BOOKS A six-pack of summer reading

By Michele Ross

(Harper, paper, $16.99)

Struggling Manhattan actress Summer, husband Gabe, and Gabe’s son hope that their annual family vacation at the country estate of Gabe’s parents will be a relaxing break for them all. But when Gabe’s brother shows up with a new woman, Hannah, Summer is on edge. She recognizes Hannah from a showcase they did together, but Hannah denies knowing Summer. Other strange things happen, but after a murder, Summer risks her family ties to find the truth. White, a former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, knows her way around this crowd, with realistic characters and fresh dialogue.

(Berkley, paper, $17)

It’s 1876, and in the highest reaches of Manhattan society, none is higher than Caroline Astor. But Alva Vanderbilt, who thought her marriage to William Vanderbilt would mean that she too would be accepted, has a lot to learn. “The Social Graces” traces the lives of these women, and society, through several decades. The author of several historical novels, Rosen has done her research and it shows.

(St. Martin’s, hardcover, $28.99)

You know it’s summer when a new Mary Kay Andrews novel appears, and this is another of her trademark combination of realism, romance, wit and insight. Letty Carnahan is on the run with her young niece Maya, after the murder of Letty’s sister. They take refuge in a Florida motel, the Murmuring Surf. However, the Surf is the winter home of some retirees and snowbirds who are not pleased with their presence. Oh, and did I mention there’s a handsome cop in the picture?

Suzanne Simard (Knopf, $28.95)

Anyone who enjoys a walk in the woods, or even a summer drive looking at lush expanses of tree, will enjoy this fascinating description of what’s really going on in forests. The author, a scientist and professor of forest ecology, posits that trees “are a interdependent circle of life; that forests are social cooperative creatures connected through underground networks.” The best part is that you don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy this accessible, loving ode (complete with photos) to trees, and all of nature.

(St. Martin’s, hardcover, $19.99)

This lively, fun little book of quotes may help improve your life—or just make you more interesting at parties (when we can start safely going to them). If you’re despairing about the state of the world, you may enjoy Albert Einstein’s take on stupidity: “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.” Tired of being home with the TV? Here’s what Groucho Marx said: “I find television very educational. Every time someone turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” And if you’ve just about to go on that family vacation, remember what Mary Karr said: “A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.”

(Knopf. Hardcover. $18.)

This Everyman Pocket Classic is as lovely as the city it celebrates—sleek, diverse and beautiful. Collected here are comments on the city from famous writers, from Dante Alighieri in “The Divine Comedy” to George Eliot, E.M. Forster, Somerset Maugham and all the way to Salman Rushdie. Mark Twain, typically dry, shares an account of getting lost in the city, and after being stopped by soldiers, concluded, “My experiences of Florence were chiefly unpleasant. I will change the subject.” This volume—and who doesn’t love an Everyman Pocket Classic, complete with bookmark?— will evoke memories of a trip there, or whet your appetite for future travel.