Hot picks for August may take you on a mental escape

It has been a long, hot summer here in the Lowcountry, not just the weather but the political climate too. This month’s book selections are fun escapist reads. 

 

“Phantom Orbit” by David Ignatius. This is a Russian spy novel that covers several decades and culminates in a massive security threat. Be afraid! 

 

“If Something Happens to Me” by Alex Finley. This murder mystery entails mobs, dirty cops and the witness protection program. It all started with a middle school social media post gone wrong. This book moves quickly and keeps you turning the pages for more.

 

“Old King” by Maxim Loskutoff. This book is a very detailed portrayal of the people who live in the underpopulated areas of the West. This tale is set in Montana in the ’70s and ’80s. Violence is part of the fabric as residents who see themselves as purists, try to maintain the remote areas they feel belong to them.

 

“Under the Storm” by Christoffer Carlsson. My favorite genre, a Swedish murder mystery! A man is wrongly imprisoned for a grisly murder. What about those left behind who feel betrayed? And the one detective who continues the investigation that just feels unfinished. The Swedes – so violent, yet so cerebral.

 

“The Guncle Abroad” by Steven Rowley. Second in the Guncle series, this is equally funny with biting satire. Set at The Grand Tremezzo Hotel on Como – the most spectacular place you will ever stay. Added bonus, rehearsal dinner set in a fabulous villa you can tour while you are there. Funny, escapist fare. Treat yourself.

 

“Wives Like Us” by Plum Sykes. If you read the British edition of Daily Mail or watch Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon, you will love this tongue in cheek story of the ladies who populate the English manors of Oxfordshire. By the author of Bergdorf Blondes – loads of name dropping designer labels, etc. A little eye-rolly but fun.

 

“Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books” by Kristen Miller. Banning books infuriates me, but this author takes on the topic with a healthy dose of Southern humor and social skill. No one is demonized, but they are shown to be foolish and short-sighted. This selection is a decent entry to a civilized discussion. 

 

“On Call” by Anthony Fauci, M.D. Whatever your opinions about COVID-19, let that go and read this memoir of one of the most brilliant immunologists of our time. He was a total rockstar in the ’70s and I thought a bit of a publicity hound, but he has put in the work and deserves a lot of kudos. You will get a picture of a bit of the incredible complexity of caring for seriously ill patients as well as the threat of viruses around the world. 

 

“The Audacity” by Ryan Chapman and “Death in the Air” by Ram Murali. I list these in tandem because they are tales of billionaire tech bros. They sounded promising, and if you liked series like Silicon Valley, Halt and Catch Fire, or you yearn to attend Davos, you may enjoy them.