We did a little fishing this month, casting out a request to local authors and avid readers on what books they’re planning to delve into or recommend delving into during summer reading series. What follows are their comments unvarnished.
Brunson Hoole, managing editor,
Algonquin Books
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
Mary Roach, the author of Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers, infectiously combines humor and science to explore all manner of sex research. That we’ve spent so much time and effort studying animals to learn about our own sexuality speaks volumes about what strange creatures we are.
The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies
I first read this in high school, and the setting had me wondering, “Where the heck is this place?†It certainly isn’t the U.S. or England. Oh, Canada! Yankees with manners. Davies was a scarily wise and skilled writer who knew how to entertain.
Sarah Dessen, author
The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta.
I’m a huge fan of Perotta’s work, and I’ve been saving this new one for this summer. He always gets whatever he takes on just right.
Little Stalker by Jennifer Belle.
Belle’s stuff is kind of dark, always quirky and usually hilarious. The dark side of chick lit.
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr.
There’s been a real explosion of great writing for teens in the last couple of years, and Zarr is among the best. Her first book, Story of a Girl, was nominated for a National Book Award.
Erica Eisdorfer, author and manager of Bulls Head Bookshop
Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
Stunning reviews drive desire! The story of a Dutch banker who falls under the thrall of NYC, this book has been about as well-received as possible.
The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
She’s a dang good storyteller. This book, about an unsolved murder near an Objibwe reservation, sounds ultimately like a family story.
Palace of Desire by Naguib Mahfouz
The second in the grand family saga, The Cairo Trilogy. I read Palace Walk, the first, some years ago and can still smell the spices and hear the noise on the streets.
American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau, edited by Bill McKibben
This gorgeous book – acid-free paper, ribbon binding – showcases an interesting assortment: Gore, Kingsolver, Joni Mitchell, Cesar Chavez, P.T.Barnum – in short, a Prius-load of writings about this good land and our responsibility to it.
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
This is my kind of beach read. And after the broadcast of the impossibly charming PBS series, ought one to resist? I’m looking forward to fully giving in.
Daniel Wallace, author
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
because it’s one of the best American novels ever written and it’s by a Russian.
The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante.
A great book about writing, how to write and why to write.