What books are you taking on vacation???

I can’t believe it’s already the middle of July! That means it’s well past time for me to share my suggestions for your summer reading.

I have THREE great books for you – all three are easy to read, really engaging and often hard to put down – perfect for summer! So, whether you’re headed to the beach, the mountains, the lake or the pool or just hanging out at home on a hot day – we’ve got you covered!

First up is The Guest by Emma Cline. Cline takes you inside the mind of a young grifter Alex, as she cheats, lies and steals her way among wealthy summer residents in the Hamptons over a few weeks in August. What makes this book such a great read is that it’s so riveting! In spite of the fact that Alex is a criminal living outside of mainstream society, you start to feel such a connection with her character, that you find your heart racing with anxiety for her. Alex’s vague recent past and unknown upbringing also have you speculating about her younger life and questioning how someone gets caught up in this type of world. Reading The Guest is like seeing a car crash – so disturbing, yet you cannot look away!

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/251795/the-guest-by-emma-cline/

For a completely different type of read, take a look at The Society of Shame by Jane Roper. This hilarious novel centers on Kathleen Held, a quiet, unassuming politician’s wife in suburban NY. The novel begins with Kathleen’s husband caught “in flagrante delicto” with a young staffer. However, immediately after the story breaks, Kathleen is the one who’s thrown into the spotlight, in spite of her husband’s transgressions. This is not because Kathleen is the spouse who “stands by her man”, but instead it’s because she’s the focus of a viral video – where she is seen with an enormous stain on the back of her pants due to a heavy period! Yikes! Suddenly, Kathleen is unwittingly the leader of a new women’s movement and becomes a feminist icon overnight. Roper does an excellent job of skewering current American culture by covering a variety of topics like social media, cancel culture, political marriages, parenting teenagers and even perimenopause. Great fun and lots of laughs!

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/710383/the-society-of-shame-by-jane-roper/

Finally, the beachiest of beach reads – Emma Rosenblum’s debut novel Bad Summer People is actually set on a beach – the fictional small town Salcombe, Fire Island. Although the novel begins with a body found on the beach in Salcombe, this is hardly a thriller! Instead, you follow individuals and families over the course of a summer and see how their lives are connected in this exclusive enclave where their families have “summered” for generations. Rosenblum paints detailed descriptions of the quaint old-fashioned charm of these well-to-do resort towns, where cars aren’t allowed, and summer residents still rely on bikes and wagons. However, in spite of this wholesome picturesque version of Americana, there is an awful lot of nefariousness going on: extra marital affairs, thievery, back-stabbing and fascinating secret lives. Rosenblum gives a darkly humorous insider’s view of life among the privileged in America. And for those of you who love tennis (or just live in Fairfield County, CT!) you’ll get a kick out of the over-the-top role it plays in the lives of the summer residents of Salcombe.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250887009/badsummerpeople

Hope you’ll take a look at one (or all three!) of these books this summer. We’d also love to know what books you’re taking on vacation, so let us know! Here’s to great summer reading! ☀️ 📚⛱️