Jump into July with summer reading

There is a wide range of offerings this month, so I hope you find at least one or two enjoyable.

 

Nonfiction

 

“Phil” by Alan Shipnuck. This is an “unauthorized” biography, but it is meticulously referenced and Phil did give a lengthy interview to Shipnuck. ICYMI - Phil famously trashed the Saudi’s, but defended taking loads of money from them to play golf. The book is excellent even for non-golfers as Phil is a highly complex, and contradictory personality.

 

“The Great Stewardess Rebellion” by Nell Wulfhart. I was not aware of the importance of the stewardess associations in the push for workers and women’s rights back in the ’60s and ’70s. I strongly recommend this book for females age 13 and up. It is an excellent history lesson about women and the workplace and what it took for women to begin to be treated as equals. You cannot appreciate what you have if you do not know what it took to get it.

 

Fiction

 

“The Lioness” by Chris Bojhalian. A Hollywood superstar takes her friends on her honeymoon safari in Tanzania in 1964. The animals are not the only element to fear. Great story, excellent characters, and atmospheric descriptions make a compelling read. Already in production for Paramount +.

 

“The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Our Book Club read this recently and none of us remembered it well from upper school English. The opening is ponderous, but the social shaming aspect is decidedly contemporary and makes for thoughtful discussion.

 

“Nobody Gets Out Alive” by Leigh Newman. A collection of short stories about women in Alaska. Though the environment and geography play a significant role, these women could be anywhere with universal problems of love, marriage, family, and loss. The harsh Alaskan climate provides an extra edge to the context.

 

“Trust” by Hernan Diaz. A power couple of the 1920s and ’30s is presented in three perspectives. Money, manipulation, and greed form the basis of their lives, but who is the most egregious?

 

“The Book Woman’s Daughter” by Kim Richardson. The sequel to “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.” A worthy follow up to the first book which detailed not only the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, but also the “blue people” of Kentucky who carry a genetic code that makes their blood remarkably and visibly blue. These books are far superior to “The Giver of Stars” which I think is a poor copy of Richardson’s work.

 

“The Murder Rule” by Dervla McTiernan. Suspense novel. A young woman working in an Innocence Project to free a prisoner. What really happened and is he really innocent?

 

“Metropolis” by B.A. Shapiro. Lives of people using a storage facility in Boston become dangerously entangled in this slow burn of a thriller.

 

“Five Tuesdays in Winter” by Lily King. Short story collection by the author of “Writers and Lovers.” Stories filled with passion, rage, love, innocence, and loss. Excellent writing.

 

“The Tobacco Wives” by Adele Myers. Well written story based on the author’s childhood in Asheville, North Carolina. Her grandmother was a hairdresser for the “Tobacco Wives” and told fascinating stories. I feared this would be a shallow, soap-y book, but it is well researched and an enlightening read. Don’t skip the author’s notes.

 

“The Island” by Adrian McKinty. I love when the entitled get their comeuppance. This is a wicked fun thriller set in Australia. Think “Deliverance” Down Under.

 

“The Lightning Rod” by Brad Meltzer. Tech-heavy government thriller with recurring roles for Zig and Nola. Meltzer does a good job of keeping you guessing about who is trustworthy and who is not. 

 

“Cult Classic” by Sloane Crosley. Millennial angst about relationships. Our protagonist repeatedly encounters old partners as she navigates and questions her present life, love, and commitment. 

 

“The Latecomer” by Jean Korelitz. Don’t miss this epic family saga by the author of “The Plot.” The Oppenheimer triplets, brought forth by IVF in its infancy and their turbulent relationship with their parents and later sibling. This story takes on a multitude of topics but is wholly worthy of  your time and builds to a satisfying conclusion.

 

For more reads, visit beckysbookclub.com.