Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Summer Reading Part Three- Great Stuff Out in Paperback


For Part Three of my Summer Reading series, I want to tell you about some great things now out in paperback, great reads that may not be "beach reads" but are still perfect for a summer's day.

Michael Ondaatje's brilliant The Cat's Table is out in a beautiful paperback edition. I loved this book and if you like thoughtful literary fiction, you will too.

David Abbott's accomplished fiction debut The Upright Piano Player is a haunting, Ian McEwan-esque thriller about a retired executive who attracts some unsavory attention.

Tayari Jones' Silver Sparrow also got a great cover in its paperback release. But then again, it's a great book. I loved this book too, about a young girl whose father is a bigamist.

 Margot Livesey's engaging Jane Eyre retelling, The Flight of Gemma Hardy, is also out now and is something I recommend.
What You See in the Dark, by Manuel Munoz, is a wonderfully atmospheric and heartbreaking read about young love, hope and disappointment. And if you read the blurbs at the front, you might see someone you recognize!

A darkly comedic Western and one of my favorite books this year, The Sisters Brothers is an unabashed delight, with just a smidge of darkness and violence.

I'm only halfway through Jan-Philipp Sendker's delightful The Art of Hearing Heartbeats but I just know it's a great sweet book for summer. Set in Burma, it's a love story and mystery, and it's super.

Simonetta Agnello Hornby's The Nun is one of my favorite historical fiction reads this year, about a young girl sentenced to life in a nunnery in 19th century Italy. If you like Sarah Dunant, you'll like this more.

Some things I haven't read myself but that are getting a lot of traction in paperback and might be right for you include:
The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach
IQ84, by Haruki Murakami
State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett
Maine, by J. Courtney Sullivan
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline

Hopefully you'll find lots of all of these books at your local independent bookstore. If not, place an order and let them do what they do best- sell you great books.

Happy reading!

6 comments:

Mystica said...

I have a Sarah Dunant right now on my TBR to be read this coming week. Making a note of this one.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I enjoyed the Cat's Take and The Art of Hearing Heartbeats as well.

Sandy Nawrot said...

The Cat's Table and Silver Sparrow have been on my list for awhile. I loved State of Wonder and Ready Player One (on audio!) but was not a big fan of Maine.

bermudaonion said...

I haven't read any of the books you've recommended but have read 3 of the others! I really would like to get to Silver Sparrow soon.

Anonymous said...

I bought The Cat's Table immediately upon its release in hardcover. It's still sitting on the to-read pile, but that says more about my bookaholism than the book.
I've heard a lot of recommendations for The Upright Piano Player so that is going on my list.

Kathleen said...

I've got several of these on my future reading list already but will check out the others listed here too.