Summer Reading: Books for Your List
Summerize your reading.
As promised in our last issue, here we are with some lighter fare for your summer reading lists. Of course ours is one of many such lists making the rounds, but we’ve aimed to surface some off-the-beaten-track reads to toss into your luggage (or put on your bedside table). As we continue our quest of lessening our screentime, we’ve found respite on the very real pages of actual books, which have replaced some of our bedtime scrolling.
Our featured read.
We wouldn’t be proper super fans if we didn’t suggest Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan, the subject of this issue’s “Into Them.” We were excited to nab an interview with the author after spying her book on several “best of” lists. Think romance, but grown-up style.
From the novel whisperer.
We have a friend we call the “novel whisperer”: When she recommends a read, we do not mull it over, we just buy the damn thing. Usually, her recommendation is consumed in about 2.5 days, and Piranesi was no different. The novel sort of defies description; we can’t remember the last time a book so completely created another world that we could not wait to get back to it. We suggest you don’t mull it either—just move toward your nearest bookstore or library.
That’s our baby.
We have to admit to being memoir-aholics around here (accordingly, you’ll find three of them on our list). Without trying to be trite, truth really is stranger than fiction—and Jennifer Grey’s Out of the Corner exceeded expectations. Just being Joel Grey’s daughter (and all the many people her parents interfaced with) would make a story all its own, but her own acting career and romances with the likes of Matthew Broderick and Johnny Depp were also fascinating. And for those of you that have asked, yes, she addresses her nose job upfront and interestingly, it’s not what you think (you’ll have to read it to find out!).
How I met Carter Bays.
Mutual friends (you’ll see why that’s funny in a minute) suggested that we binge “How I Met Your Mother,'' which we never watched on its first go around. With all the heaviness in the world, we gladly obliged. If you haven’t tried it, we can’t recommend it enough. That’s why we were delighted when we saw The Mutual Friend: A Novel by the show’s co-creator, Carter Bays, on a list of hotly anticipated reads. We are LOL’ing already and imagining it will be legen…(wait for it)..dary.
Appointment with a classic.
We interrupt our regular drumbeat of getting you to read Lost Horizon with the suggestion of another masterpiece you may have missed (or deferred in favor of the Cliffs Notes). John O’ Hara’s Appointment in Samarra was one of the first to tackle the goings-on of the country club set in a small town on the eve of The Great Depression. Much like so many of this genre to follow, our protagonist, fueled by alcohol, sets out on a self-destructive path. We wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer who called O’Hara a bridge between Fitzgerald and Updike.
A real loss.
If you ever read anything about Zappos, its celebrated corporate culture and goal of “delivering happiness,” you were no doubt shocked by the death of its visionary CEO Tony Hsieh. Not only did Hsieh die young, he died tragically in a fire and was said to be battling addiction shortly before his death. Authors Kirsten Grind and Katherine Sayre seek to give readers some insight into why this happened in their book, Happy at Any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. It’s a powerful reminder that we never really know what someone is going through, and sheds light on the importance of destigmatizing mental health.
Garden of eden.
In an act of teenage rebellion, Stephanie once refused to root for her hometown heroes, The Syracuse Orangemen and instead favored their rivals, The Georgetown Hoyas. And there was one player who stood above all the rest (and at 7 feet he really did), one Patrick Aloysius Ewing. Natch we followed him to the pros and the 1990s Knicks were something else; helmed by Pat Riley, they were an iconic team. If you think you know them (or you don’t know a thing), you will still love Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks.
We like them apples.
As we devoured the second season of “Modern Love” we lamented that we do not see Minnie Driver nearly enough. That’s why we were thrilled when we saw her new memoir, Managing Expectations: A Memoir in Essays. We listened to this one as we happen to adore Driver’s brogue. Beyond her acting chops, she is a really beautiful writer. It was heartfelt and much of what she tackles is universal. Stars—they’re just like us.
Breaking down the dynasty.
While we were busy watching Tom Brady win a superbowl for Tampa Bay, retire—and then un-retire—we barely had a beat to reflect on the partnership that made him. Luckily for us, Seth Wickersham released what we believe will be the definitive history of the Brady-Bellichick-Kraft era New England Patriots. Determined not to release the book until the trio was somehow broken up, Wickersham was finally free to print It’s Better to be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness. It’s a heavy volume (you might need help carrying it to the beach), but for good reason.
Superstar.
We absolutely heart Molly Shannon—whether as iconic Mary Catherine Gallagher or as a vapid socialite in “White Lotus.” We never would have guessed the tragic event—a car accident killing her mother, sister and cousin—that forever changed her life, detailed in the opening scene of Hello Molly!: A Memoir. Shannon has clearly processed ample grief but she never casts herself as a victim; we also loved taking this in as an audiobook, hearing her describe her adventurous childhood and determination to make it as a comedian in her own emotive voice.
