Summer Reading Selections

The summer reading landscape is diverse, offering both classic themes and modern explorations. You can find books that incorporate engaging, often digitally-oriented activities aimed at skill building.

Exploring Diverse Themes

This season’s books touch on varied narratives, including those involving feuding neighbors, popes, and cults. These themes reflect the broad spectrum of experiences and imagination that summer reading encompasses.

Highlighted Reads

Majestic Hills (Aug. 4) by Dawn Turner follows a Black couple navigating life in a predominantly white suburb. The narrative delves into the complexities of race and neighborly civility.

Tenderness (July 21) by Rowan Beaird explores an ominous island wedding, influenced by the bride’s possible cult involvement. The tension enhances the story’s progression.

• The Au Pair (June 30) by Teddy Wayne – Explores themes of mystery and satirical elements.
• Cool Machine (July 21) by Colson Whitehead – Concludes a trilogy about Black New York, culminating in the real-estate boom of the mid-’80s.
• Man Overboard! (July 7) by Kathleen Rooney – A humorous yet poignant narrative of self-realization on a cruise ship.

Sports and History

Randall Sullivan’s The First All-Star Game: Babe Ruth, FDR and America at the Crossroads offers an intriguing local historical perspective. It ties together sports and significant political events.

Nick Greene’s How To Watch Soccer like a Genius uniquely explains soccer through various unexpected lenses, making each page intriguing.

Mystery and Memoir

Experience crime-solving narratives through Savvy Summers and the Po’boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku, blending humor with intriguing Southern recipes.

Kathryn Stockett’s The Calamity Club delivers a quick-paced story set in Mississippi, filled with drama and character dynamics.

Music and Culture

Barry Walters examines LGBTQ music history in Mighty Real, highlighting influential artists and their audience connections.

Bob Spitz’s biography The Rolling Stones offers a comprehensive view of the iconic band’s chaotic journey.