N Magazine’s resident bookworm Tim Ehrenberg gives his ultimate summer reading list.
IMAGINE IT! A HANDBOOK FOR A HAPPIER PLANET by Laurie David and Heather Reisman
Imagine a book that could guide you through living more sustainably. Imagine a book that is for everyone: the most socially conscious, the most ardent climate activist or someone like me, who is just curious to learn more. Co-authored by Laurie David and Nantucket Book Festival supporter and CEO of Indigo Books Heather Reisman, Imagine It! provides a lot of interesting and important (sometimes shocking) facts and tips about the world today. Most notably, the book asks us to start caring and living with our planet in mind.
EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD by Emily Austin
Meet Gilda. Gilda cannot stop thinking about death. In fact, Gilda has a lot of anxiety about pretty much everything. It might sound like you won’t like Gilda, but I promise you will. This novel is quirky and laugh-out-loud funny, and filled with tender observations about what it means to live life to the fullest. Gilda responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local Catholic church and hilarity ensues as she navigates love, family, religion, mental health and her obsession with death.
RAZORBLADE TEARS by S.A. Cosby
For those who like their beach reads with some grit, make sure to turn up the August heat with this razor-sharp thriller that cuts deep. In S.A. Cosby’s Razorblade Tears, two ex-con fathers—one black and one white—band together to avenge their sons’ deaths. This fast-paced suspense story offers much more than just your typical crime novel and asks and answers some deep questions about retribution, acceptance, family and redemption.
THE GREAT MISTAKE by Jonathan Lee
The great mistake here is that I knew nothing of this book’s subject, Andrew Haswell Green. Take a trip back to 1903 New York City and meet Green, a self-made man without whom there would be no Central Park, no Metropolitan Museum of Art and no New York Public Library. The grandfather of New York as we know it today, Green also had a secret that comes to light when he is shot in broad daylight at the age of eighty-three. The Great Mistake has gorgeous, succinct sentences that make you stop and appreciate them.
BEACH RIDES by John Annetti and Whitney Hubbell
Cars have stories. I am sure all of us can think of a fond memory or two of the current wheels in our driveway. If you’ve spent time on Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, chances are you’ve admired many old Jeeps, Defenders and FJs bumping down the beach. But have you ever wondered about the story behind the car? John Annetti and Whitney Hubbell put you in the shotgun seat in Beach Rides—a unique photographic storytelling of twenty-one island cars and their owners. The iconic cars reveal intimate family memories and uncover long forgotten island history. It’s also just a gorgeous coffee table book and would make the perfect gift for year-round drivers or anyone along for the ride.
GOLDEN GIRL and THAT SUMMER
These two books continue to fly off our shelves this summer. If you are in the mood for an August beach read, look no further than the new novels by Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner, Golden Girl and That Summer. Join me August 19th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Nantucket Hotel for “Cocktails, Conversation, and Couture” for a talk with the two New York Times bestselling authors. Hosted by NESN Dining Playbook’s Jenny Johnson, the event also features signature summer cocktails, a silent auction and a “Read the Runway” fashion show with looks from local boutiques. All proceeds will benefit the year-round work of the Nantucket Book Foundation and Nantucket Book Festival. Tickets are selling fast and are available to purchase here.
