Letter 6: Book Girl Summer
When we recommend great books
Happy Summer!
In the spirit of summer vacation, Molly and Emily are switching up our weekly letter and bringing you a special list of recommended books.
If only we had a dollar for every time we get asked what we are reading or for recommended books. Fortunately, as former English teachers, these are our favorite questions. We typically ask in return about favorite past books or what genres the questioner prefers, like a matchmaker hoping to work their magic.
And speaking of magic, there’s something special about summertime reading. Maybe it’s the extra hours in the day, the way things seem to slow down, warm up and settle in, or just the promise of long stretches of open weeks, but whatever it is, summer reading is a treasure. Many articles about books for June through August seem to think reading right now is for quick, light, breezy reads. And we don’t disagree. However, we think it’s also time to try something new or find a book you may not have considered for this time of year. That’s why we put together a list of books that we just can’t seem to shake.
One of my favorite writers, Liz Egan, who also just happens to be a super person IRL, just wrote a great piece on summer reading and the memories each book brings forth for her. I loved getting to interview her for her memorable 100postcards account and I still scoop up everything she writes. (Fortunately, she writes often!) And as she’s known to do, Liz perfectly captures the allure of entering literary portals during these special summertime months:
What if we let books be our horses this summer? What if we let them carry us through the season, holding on to reading time even as “regular” life resumes? What if we stopped looking for the “it” book and instead reached for the one that speaks to us and takes us where we want to go?
Happy reading!
Molly
Cassandra Speaks by Elizabeth Lesser
An important “book of stories” that explores the why and how of the feminine construct
This book is so good that I tell everyone I know about it. Lesser’s writing (I could read her work all day, every day!), is articulate and important, exploring concepts from the ancient Greeks to the invisible scars we carry to the power of meditation. Stressing the importance of sharing and unpacking stories of women (both in fiction, history, and in present-day), Lesser writes, “We must speak, and we must be taken seriously. We must change the way the story ends.” You’ll keep thinking about this book long after you finish.
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
A gorgeous family drama that makes you feel like you are peeking behind the curtain
I read this book two years ago and I recommend to anyone who likes rich family stories about characters struggling with difficult truths matching real life. Centered around an Indian American Muslim family, Mirza hits notes throughout the book about the weight of secrets and the difficulty in setting them free. Mirza’s storytelling is well crafted and smart in its organization; it’s not flashy and shiny, but instead, deeply layered and thoughtful. Readers who contemplate the bigger questions will devour this book.
A contemporary romance that shares important truths about the weights we carry
A play on the light summer “beach reads” we grab this time of year, Henry’s book has both depth and a good bit of quirkiness. Centered on two writers in the throes of writer’s block and who just happen to be staying next door to one another, this quick read presents important questions about how our cluttered pasts are never far behind us. Lighthearted and thoughtful, Henry also includes the right amount of sexual tension to keep the reader’s pages turning quickly.
A heartbreaking, painstaking memoir unpacking trauma, culture, and the power of words
I’m sure many of you remember Emily Doe from years ago in the Brock Turner case. Miller comes out of this anonymity with her breathtaking and uniquely artistic exploration of what happens when one life shatters because of another’s disregard for humanity. Miller was forced—in a culture firstly supporting the archaic structures of male truth and superiority, power and money—to find a way through the wreckage of her life and character, speak her truth, and slowly rebuild her future to rise from the ashes. Miller’s story of suffering and soaring makes the world a better place.
Emily
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
A fun and SPICY romance that’s perfect for the beach or lounging poolside
I loved this breezy romance that features a meet-cute in an elevator, a hot doctor, and a clever, funny, and relatable heroine (Alexa). Guillory plays her cards right: The Wedding Date fits right in with the best of the chick-lit genre while making some clever changes (namely diversity). If you like The Wedding Date, move right along to The Proposal, the second book in the (now six-book) series.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
A clever murder mystery without the gory details
Magpie Murders is a clever, multi-layered novel, featuring a murder-mystery-within-a-murder-mystery and a book-within-a-book. The fictional story begins in the present day with Susan, publisher and editor of notable author Alan Conway, giving us a warning that his final book—the book we’re about to read—has changed her life.
Conway’s protagonist of Magpie Murders is a detective reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. Just before the murderer within Conway’s novel is revealed, we shift back to Susan as she realizes Conway’s novel and her own life may be intrinsically linked.
A juicy memoir with all the celebrity gossip
Please tell me I’m not the only millennial who watched Newlyweds in my college dorm and thought Jessica and Nick were the perfect couple. You did too? Whew! Well, not to burst that bubble (although Nick and Jessica’s divorce in 2006 probably took care of that), but Jessica did not have it all together, and she works through her pain and brokenness in Open Book. Simpson has openly credited her ghostwriter Kevin Carr O'Leary (I assume he helped with her organization and pacing), but Simpson's voice shines through.
Talking To Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
A nonfiction book that thoughtfully contributes to a cultural conversation
Malcolm Gladwell is incredibly talented at making connections from seemingly unrelated issues. In Talking to Strangers, Gladwell argues that when we engage with strangers, especially in high-pressure situations, we tend to make assumptions that blind us. While Gladwell doesn’t offer steps for fixing this problem, his book can help with recognizing our own biases and realizing that perhaps we cannot look inward to find the solution to our systemic problems.
Our 5 Favorites (for reading!)
Favorite bookstores: Molly’s is Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, and Emily’s is Leaves Book and Tea Shop in Fort Worth, Texas
Favorite travel reading light from IKEA
Favorite way to encourage reading: start a little neighborhood library or contribute to an existing one in your neighborhood
Favorite bookmark
Favorite book meme: bookmark alignment chart. Molly is chaotic good; Emily is (mostly) chaotic evil 🤣
“We don't pick the books we read, they pick us."
Denzel Washington, from The Hurricane
With gratitude,
Molly + Emily
P.S. What summer book do you recommend? Share your suggestions with our community and tell us in the comments!
Love these recommendations! I currently break my books into my books and our books (those I read with my 7-year-old daughter). I also love the Charlotte Holmes Services, but you have to read not listen.
Our Books: We have been reading the Mary Poppins series and are loving it. The books are full of antics, magic, and laughter. Though very different from the movie, Mary Poppins is still a delight. The movie did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the book while making the story their own such as the chalk picture drawings, tea on the ceiling, and the Bird Woman. But readers also get to experience the magic of gingerbread wrapped in gilt paper stars that later get glued to the night sky, a funny night in the zoo where the main attractions are people, and the tale of Andrew, a silky little pampered pet who wanted nothing more than to be a common dog. We are currently on the third book and the stories seem to deepen. We talked about how times have changed since the days of Mary Poppins like the depiction of Friday, from Robinson Crusoe and the significance of the 5th of November.
My Book (Audio): I just finished The Last Thing He Told Me is a mystery/domestic suspense about that take a unique look at a family as they struggle to discover who their husband/father really is. Hannah’s happy marriage to Owen crumbles when Owen disappears, and she is delivered a note with two words: “Protect her.” She knows the note refers to her stepdaughter Bailey. Hannah begins digging into her husband and she begins to understand that her husband Own was not who she thought he was. Hannah and Bailey are forced to work together to find out the truth about Owen. Hannah is smart and intuitive in how she deals with Bailey and their relationship was one of my favorite things about the story. As the novel progresses, Hannah must figure out what she needs to do to protect Bailey and make a difficult choice on how to move forward. How she does so was completely unpredictable, yet perfect.
So much to love about this one. I loved the relationship between Hannah and Bailey. I loved that the ending, the choice she made was completely unpredictable. I loved the epilogue, and I usually hate epilogues. The chapters are short, crisp and to the point, but the author skillfully creates a real feeling of authenticity. The writing is not flashy or verbose, it is just a good story that moves quickly.
My Book (Read): My favorite summer reading book has been Tell Me Three Things. I read it last year at the beach in two days which is a feat since I was at the beach with a 7-year-old. Tell Me Three Things is about a teenage girl, Jessie Holmes, who is still grieving the death of her mother. She longs for someone who can truly understand how she feels. Jessie is uprooted from her hometown of Chicago and moved to LA when her father remarries a rich woman. Jessie just does not fit in her new fancy private school, Wood Valley High School. Then one day, she gets an anonymous e-mail someone offering to help her navigate her new school. I loved that this booked discusses deep and meaning topics, like home, change, and grieving. I liked how the book kept you guessing who the anonymous writer is till the very end.
I just finished reading A Place For Us last month and LOVED it!! It has to be my favorite book I've read this year. Truly a beautifully realistic story about the delicate balance between family and tradition (sort of reminiscent of Fiddler on the Roof which is my favorite musical!).
The first thing that came to my mind to recommend was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes! The collection is 12 short stories, so they're quick but complex and intriguing mysteries. Great for keeping your mind sharp this summer.
I'm currently reading The Poisonwood Bible and I'm really enjoying it.
Usually in the summers I try and read more non-fiction, so on my TBR this summer is Educated by Tara Westover and This Is The Fire by Don Lemon!