mostly you’ll cheer for Elizabeth Zott and the people whose lives she transforms, just by being herself.” If you loved A Man Called Ove (and who didn’t?), check out Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. It’s a sweet tale of reckoning and hope, told through a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. Think My Octopus Teacher. Kirkus Reviews calls this one “a charming, warmhearted read.”
This is just a small sampling of what’s available for the summer season. Visit your local independent bookstore for more great suggestions. We all have our favorites and can’t wait to share them with you. Happy summer reading! © Shelley Laurence is a bookseller at Main Point Books, an independent bookstore with a handpicked selection for every member of the family. Check out their events, book groups and children’s activities at MainPointBooks.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Order on-line for delivery or pick-up. 484-5806978; 116 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne.
Want something a little more hard edged? I’ve got you covered. Don Winslow gives us City on Fire. Two criminal empires in New England are shattered when a modern-day Helen of Troy comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching an all-out war that sets a city ablaze. Stephen King raves: “Superb. This is storytelling with a keen edge. City on Fire is exhilarating to read.” Villanova professor Alan Drew brings us The Recruit. A series of strange crimes terrorizes an idyllic California town, and they may be linked to a white power movement. The question is — why this town and why now? Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector, says, “I can think of no other thriller that portrays its vital themes — all relevant to our times — in such a riveting and up close and personal way. Bravo!” For our nonfiction fans, David Sedaris is back with his first new collection of personal essays since Calypso. In Happy-Go-Lucky, Sedaris captures the new reality of pandemic life: the unexpected, hilarious and poignant. If we must muddle through interesting times, who better to guide us through than David Sedaris? I’ve got this one on my reading list. What makes puzzles — jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus — so satisfying? In The Puzzler, A.J. Jacobs sets off on a lively journey to find out. Jacobs introduces us to some serious puzzle people, travels to interesting competitions, tries to get through the hardest corn maze in America and solves the most sadistic jigsaw. You may even pick up ideas for solving puzzling situations in life! Not a bad goal for these odd times. Let’s not neglect the younger set. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston is a YA novel about chasing what you want, but getting what you need. This one gets a big thumbs up from Publisher’s Weekly. “Crisp writing, humorous asides and fully fleshed characters and relationships — many queer — keep things fresh, leading to a genuinely hopeful ending that centers on themes of authenticity and autonomy.” Little ones will love Where Do Diggers Take Vacation by Brianna Caplan Sayers. It’s a charming, rhyming board book about going on vacation, perfect for summer reading! If your youngster liked Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? this is a natural choice. CountyLinesMagazine.com | June 2022 | County Lines
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