Five Fantastic Summer Reads

Summer reading at its best means a page-turner in one hand and another waiting in your beach bag. It’s the thrill of finding a new favorite author or the next Hunger Games. So we asked our comrades at Books & Books in Westhampton Beach for some can’t-miss summer reads, perfect picks whether you’re sitting on the sand in East Hampton or kicking back in an Adirondack chair overlooking Coecles Harbor.

Violette Noziere: A Story of Murder in 1930s Paris by Sarah Maza

Why we’re excited: Sarah Maza brings Paris between the wars to life by focusing on the case of Violette Noziere, who one evening served her middle-class parents drinks spiked with barbiturates, leaving her father dead and nearly killing her mother. The trial captivated France, and readers will be just as captivated by Maza’s study of Noziere and the culture of interwar France.

Age of Greed: The Triumph of Finance and the Decline of America, 1970 to the Present by Jeff Madrick

Why we’re excited: In a sweeping and fast-paced narrative, Jeff Madrick traces the lineage of some of our nation’s most pressing economic problems. In pursuit of personal wealth, the actions of a few—including Milton Friedman, Alan Greenspan and Sandy Weill—have led to a culture of intense economic instability. Madrick’s easy-to-read history is perfect for anyone who wants to understand how economic inequality has come to define our age.

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

Why we’re excited: This psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat! When the body of Beatrice’s beloved sister Tess is discovered, her death is ruled a suicide. But Beatrice is certain the police have made a mistake and her sister was murdered. As Beatrice investigates her sister’s life and death, author Lupton explores sisterhood and whether it is possible to ever truly know another person.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Why we’re excited: New York Times best-selling author Patchett’s newest fiction release offers a vividly created world full of mystery and intrigue. This modern-day Heart of Darkness follows Marina, a pharmaceutical scientist on the trail of her former mentor who disappeared months ago while researching fertility in a Brazilian tribe. The exhilarating ending will leave you in a state of wonder.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Why we’re excited: Blood Red Road is the first novel in the young adult series Dustlands, and it’s bound to be this summer’s Hunger Games! Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Saba and her twin brother Lugh have spent their whole lives in Silverlake, scavenging from landfills. When Lugh is kidnapped, Saba must rescue him, leading her out into the real world–and that world is filled with more danger and adventure than she ever imagined.

Check back next week for more inspired selections for summer reading here in the Hamptons.

Books & Books is located at 130 Main Street, Westhampton Beach, NY, 11978.
(631) 998-3259
www.booksandbookswhb.com