That time of year is here again. School is almost over, and in just a few short weeks summer vacation will officially begin. While you are relaxing on the beach with your toes in the sand, put down that frozen drink and pick up a good summer book.
Though there are no more horcruxes to find or Quidditch matches to look forward to reading about in a new “Harry Potter” book, there are still many books that make excellent candidates for summer reading.
One of the most anticipated books in the world of short stories and satire is David Sedaris’ “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” hitting bookshelves everywhere on June 3. Sedaris is sure to please with his newest collection of entertaining and laugh-out-loud depictions of an average life gone awry.
If you can’t wait until June to find a good short story collection, give Holiday Reinhorn’s “Big Cats” a try. While this collection is several years old, Reinhorn’s ability to capture wit, personality and character is both beautiful and melodic to read.
But if short stories are not your thing, then pick up a more suspenseful and dramatic page turner. Who can resist a nail-biting story involving a jury’s verdict of a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a town’s water supply? Acclaimed legal writer John Grisham tells this captivating story in “The Appeal,” his latest book involving corruption in the law.
For a more poignant story, try turning to an author who has produced such novels like “Practical Magic,” “Here on Earth” and “Aquamarine.” Alice Hoffman is a master of writing for and about women, and she has struck magic again with a new novel called “The Third Angel.” Hoffman masterfully writes about three women in London, all in the midst of crossroads in their lives.
For a more insightful tale, open up a copy of “Home: A Memoir of my Early Years.” Long before she was floating from an umbrella as Mary Poppins or filling the hills with the sound of music, Julie Andrews was just a simple girl with a big voice. In this memoir, Andrews spills her secrets of the entertainment business and shares her own experiences in Hollywood.
Along with discovering some great new novels, there is nothing wrong with returning to the classics. When was the last time you fell head-over-heels with Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” or spent a night with Atticus Finch and Boo Radley in Harper Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird”? These two novels, along with other greats like John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” and Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” are all critical works of literature that have shaped the way many authors write today.
If all else fails and you are still lost and trying to find something that will hold your attention, the solution is simple: Go check out your local bookstore. Surely something will catch your eye and you may fall in love with some unexpected characters.
