Pat Taub
This year’s list of summer reads are books that I got so lost in that I stayed up well past my usual bedtime, or overlooked social gatherings with friends. I’ve compiled a wide range of books to fit a variety of moods, transporting you to 17th century Boston, the worlds of magic realism, psychological thrillers, and important social thinkers.
FICTION
I love magic realism, which is deftly handled by two great Japanese writers, Haruki Murakami and Kazuro Ishiguro. Murakami’s Men Without Women is a collection of short stories that are full of surprises. Murakami’s plot twists left me gasping. Ishiguro’s latest novel, Klara and The Sun revolves around Klara, an automated girl, known as an AF, or “Artificial Friend,” purchased for a sickly child, inhabiting a dystopian society haunted by loneliness and disconnections. Halfway through this book, I’m on pins and needles.
HISTORICAL FICTION
My life long fascination with witches and witchcraft drew me to two new books, both rich in period details: Chris Bohjalian’s, Hour of the Witch, and The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. In Bohjalian’s novel, set in Boston in 1652, 24-year-old Mary Deerfield seeks a divorce from her physically abusive husband, who in response accuses her of being a witch. She’s found guilty but that’s not the end of the story. Penner’s fast moving plot, takes place in 18th century London, featuring Nella, an herbalist who takes great risks, preparing herbal poisons for wives wanting to do in abusive husbands.
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris. If you love grand libraries, Paris settings and spunky heroines, you’ll be captivated by this novel.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is about a woman who marries the love of her life only to have him disappear without a trace. Dave quickly establishes an easy intimacy with the reader, catching you off guard with her subtle plot twists. I found it hypnotic.
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid is a spellbinding story of an upper-class white mother and her Black baby sitter who are confronted with their ideas of race and class when the sitter, Emira, is accused of kidnapping her white three-year-old charge. The surprises never let up.
Keily Reid offering a book reading for “Such A Fun Age”
MYSTERY
The Witch Elm is by Tara French, whom many consider to be the modern queen of mystery stories. A bit of a slow starter, but when it gains momentum, you may find yourself so absorbed that you forget to eat or brush your teeth.
RACE RELATIONS
In Just Us by Claudia Rankine, the author takes us into her private world, sharing her internal dialogues as a Black women facing discrimination and discomfort when flying first class, at academic conferences and at a dinner party. Rankine’s candor gave me a deeper understanding of the everyday struggles Black women face.
POETRY
To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue is a poetry collection that I keep on my nightstand to soothe my pre-sleep self with spiritually calming poems.
MEMOIR
The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr is a brilliant guide for all those engaged in writing a memoir or needing inspiration to start one. With her trademark wit Karr offers clear guidelines to make your memoir sparkle.
BOOKS THAT BECKON
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis edited by Ayana Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkson is a compilation of 60 essays by women at the forefront of the climate movement. This book comes highly recommended by a friend who’s a climate activist.
Ethel Rosenberg: A Cold War Tragedy by Anna Sebba. This biography of Ethel Rosenberg is of interest since growing up, I remember hearing my mother lamenting how unfair it was that Ethel was executed when she had young children at home. Ethel and her husband, Julius, were found guilty of being Russian spies. Ethel’s guilt was often suspect.
