Pack the Sunscreen and the Tome
Posted by: Mary Ellen
Though when we think of summer and books the term “beach read” generally comes to mind, New York magazine recently proposed a mix of nonfiction and “a few realistic novels” in “What to Read This Summer.” Here are the suggestions:
May
The Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
How to Sell by Clancy Martin
In the Land of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent
June
Fordlandia by Greg Grandin
Just Like Family by Tasha Blaine
Newton and the Counterfeiter by Thomas Levenson
July
Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott
NYPD Confidential by Leonard Levitt
They suggest saving August for Thoman Pynchon’s 400-page Inherent Vice.
As for me, I just started Ken Follett’s medieval epic The Pillars of the Earth, 
which was an Oprah Book Club pick, and I imagine that it and its sequel, World Without End, will keep me busy. I’ve never read Follett before–in fact, I don’t read much popular fiction. But I’ve been fascinated by the Middle Ages for as long as I can remember, and these books have gotten terrific reviews. I have about 2,000 pages ahead of me. I’ll let you know how it goes.
