There’s still time to get in a good pool-side read before the dog days of summer are officially behind us. While the kids are savoring every outdoor moment before heading back to school, slather on some sunscreen and embrace the last of the August sun’s rays with a good book in hand. We recommend picking up one of the following page-turners that received rave reviews this summer.
Mermaid of Brooklyn by Amy Shearn
For those who’ve taken a ride on the emotional roller coaster of parenthood, The Mermaid of Brooklyn is an engaging and quirky read. The witty tale of self-discovery follows unhappily married woman turned pseudo-single mom Jenny Lipkin as she struggles to raise two young children in a Park Slope walk-up after her gambling-addicted husband goes MIA. Her neighborhood consists of gossipy mothers, stroller-pushing nannies, and sticky-fingered kids…and only one friend with whom she can relate.
Quickly losing sanity, Jenny finds herself on the Brooklyn Bridge contemplating suicide—until an unexpected, fantastical ally takes up residence in her body, and the frazzled mom is forced to change her outlook on life. Want to learn more? Check out our official review of Shearn’s Brooklyn-based tale, from our August issue, here!
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Take a trip back in time with this coming of age story about friendship and fate, beginning at a summer camp for the arts in 1974. The Interestings follows the lives of six friends from their privileged teenage years through the ups and downs of middle age. Although theirs is a true testament to the surviving power of friendship, unavoidable competitive realities take their toll. The endearing group cyclically comes together and breaks apart as Wolitzer explores the harsh facts of life, ranging from the insatiable nature of envy to the class-defined power of wealth.
The complex characters and changing New York City setting craft a symbolic tale that spans from hilarious to downright emotional at times. A real thought-provoker as to what exactly is important—whether that may be fortune, talent, or happiness is up to us—as we go through the motions in our daily lives.
The Cuckoo’s Calling by J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling was recently announced as the author behind this crime fiction novel, published under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith. The Cuckoo’s Calling follows Detective Cormoran Strike, a down-on-his-luck private investigator, as he tries to make ends meet after losing his leg in Afghanistan. When a client walks into his London office and asks Strike to look into the suicide of his supermodel sister, known as Cuckoo, the private investigator suddenly finds himself submerged in a world of delusion, fame, and grandeur.
Strike’s unique character is unlike any crime fiction detective in recent memory—and the fascinating individuals he encounters during his investigation shed a light on the darker side of the elite.
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sisterland gives an in-depth glimpse as to what happens when two closely-linked siblings choose completely different paths in life. The thrilling supernatural family drama follows the lives of identical twins who share the gift of ESP. Kate and Violet knew that they were different from others when they were younger, but handled their abilities to see the future and learn the secrets of others in completely different ways. While Violet embraced her visions and became a psychic medium, Kate kept her special abilities hidden from the world as she settled down in the suburbs.
After an earthquake hits their hometown of St. Louis, Violet goes public with her deadly premonitions for another imminent natural disaster—leaving Kate mortified. As time runs out, the sisters must work to reconcile their relationship and face the truth about who they really are.
This Town: Two Parties and a Funeral—Plus Plenty of Valet Parking!—in America’s Gilded Capital by Mark Leibovich
Is a big ticket Washington funeral actually the social event of the year? It certainly seems to be. When a beloved newsman passes away, power-hungry individuals on The Hill are far from in a state of mourning. This Town, written by the chief national correspondent for the New York Times Magazine, explores the corruption and media emphasis that plague our nation in the 21st century, where politics take a back seat to bank accounts.
Leibovich has crafted a no-holds-barred take on big money, vanity, media, and politics as he showcases the sadly immoral mentality of today’s society—namely that even a solemn event, such as a funeral, is often viewed as nothing more than a great networking opportunity.
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
In a hilarious and emotionally raw manner, This is Where I Leave You focuses on the often-sharp interactions among members of a modern dysfunctional family. After the death of Judd Foxman’s father, his family comes together for the first time in years. Judd is also mourning a more private loss—the end of his marriage to Jen, who publicly left him for his radio shock-jock boss. When the family sits shiva for seven days and nights, all hell essentially breaks loose. Secrets are exposed, grudges are brought back to life, and old flames are reignited while navigating through some serious family turmoil.
As Judd works through a sea of self-pity and resentment in an attempt to get his life back together, Jen delivers one last blow to her soon-to-be ex-husband: she’s pregnant.
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Set in the fictional Feathertown, Tennessee, Flight Behavior details the firsthand experience of a rural mom who stumbles upon the phenomenon known as “global weirding.” Dellarobia Turnbow is seeking an escape from her stifling existence when she heads toward the top of the mountain above her in-laws’ family farm. She can’t explain exactly what happens next, but she suddenly finds herself in a surreal valley filled with millions of monarch butterflies.
Igniting a conflict between biological and biblical forces, the experience captures international attention from the news media, religious leaders, scientists, and politicians alike. As Dellarobia’s formerly small world expands, so does the ultimate conversation about survival and human need.
A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley by Neal Thompson
Believe it or not, Robert Ripley’s life was quite fascinating. In A Curious Man, a biography written about the cartoonist-turned-millionaire, readers get a glimpse into the life of the man who taught us to believe in the unbelievable. He scoured the globe for bizarre facts and phenomena, and had a known penchant for the exotic. Ripley’s celebration of the world’s greatest oddities was prefaced by his younger days as an outsider in a seemingly strange world.
This detailed look into the eccentric mogul’s life highlights perhaps the most interesting detail of all—that Ripley himself just may have been the world’s strangest treasure.
