We're checking in booksellers and a librarian for their picks of what to read this summer.
Guests:
- Dan Chartrand - owner of Water Street Bookstore in Exeter
- Lori Fisher - director of the Baker Free Library in Bow
- Michael Herrmann- owner of Gibson's Bookstore in Concord
Books Mentioned During the Show:
New novels:
- Kate Atkinson, A God In Ruins
- Roland Merullo, Lunch With Buddha: following up the series, a road trip story dealing with ‘ordinary spirituality’
- Nelson DeMille, Radiant Angel: (and the rest of the John Corey series) great beach read: - main character is smart, intuitive, childish & annoying
- Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See: popular at the library; Pulitzer-winner about WWII
- Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train
- For readers who like All the Light we Cannot See, try:
- Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient: same setting, feel
- Adam Foulds, In the Wolf’s Mouth
- Julie Otsuka, Buddha in the Attic: also WWII, somewhat different feel, about women exclusively
- Megan Abbott, The Fever: dark, twisted, into the world of teenage girls – read if you like Gone Girl/Gillian Flynn
- Scott Hawkins, The Library at Mount Char (June 16): creepy, dark, gory
- Jojo Moyes, Me Before You: favorite among bookclubs; all of Moyes backlog is popular from the library
- David Baldacci, Memory Man: highest number of reservations at the library
Non-fiction:
- Political books about 1988-92 that parallel each other from across the aisle:
- George Mitchell, The Negotiator: A Memoir
- John H. Sununu, The Quiet Man: The Indispensable Presidency of George H. W. Bush
- David McCullough, The Wright Brothers: big biography for the summer, beyond Wright brother facts from 4th grade - it’s a fascinating portrait of the family, period, culture. Also has a great audiobook version.
- Helen Macdonald – H is for Hawk: something different – part biography, part memoir
- More WWII: Boys in the Boat; Unbroken
Caller recommendation:
- Tana French: Irish mystery writer; great character development; most recent book is The Secret Place.
Middle grade reads: 8-12 age range
- Kelly Barnhill, The Witch’s Boy: ancient gods, unlikely heroes, courageous deeds
- Cassie Beasley, Circus Mirandus
- Paul Durham, Luck Uglies
- Pam Munoz Ryan, Echo
- Jennifer Holm, Fourteenth Goldfish scientist grandfather turns into a teenager – very funny
- Kevin Brooks, Bunker Diary
- Paul Acampora, I Kill the Mockingbird: smart & funny; two friends react to their summer assignment to read To Kill a Mockingbird
- Harper Lee, Go Set a Watchman (July 14): wrote back in the 50s, first version of to kill a mockingbird; young adult crossover: appeals to both
Caller recommendation:
- Robert T Bakker, Raptor Red: a novel by a paleontologist from the dinosaur’s perspective. Watership Down moved to prehistoric times
Local authors:
- Sy Montgomery, The Soul of an Octopus: by Hancock, NH writer & naturalist. She got to know the octopus at the New England Aquarium in Boston, and found it to be highly intelligent, and more like us than you would think.
- Stefany Shaheen, Elle and Coach: by Senator Shaheen’s daughter, about her teenage daughter who has Type-1 diabetes and her service dog
Caller recommendations:
- Kristan Higgins: New England author of romance novelists
- Christopher McDougall, Natural Born Heroes: like 3 books in one, will make you want to become a runner
- Sister Souljah and Walter Dean Myers’ Monster: the caller found that growing up in Lawrence, it was hard to find books that resonated. These are two of her favorites.
- Max Berry, Lexicon: sort of an action book about the history of language
- Haruki Murakami: a great author for binge-reading. Try Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, 1Q84, and especially Kafka on the Shore
NHPR’s All Things Considered host Peter Biello has a new segment about the ‘news that stays news.’ Check out NHPR’s Bookshelf for interviews with N.H. & New England authors about their writing and favorite books. You can email your suggestions to books@nhpr.org.
- Marcia Strykowski: listener recommendation; a great author for stories set in new England for middle school ages
- Emilie Burack, Runaway’s Gold
- Great Stone Face Award, program by New Hamphire’s children’s librarians: the list is voted by kids
Graphic novels
- Sydney Padua, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage
- Noelle Stevenson, Nimona
What the guests are reading this summer:
- Jonathan Franzen, Purity (coming out in September)
- Karl Ove Knausgaard, My Struggle
- Michelle Goldberg, The Goddess Pose
- Brenda Novak, This Heart of Mine
- Stephen King, Finders Keepers
- Steve Inskeep, Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab
