The summer is in full flight, and it's time to take a vacation and settle down with a good book.
This year, spurred on by the growth in e-readers and a packed fall list, publishers are also releasing some big titles during the summer; here's the lowdown on the best of what's out there and what's upcoming for your (hopefully) sun-baked reading pleasure.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn, $25.00, Crown
I hadn't read a thriller since high school, but <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=HWbs4hQkhWE&subid=&offerid=259197.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2FGone-Girl-A-Novel%2Fbook-fBL5mS4pp0KlmjronBFI3w%2Fpage1.html" target="_hplink">this book</a> came so highly recommended that I had to read it. It certainly didn't disappoint. This tale of the aftermath of a woman gone missing will keep you up reading all night just so you can get to the very satisfying, very chilling ending.
-- Zo?
Winter Journal by Paul Auster, $26, Henry Holt (published August 21)
Paul Auster's second memoir is surprisingly uncomplicated, except for the fact that it jumps around chronologically, and is written in the second person - which gives the book a sense of being spoken out loud, while staring into the mirror. Moments in Auster's life are arranged in interesting ways, such as an annotated list of all the houses he's ever lived in, and it's never less than readable.
-- Andrew
"Birds of a Lesser Paradise" by Megan Mayhew Bergman $24.00, Scribner
Megan Mayhew Bergman's <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=HWbs4hQkhWE&subid=&offerid=259197.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2FBirds-of-Lesser-Paradise-Stories%2Fbook-xUvqZ7AuY0OCpBl_4QQvCg%2Fpage1.html" target="_hplink">short story collection</a> concerns the man versus nature motif, so it'd be great to take on a hike other leisurely outdoor activity.
-- Madeleine
Lionel Asbo by Martin Amis, $25.95, Knopf (published August 21)
New Brooklyn resident Martin Amis's latest novel is a savage, offensive satire on modern Britain. It also received rave notices from the British media.
-- Andrew
"Penelope" by Rebecca Harington (published August 7), 14.95, Vintage
Rebecca's debut novel is a witty, hilarious take on a girl's freshman year at Harvard (and Rebecca actually went to Harvard, so it's pretty accurate). It'll make you simultaneously miss college and be glad that you've already graduated.
-- Zo?
<em>(Disclosure: Rebecca works at The Huffington Post)</em>
"The Family Fang" by Kevin Wilson $13.99, Ecco
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=HWbs4hQkhWE&subid=&offerid=259197.1&type=10&tmpid=9309&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2FThe-Family-Fang-A-Novel%2Fbook-eNp8KcKDjE6-JzRUG89Nbw%2Fpage1.html?s%3D-xNQEnlWGUudvKKDlBYtQQ%2526r%3D1" target="_hplink">It's a fast, funny read</a> about performance artist parents and their duly screwy kids. It's great for fans of Wes Anderson, "Franny and Zooey," and other tales of troubled prodigies.
-- Madeleine
Things That Are by Amy Leach, $18, Milkweed Editions
If Donald Barthelme had made nature documentaries, the commentary might have sounded like this. Lyrical and strange, this engaging book is filled with short tales whose most perfect sentences stay with you, especially in your dreams.
-- Andrew
"Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?" by Lorrie Moore $14.00, Vintage
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=HWbs4hQkhWE&subid=&offerid=259197.1&type=10&tmpid=9309&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2FWho-Will-Run-Frog-Hospital%2Fbook-d46lV8HuQE6U8caRE4jybg%2Fpage1.html?s%3Ddak_Ij20xEO-Nr-fBP3iZA%2526r%3D1" target="_hplink">A cult classic </a>in which a woman recalls a teenage summer spent working at an amusement park with her boisterous, beautiful best friend. It's a breeze to get through, but the language is lyrical.
-- Madeleine
"The Fault in our Stars" by John Green, $17.99, Dutton
John Green's<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=HWbs4hQkhWE&subid=&offerid=259197.1&type=10&tmpid=9309&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2FThe-Fault-in-Our-Stars%2Fbook-WCgFlpDXm0yh5l5GKKhCLw%2Fpage1.html?s%3DkgFt1ShPuk-zKyemeghPmA%2526r%3D1" target="_hplink"> funny, touching portrait</a> of a teenage cancer patient's first experience with romance will have you laughing and crying. It might sound corny, but I assure you that it's not.
-- Madeleine
Windeye by Brian Evenson, $16, Coffee House Press
Brian Evenson's dark imagination has created his latest haunting collection of stories in which reality takes a step towards the unsettling. Read it and be creeped.
-- Andrew
"The Hunger Games" series, $53.97 for the boxed set, Scholastic
If you're the last person on earth who hasn't read this, you need to get on the ball! I don't want to hear a snooty, "Oh, I don't READ young adult fiction." Become part of the cultural conversation. I'm not even going to bother with plot description because you probably already know.
-- Zo?
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