Nothing says summer quite so well as a new book to read in the evening light. Here’s a curated selection for your browsing. Remember, buying from Amazon is fast and easy, but purchasing from a bookstore–especially an independent bookstore–builds community.
Children’s Choice
Waiting by Kevin Henkes
Five friends sit on a window ledge waiting for something fascinating to happen. Beautiful and heartfelt, Caldecott Honor Award Winner picture book captures the waiting of childhood.
Papa’s Coming Home by Chastain Buttigieg
This charming book about unconditional love and the musings of toddlers. Sponsored by Loudmouth Books, Buttigieg will join John Green on Friday, May 16 at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.
Young Adult Fiction
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games trilogy fascinated readers with its compelling sage of loss and hope. Now, Collins gives us Hunger Games .5, a prequel to the Games. Collins writes with a pace that intrigues as she connects the events that build to the conflict.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
Bel’s mother disappeared sixteen years ago. Bel witnessed the events but, at two-years old, is too young to explain what happened–or to remember. But then a series of events lead to a potential documentary and a revelation.
Novels
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
The conflict is simple. The kids have experienced a tragedy and need someplace to go for the summer. What their uncle didn’t expect was that he needs them just as much as they need him. Delightful, funny, and poignant, The Guncle will win your heart. And if you like this, The Guncle Goes Abroad will make you just as happy.
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips
The premise: the Civil War has just ended; a twelve-year girl and her mother travel to West Virginia to confront trauma from their past as they move toward healing. This Pulitzer Prize-winner will engage you with its story of building community.
A Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Henry is churning out novels almost faster than we can read them. But each tells a compelling story, and A Great Big Beautiful Life is no exception. The ingredients? Two writers, one island, a recluse of a topic, and the race to get to the finish. Perfect for your summer.
My Friends by Frederik Backman
No one writes community like Backman. Housed in every novel is a tragedy, but the recovery is always about the people and how they support one another–even those you never expect. This novel features four friends, a summer by the seaside, a painting, and mystery. If you have not read Backman before, he brings joy into story-telling. He will be in Franklin, Indiana on May 8. Other favorite novels are the Beartown trilogy, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, and A Man Called Ove.
Nonfiction
Everything is Tuberculous by John Green
Indiana native John Green has pledged to help eradicate tuberculosis, a disease first diagnosed in 1882. If you’ve ever watched him on social media, viewers frequently challenge him to connect the smallest details to this devastating illness. He always can–which is why, although tuberculous has been around for decades–we need to know the now of the disease.
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams
This explosive memoir looks at the events behind the curtain at Facebook. Unflinching, it is a deeply personal account of why and how things have gone so horribly wrong in the past decade—told in a sharp, candid, and utterly disarming voice.
Still unsure about what to read? The Yosha Snyder Group would encourage you to join a book club. Most indie bookstores have book clubs, and schedules are available online. Here are a few options:
Happy reading!