| The
summer solstice has come and gone which means only one
thing: hot summer days to read on the beach and warm evenings
to relax with a book. There are a great number of books
out there to enliven your hours during these beautiful
weeks of July. The following are some of the staff’s
new recommendations…
Dede says: Do you remember
Suzanne Strempek Shea’s warm and wonderful novel
Selling
The Lite of Heaven (0671798650)  published
a few years ago? The Boston Globe writes: “Shea
has a distinctive voice—comic, bittersweet and
old-fashioned.” You will be glad to hear that
she has a new novel in paperback, perfect for summer
reading:
Becoming Finola (0743403770).
The author calls it a “faraway fable,” set
in the west of Ireland, and we call it a witty and magical
tale. Pack it in your beach bag.
Overtired? Stressed out?
Not enough vacation time on the calendar? Take a day
off, put on your flip-flops, sit on the porch and read
Philip Craig’s new Martha’s Vineyard mystery
Murder
at a Vineyard Mansion (0743246764).
Phil Craig’s yearly Vineyard treat comes complete
with bluefish recipes, the best fishing spots, and advice
on how to keep your vodka cold. Take one Craig book,
and you’ll feel better the next morning.
Alice says: If you’ve
never read David Sedaris, it’s time to start,
and there’s no better place than with his new
book
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (0316143464).
Sedaris
is as irreverent as usual in this collection that left
me begging for more and thankful that I am not one of
his siblings whom he relentlessly uses as characters
in his essays. Sedaris often reads his work on NPR,
and the hilarity of his writing is enlivened that much
more on the CD of Dress
Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (1586215027).
On a different note, You
Remind Me of Me (0345441419)
is one of those books that haunts you long after you’ve
set it down. Dan Chaon, a professor at Oberlin College
and author of Among the Missing, follows the lives of
three different people living in the Midwest. It is
a story about tragedy, about our capacity to shape our
own destiny, about finding connections and personal
identity. Beautifully written, Chaon is brilliant at
making the emotions and circumstances of the characters
real and poignant.
On July 13, from 7-8 p.m.,
we’re having our third Book Group ever when we’ll
be discussing Caucasia
by Danzy Senna (1573227161).
The winner of some notable awards, it is the story of
two sisters—Birdie and Cole—who are the
daughters of a biracial couple. Set partly in Boston
during the civil rights movement of the 1970s, it is
both a coming-of-age story and a tale about the struggles
of racial identity during that volatile moment in history.
Told through the eyes of the younger daughter who has
the features and skin color of a Caucasian, Senna leads
the reader into some interesting insights about what
race means and how much we are defined by the color
of our skin. We welcome anyone and everyone but do ask
that you sign up, so we can allow enough space for all
you lively readers!
Gretchen says: Occasionally,
a book written for young adults is so emotionally touching
and intellectually challenging that adults find it rewarding.
Such a crossover book is Aiden Chambers’ Postcards
from No Man’s Land (0142401455),
a Carnegie Medal-winner that weaves two intensely personal
stories into a compelling coming-of-age novel. Slanted
toward sophisticated teens who are looking for a wider,
more complex view of life in fiction, this book will
also ensnare adults with its thought-provoking tale,
redolent with World War II history.
Another book that cuts
across age lines is We
Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea (0879239913),
one of a timeless series by British author Arthur Ransome.
Centered on two families who are avid sailors, Ransome’s
novels have delighted adults and younger readers for
generations. In this book, a sailboat’s anchor
drags while in harbor, sending an unsuspecting crew
of four youngsters and their uncle drifting out to sea
in the midst of a gale. The ensuing voyage where all
pull together with courage and resourcefulness to bring
the boat under control and complete their journey safely
is as great an adventure story as any Patrick O’Brian
novel. Great summer reading for all!
And from the Children’s Room…
Marilyn says: With so many
books here, it often takes awhile to get to one I’ve
been meaning to read. Such is the case with Eragon
by Christopher Paolini (0375826688),
the first book in his Inheritance trilogy. This is a
wonderful, epic fantasy tale that should appeal to fans
of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is about a young
man with unusual talent, involving the struggle between
good and evil. This is a well-written first novel, and
I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Isabel says: Two books
for young adults are now out in paperback, both of which
would make terrific summer reads. Heir
Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde (0152051252)
is a riveting and entertaining virtual reality fantasy
which is sure to please any reader who plays computer
or video games. In Things
Not Seen by Andrew Clements (0142400769), Clements
suspensefully blends realistic fiction and fantasy in
this book about a fifteen-year-old who wakes up to find
that he’s become invisible.
Fans of mystery-writer
Kathryn Reiss (Time Windows, Paint By Magic) will be
pleased to learn that her latest book, Sweet
Miss Honeywell’s Revenge: A Ghost Story (0152165746)
has just been released, and that some of her older books
have been reprinted and are now available in paperback.
For those going on vacation,
we have plenty of books on tape, activity books, Mad
Libs and other fun activities for your car or plane
trip. And for those of you who wondered what your pet
does while you’re away on vacation, Cat’s
Vacation by Irene Schoch (2020618842)
tells a humorous tale of all the fun your cat may really
be having while you’re away feeling guilty about
leaving your pet behind. Mouse’s
First Summer, by Lauren Thompson and Buket Erdogan
(0689858353) is
a charming story for babies and toddlers. Its vivid
illustrations and engaging text draws readers into the
joys of simple summer frolic.
Please e mail us
shop@bookendswinchester.com
with suggestions or comments. |
