Say goodbye to beach book season—the kids are headed back to school and soon, you might just find yourself with a little more free time. With that in mind, here is some of the best of the bunch this year.
A Little Life
Hanya Yanagihara
For fans of epic sagas—those 700-plus page books that invite you in and put you in a stranglehold ’til you get to the end—I found this to be far more engaging and emotionally traumatizing than “The Goldfinch.” Read.This.Book.
Early Warning
Jane Smiley
In her second book chronicling the 100-year Langdon family story, Smiley has woven a deeply intricate tale of an Iowa farm family spreading its wings to both coasts. It would be a crime not to read “Some Luck” first, and then grab the third book, “A Golden Age,” to be released in October. All I can say is, “Oh, Frank.”
Finders Keepers
Stephen King
King never fails to put forth a fine effort, and his follow-up to “Mr. Mercedes” was gripping from the first page. A fantastic thriller that leans to the lighter side of the author’s penchant for gore, and promises another visit to the paranormal in the next book of the trilogy.
The Nakeds
Lisa Glatt
Ah, those hippie days of the early 70s, when free love reigned and nudism emerged as an attractive subculture. Only thing is, when you are barely a tween, it can’t be that cool to watch your mom and her boyfriend partake. Wonderful coming-of-age story.
Believer: My Forty Years in Politics
David Axelrod
As we gear up for the 2016 elections, Axelrod’s poignant memoir is a trip back in time to his early days as a reporter-turned-political operative in Chicago politics, and a first-rate history lesson on the inner workings of national campaigns.
Missoula
Jon Krakauer
Krakauer delivers a riveting account of how acquaintance rape is handled in a college town. A must-read in the era of Bill Cosby.
The Country of Ice Cream Star
Sandra Newman
Fans of the 2014 hit “Station Eleven” will love this novel that takes reader to another post-apocalyptic world, where a mysterious disease kills anyone reaching the age of 20. It’s up to Ice Cream Star to save her brother’s life, and she must risk hers to accomplish her goal.
Mosquitoland
David Arnold
Damn you, first-time author, for once again reminding me there really are people that write amazing novels right out of the gate—this one, about 16-year-old Mim traveling hundreds of miles to get back to her mother and finding herself along the way.
More books you’ll love:
