello Beautiful, an emotional, heart-wrenching family drama tells the multi-generational story of the Padavano family, parents Charlie and Rose and the four sisters, Julie, Sylvia, Emeline and Cecelia. William Waters, a broken young man who only feels comfortable on the basketball court, is enfolded into this loving, boisterous family. A modern day Little Women, this story is filled with generosity, healing and love.”
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
I asked Jen Sullivan to give me the bookseller scoop on a trendy nonfiction book and she said The Wager is the #1 nonfiction book they are selling at our local Barrington Books. I couldn’t help but chuckle at this fact because just yesterday I dismissed my husband Todd for recommending I include The Wager on my summer list. My dismissive “uh-no” was because I love my husband, but honestly the books he reads usually feature a guy who gets shipwrecked with just a can of tuna who has to cut off his arm that is stuck so he can fight pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Just this once, he may be right because the reviews for The Wager are quite impressive. “Riveting…reads like a thriller, tackling a multilayered history-and imperialism-with gusto.”-Time. I will be sure to pack this shipwreck, survival, thriller of a narrative nonfiction book in my beach bag!
The Happy Place by Emily Henry
“The beach-read master hooks us up again”-People
A rom-com, second-chance romance, fake relationship and a friendship story? Count me in for this beach read.This summer sizzler appears on many summer reading lists including on my new BFF Halie Lesavage’s beach read list for Harper’s Bazaar. My daughter Bella is reading this now and loves it! This is a perfect book for escaping reality unless you are lucky enough to already find yourself in the center of a rom-com.
Trust by Hernan Diaz
This well-written book is a NY Times Bestseller, One of the New York Times Top Ten Books of 2022, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and Winner of the 2022 Booker Prize for Fiction. I wouldn't say this complex work of fiction is a light read, but if you have an affection for historical fiction novels that lure you into the past, this one is for you. I am half way done with this puzzle of a book that engages readers in the world of wealth during The Great Depression. Oprah says, "It's fun as hell to read!"
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
I am breaking my own rules by including this suspenseful thriller published in 2018 on my summer list! My criteria for the summer blog is only including books published within the last two years, no exception! Well I guess some rules are meant to be broken, so I am adding this one to the list. I read this addictive thriller in less than 24 hours during my February vacation in Florida. I was excited for the week off, but I was having trouble reading at the time after two recent losses of close friends. Distracted and jittery, my reading "numbers" were definitely low. This book snapped me right out of my reading funk and I couldn't get enough of this spellbinding thriller! If you want to escape reality, pack extra SPF for this sizzler!
My daughter Petra picked The Last Thing He Told Me two years ago for the beach read list and I think she is going to love this book that many are calling "Best Book of 2023 so far" and "Best Book of Summer 2023!" Run to get this page turner that is being recommended by so many. Gossip, Fire Island, beach, hidden secrets, murder... Oh yeah this just might be the book that "makes you not want to go back in the water until you've reached the last page."
Let's do this, my friends. Let's make time to escape reality. Let's put down our phones(my bad, for sure) and read. Let's talk about books with friends, family, ha... maybe even with our loves. Find a spot for you and a book or in my case, many books.
Happy Summer!
Cherylann
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