As we near the end of May, we’re also approaching two and a half months since the start of Gov. DeWine’s stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you’ve been busy binge-watching the latest Netflix originals, trying out every virtual workout posted on Instagram and YouTube or flocking to the parks to soak in some socially distant sunshine, we can guess that you’re probably getting a bit bored with your daily routine.
Fortunately, there are a slew of new books hitting the shelves this summer and these local librarians and bookstore owners have suggested a few of their favorites.
With titles ranging from adult nonfiction to children’s tales and murder mysteries to coming-of-age, there’s a little something for readers of all ages and interests.
Melanie Moore, Cincy Book Bus
Melanie Moore founded the Cincy Book Bus after 25 years of teaching in various schools across the country. Her intention was to inspire a passion for reading in the community by delivering books to cafes, flea markets and nonprofit events. These are Moore’s top three summer reads.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley (out June 2) — In this thriller novel, a bride’s perfect day heads for disaster when a wedding guest turns up dead and the bride, the plus one, the best man, the wedding planner and the bridesmaid embark on a whodunit adventure. “It’s a good ‘ole murder mystery with a nod toward classic Agatha Christie,” Moore says.
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (out May 26) — In this historical fiction, an unlikely group of friends — including a laborer, young widow, local doctor and a movie star — come together in an attempt to preserve Jane Austen’s home and legacy. “I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, their discussions throughout the book and the setting of the English village of Chawton,” Moore says.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle — In this New York Times bestseller, Dannie Kohan wakes up one morning in an apartment that’s not her own, wearing a ring she doesn’t own, next to a man she doesn’t recognize. For one hour, Dannie lives life exactly five years into the future before awaking again in her own home. “In Five Years would make the perfect beach read,” Moore says. “It’s a book you’ll want to read in one sitting because once you start, you can’t put it down.”
Samantha Evans, Under Cover Book Club
Samantha Evans founded Under Cover Book Club, a sort of literary scavenger hunt, in 2018. Each month she chooses books to hide around the city and posts clues to find them on social media. Visit undercover513.com for info about hidden books, author interviews, upcoming events and how to become an official Under Cover member.
Godshot by Chelsea Bieker — "I've been waiting for Godshot to come out since I first heard about it last year! This début novel is about a young teenage girl living in a small town, and a cult leader/pastor who promises to save it."
A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt — "I'll pretty much read anything from Columbus-based publisher, Two Dollar Radio, and A History of My Brief Body is no exception. Also a début, this essay collection focuses on the author's personal history."
Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett — "I often wish that books would come with their own soundtrack, and sometimes, wishes do come true! The memoir Hollywood Park is set to an album of the same name from Jollett's band The Airborne Toxic Event and explores Jollett's life growing up in a cult."
The Loyalties by Delphine De Vigan — "If you're looking for a summer thriller, be sure to pick up a copy of The Loyalties, which is described as a 'darkly gripping novel of adults who are as lost as the children they should be protecting.'"
I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg — "Laura van den Berg, whose book The Third Hotel was one of the first hidden for Under Cover Book Club, is back with a collection of ghost stories in I Hold a Wolf by the Ears."
Gregory Kornbluh and Sarah Fischer, Downbound Books
Founded in 2019, Downbound Books’ mission is to bring an old-fashioned neighborhood bookstore to Northside and intends to serve and support the community and its residents, organizations and schools. Here are owner Gregory Kornbluh and bookseller Sarah Fischer’s top three summer reads.
The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels — "This book crushed me. With his story of a young gay man from a small Ohio town who leaves home to live and then comes back to die, Carter Sickels reminds us that the 1980s AIDS epidemic was a crisis not only of public health and political will but also of simple decency and plain humanity, testing and all too frequently shattering the fragile bonds linking families and communities. There is hope in this book, and humor, and beauty, and love, but what Sickels has given us will stand as a heartbreaking document of a society that had dangerously lost its course. We still haven’t found it, and may yet never, but The Prettiest Star will be here to help point the way."
Cool for America by Andrew Martin (July 7) — “This collection is Martin's second book, after his celebrated 2018 novel Early Work. The stories are mostly about young people who believe in art and community and have big ambitions but are stuck in patterns of easy drugs, convenient sex and bad company. Sounds like a bummer, but the stories are funny, and the characters are mostly sympathetic. It's not usual to produce a set of stories with a tight thematic focus but with characters and scenes that stick with you long after reading, but Martin's unusually talented.”
The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg (Aug. 4) — "I have enjoyed Molly Wizenberg’s writing for years, and this book was no exception. I loved the mix of science and research with confessional truth-telling about longing and identity. As a mother of two small children, I clung to this story of discovery. And as a human, I cherished Wizenberg’s exploration of the realization that our stories are never done being written. This book was a balm for my soul," says Fischer.
Stephanie Cooper, The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Stephanie Cooper is the materials selection librarian for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Here are her top four summer must-reads.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (June 1) — “Brit Bennett proved her skills with her debut The Mothers, which earned her recognition as a 2016 LibraryReads Favorite. Her new novel is a timely look at privilege, race and class. Two once very close sisters end up on very different paths in life, one white one black. Their daughters’ experiences add to this engaging complex masterpiece that both enlightens and entertains.”
The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile (June 22) — “Many of us may not be religious in the traditional sense, but relate strongly to the importance of spirituality. Utilizing everyday tasks as soul-building activities and breaking from technology’s grasp can provide the inner nurturing needed every day and even more so in these challenging times.”
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta — “With a writing style as lyrically unique as its bright and bold main character Michael, The Black Flamingo screams out with pride. Michael’s evolution from shy child struggling to find his place to being a strong out-and-proud drag queen with a well-deserved chosen family, is a colorful literary treasure.”
The World Needs More Purple People by Kristin Bell and Benjamin Hart — “Anyone can be a purple person, and who wouldn’t want to be? Purple people are superheroes who unite others and speak out against injustices. Kids and adults alike are sure to enjoy this hilarious slice of positivity.”
Richard Hunt, Roebling Point Books & Coffee
President of Adventure Keen Publishing, housed on the second floor of Roebling Point, Hunt turned the first floor of his historic building into a bookstore. Roebling Point has created its niche by providing fair-trade, organic coffee in addition to books and by sharing profound quotes on the chalkboards on the building’s exterior. Multiple rooms house a customer-influenced book inventory. Fiction and non-fiction works rest among local authors, poetry, children’s books and a handful of classics.
Writers & Lovers by Lily King — "There’s a time-honored tradition, going back to Orwell, of writers suffering with noxious day jobs while polishing their first manuscript. Lyrical, compelling and sweet, Lily King’s characters are believable in their actions and perfectly original in their quirky situations. Every page is a delight and the reader is genuinely pleased when fortune smiles down upon the struggling author, although not everything is golden."
Cincinnati: An Illustrated Timeline by Jeff Suess — "(This book) is like a Ric Burns documentary that details the Queen City epoch on the printed page. An amazing collection of vignettes and facts, all primped up with exceptional illustrations, photographs and design. A superb Father’s Day choice, Jeff (who should be considered the Queen City’s historian of record) will be at RoPoBoCo on June 6 for a signing, so if grateful sons and daughters want a more meaningful thank-you to Pops than just another pair of socks, this is the book."
The Story of More by Hope Jahren — "Hot not just in terms of being new and noteworthy, but more so as an insightful book on climate change and population growth. Heralded by all the right reviewers and sources, this is ultimately a book about courage — which you should definitely expect when the author’s first name is Hope — three Fulbrights and being named as Time magazine’s top 100 people in 2016, she’s got the street cred to make an impactful, important book also readable and fortifying."
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld — "Curtis grew up in Cincinnati (her brother currently serves on City Council) and has evolved into a shape-shifting storyteller. Her previous books include Eligible, which was a new take on Pride & Prejudice set in Cincinnati and An American Wife, which re-cast of Laura Bush in the White House with a new name but similar circumstances. A New York Times bestselling author, the just-published novel Rodham reimagines Hillary’s career if she had never married Bill."
Becoming by Michelle Obama — "This was the holiday season’s biggest bestseller a year ago, but the recently released Netflix documentary, which was based on this book, Becoming is hot again. A great book that hones in on the strength and conviction needed for a First Lady to lead change, not hide in the shadows. Michelle’s past, present and future defines character and will inspire every reader; to wit, a key quote: 'Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.'”
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins — "This prequel to Collins’ Hunger Games series is steaming down the rails with all attendant hype and publicity. Could there be a better time to publish a book explaining how dystopian societies rise and fall than while readers shelter at home and explore books to forget about the fragility of life and death from a global pandemic?"
Hillary Copsey, Book Advisor at The Mercantile Library and Founder and Publisher of Make America Read
Hillary Copsey does double duty as the book advisor at downtown’s membership library The Mercantile Library, where she leads and helps organize books discussions and offers book recommendations, and as the mind behind Make America Read, a newsletter that provides choice literary picks and thoughtful ruminations on not only books but also the act of reading itself.
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry — "This clever, funny book is a nostalgia bomb for anyone who remembers the '80s. Or just really loves John Hughes movies."
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel — "This dreamy, totally engrossing novel takes us back to the early 2000s to track the adventures of a young woman in the 'kingdom of money.'"
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker — "Nonfiction that reads like a novel, this book follows a family in which half of the 12 children are diagnosed with schizophrenia."
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett — "Having welcomed Bennett to the Mercantile to talk about her first novel, The Mothers, we know what a talented and insightful writer she is. This new novel about twin sisters who live very different lives, one as a black woman and one as a white woman, shows off her skills to stunning effect."
Lou Gehrig: The Lost Memoir by Alan D. Gaff — "If you're missing baseball, maybe this will help."
The Splendid and The Vile by Erik Larson — "Once again, Larson brings history to life, this time diving deep into Winston Churchill's first year as prime minister, which also was the first year of the blitz, Hitler's relentless bombing of Britain."
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