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Take a cool jump on the winter season with the latest
Monkeewrench mystery, The Sixth Idea by P.J.
Tracy. There’ve been a series of murders and
disappearances near Minneapolis, and they might all be
linked. But the answers don’t lie in the present – they’re
found in the past and a horror that Grace, Annie,
Roadrunner, Gino, Leo, and Harley Davidson don’t want to
think about…
Have you ever dreamed of up and disappearing? Then read
I Am No One by Patrick Flanery. It’s a novel of
memories, real or imagined, and what happens when the past
catches up with you before you’re fully ready for it.
NON-FICTION
How many times have you fallen in love this summer? Maybe
more than you think, and you can find out by reading
Happily Ever After… and 39 Other Myths about Love by
Linea & Charlie Bloom. This book could enhance your
relationship. It could make you lucky in love. It could make
you fall in love with your spouse a time or two before
summer’s over… Pair it up with The Lonely City by
Olivia Laing, a look at loneliness, and the goodness
that comes with being by yourself.
Vacation home, home-away-from-home, new home, or staycation
– which did you have this year? In Home: How Habitat
Made Us Human by John S. Allen, you’ll see why we
even have homes and why our living situations have
made us who we are. Pair it up with Security Mom
by Juliette Kayyem, and see how protecting that home and
everything in it is possible now.
If part of your summer has been spent lakeside, then look
for The House by the Lake by Thomas Harding.
It’s a story of families, history, murder, war, and a house
that you’ll almost wish could really talk. While you’re
looking for that book, also find The Long Weekend
by Adrian Tinniswood. It’s the tale of what life was
like in an English Country House nearly a century ago.
No doubt, you’ve enjoyed a lot of good things to eat this
summer. BBQs and cookouts re too irresistible, but did you
ever wonder what your ancestors might have enjoyed under the
stars? If you ever considered it, then read 100
Million Years of Food by Stephen Le and see how food
has evolved, how palates have changed, and why we should
care.
Did you have your dose of adventure yet this summer? If not,
then grab Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story
by Mollie Gregory and hang on to your seat. It’s the
story of Hollywood stunt doubles, the dangers they
undertake, and their fight for recognition.
If this summer has brought a new teenager to your house,
then American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives
of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales might be something to
read. It explains a whole lot about being a girl in today’s
world; in fact, you might want it before school even starts.
So books are your thing. (You’re reading this, aren’t you?)
That’s why you need to find The Bad-Ass Librarians
of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer, the story of a group
of librarians who brazenly (and bravely) squirreled and
snuck away 350,000 volumes of ancient Islamic works, right
beneath the Taliban’s noses! Go find it. Now.
Music and summer seem to go together, and a book about it is
just icing on the cake, right? So why not read Your
Song Changed My Life by Bob Boilen. It’s an
anthology of stories from musicians and artists who explain
which song most influenced their lives and careers.
The historian in you will want to read Infamy by
Richard Reeves this summer. It’s the story of the
Japanese internment in America during World War II – the
losses, the fears, individual stories, villains, and the
legal battle for restitution. A good companion to it, if you
want something lighter, is The Handy State-by-State
Answer Book by Samuel Willard Crompton. It’s the
perfect book to browse when you’ve only got a few minutes to
spare.
Summertime is always the best time to get out and dig in the
dirt, and Gardening on a Shoestring by Alex
Mitchell is what you’ll want to do it up differently.
This book is filled with unique ideas and ways to plant
without plunking down a lot of cash, and even if you don’t
use it now, it’s never too late to think about next summer’s
garden. While you’re looking for that, grab Mother
Earth News Almanac: A Guide Through the Seasons. With
those two books, you’ll never be bored again!
AFRICAN AMERICAN AUTHORS
Needing little inspiration this summer? Then you’ll want
Soul Sisters by Suzan Johnson Cook, a book filled
with devotions. No matter what you’re praying about, this
book can only help.
With politics on everyone’s mind (including yours!), you owe
it to yourself this summer to read something that will make
you think before you vote. In Are We Better Off? Race,
Obama and Public Policy by Dr. Julianne Malveaux,
you’ll be asked a lot of questions that will require you to
think deeply. Are you better off than you were eight years
ago? Read this book and see what you think…
HEALTH
If summertime’s got you down, then you might feel a little
better with Ordinarily Well: The Case for
Antidepressants by Peter D. Kramer. It’s a look at
depression, the pills prescribed to fix it, and whether
they’re a good idea or not.
BIOGRAPHIES
If there’s been a definite lack of excitement in your
summer, then put some into it with A Different Kind
of Daughter by Maria Toorpakai with Katharine Holstein.
This is the story of a girl who wanted to play sports more
than anything in the world – and she did. Oh, did I say she
lives in Pakistan, and the Taliban wanted her gone? True
story. If your desire for excitement leans toward adventure,
though, grab Braving It by James Campbell, the
story of a father-daughter trip to the Alaskan wild.
LGBT STUDIES
If a wedding was in your summer plans this year, you’ll
still want to read Love Wins by Debbie Cenziper
and Jim Obergefell. It’s the story of the people –
lawyers and otherwise – who fought for marriage equality and
won. Pair it up with Then Comes Marriage by
Roberta Kaplan with Lisa Dickey, a book about the United
States v. Windsor and the end of DOMA.
For the reader who’s spent the summer looking for a
spiritual home, Queer Virtue by The Reverend
Elizabeth M. Edman could be what you need. This is a
book about how the church needs LGBTQ worshippers to
strengthen their core and to return the church to a true
Christian faith.
Sometimes, all you need for the end of summer is a good romp
in the paper, right? So look for Fun with Dick and
James by Rich Barnett, and buckle your seatbelt.
It’s a story of a rich Delaware man with an ex-wife and
other assorted problems, who is plagued by a malicious
dentist nemesis. How does he extricate himself from
trouble? All it takes is a good boyfriend…
ANIMALS
Here’s something for animal lovers to take to the beach:
Smoke the Donkey by Cate Folsom, the story of a
small stray donkey found by soldiers in Fallujah.Who could
resist a friendly animal like that? No soldier could,
which is why Smoke became mascot, pet, friend, and
ultimately, a new American resident. You can’t resist,
either.
Filled with quirk, Goat Man by Thomas Thwaites
is the story of a man who decides that it would be fun to be
an animal for awhile. Seriously, so he becomes a goat
and, in the meantime, learns a little about animals and
himself. Pair it up with Pound for Pound by
Shannon Kopp, you’ll read how one woman found several
BFFs in an animal shelter in California. But who saved whom
here?
CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS
For the child who loves tale-telling, Whose Story is
This, Anyway? by Mike Flaherty, illustrated by Oriol
Vidal is cute. It’s a story about a story that gets
hijacked and totally out of hand. What could be more perfect
for Tall Tale lover?
BOOKS FOR MIDDLE-GRADES
Is there ever such a thing as a bad summer? In How to
(Almost) Ruin Your Summer by Taryn Souders, a
young girl’s parents go on vacation and instead of letting
her go, too, they ship her off to camp. Can anything be
worse? Yes. Yes, it can….
If there’s a last-minute trip on your end-of-summer agenda,
grab Junior Ranger Activity Book from the National
Geographic folks, and tuck it in the car for your
seven-to-12-year-old. This paperback is filled with
activities, jokes, trivia, and fun things that can surely
stave off the Are We There Yet? whines. And if your trip
will have a water destination, grab Alpha Bravo
Charlie: The Complete Book of Nautical Codes by Sara
Gillingham. It’s really cool and will also appeal to
kids who love boats.
For the child who spends part of the summer with Mom and
part of it with Dad, Weekends with Max and His Dad
by Linda Urban, illustrated by Katie Kath might be the
thing to find. It’s about home, and loving where you land.
And there you go – a lot of suggestions for a lot of summer
left. Pick a book, because there’s time. |
