Summer Reading 2021: Book Culture on Broadway

It's finally here, our favorite time of the year: summer reading season! There's just something about the warm weather that gets us excited to get lost in a good book, whether it's a classic that we're revisiting (or finally getting to!) or that new book we've been hearing so much about. Here, then, are some of the books we're looking forward to reading this summer.

Location: Book Culture on Broadway

Althea's Reading List

    

  1. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead: I love every book I've read by Colson Whitehead, but I especially love when he writes about New York City. Whether it's Zone One (his dystopian zombie novel), the essays in Colossus of New York, or the contemporary scenes in The Nickel Boys, he really has a knack for bringing the city and its inhabitants to life, as well as a remarkable talent to tackle pretty much any genre. I was lucky enough to get my hands on his forthcoming crime novel, which takes place in Harlem in the 60s, and I really cannot wait to read it!

  2. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Taylor Jenkins Reid is another favorite author of mine, she's so great at writing characters and places. I devoured Daisy Jones and the Six, and I know Malibu Rising will be the same. Her books ride the line between literary fiction and beach reads in the best possible way, and I am saving this one for a weekend getaway.

  3. Near To The Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector: I've never read any Clarice Lispector, but have been meaning to for a long time. I recently read Rachel Kushner's essay about her, "Lipstick Traces", and now I'm even more intrigued. I suppose her first novel is a good place to start.
     

Andy's Reading List

     

  1. World Travel by Anthony Bourdain: Because of the pandemic, I spent last summer at home with my newborn daughter who was born in March. It was such a gift to be able to be with her as much as I was. Whenever it was time for a bottle, I would turn on reruns of Bourdain's amazing No Reservations. I remember watching as much of it as I could years ago. Revisiting it was even better. Anthony Bourdain was an engaging and sharp host of that show, but some might not know his writing is incredibly engaging. He was one of those people I'm so sad I never bumped into here in New York. To have a new book, on travel, no less, is a gift I can't wait to read. 

  2. 88 Names by Matt Ruff: Okay, here is my fiction pick for the summer. Matt Ruff, most recently of "Lovecraft Country" fame, wrote one of my favorite cult classic novels years ago; Fool on the Hill. His newest book centers on John Chu, a guide inside a video game who's newest client may just be Kim Jong-Un, chased of course, by a possible Chinese agent and John's ex-girlfriend. This feels like Ready Player One meets Still Life With Woodpecker, one of those books you read the back of and know it jumped up the reading list. 

  3. Every Night is Pizza Night by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt: This one isn't so much something I want to read, but rather something I know I'll continue to read through the summer. My daughter is still a little young to really sit and enjoy this book, but if my wife and I catch her in the right mood she'll sit with us through the whole thing. It's an adorable journey, with treasures of illustrations by Gianna Ruggiero and authored by food authority J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. (seriously, he's a food wizard.) This is the story of Pipo, who's convinced Pizza is the best food, no question. But, for science's sake, she tests recipes from her friends around the neighborhood, including Bipimbop, Tagine, Beans and Rice, Dumplings and more. It's a great journey through food and culture and what connects us all, something I already love sharing with my daughter. 
     

Ian's Reading List

     

  1. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoi: I've decided to read War and Peace because I already read Moby Dick earlier this year and I imagine Russian aristocracy/fighting the French is probably incredibly similar to musing over/hunting a giant whale. Plus, who doesn't want to lug around a 1,200 page tome on Jacob Riis beach?

  2. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis: TBF (to be frank), I've never read Lydia Davis and I think it's time to amend that. This book is small, orange, and feels fragile, and many of the stories are roughly a couple paragraphs long, plus she is funny, so this should be a nice respite for when I grow weary of hauling Tolstoi in my tote.

  3. Peplum by Blutch: Peplum is a black and white graphic novel about a Roman bandit making his way towards Rome with a frozen, naked woman in tow. Along the way I'm pretty sure plenty of wild things happen! I've never read Blutch before, though he's evidently a giant in contemporary indie comics. The art is stark and stylish and absolutely beautiful and I'm definitely ready for this summer to be the summer of Blutch.
     

Marissa's Reading List

     

  1. My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland: I can relate to Shapland in that I also spent quite a lot of my time in grad school buried deep in histories about a single person so much so that my own search for identity intertwined with my research into her life and art. It's always important to re-examine history with a new lens and from what I've heard, Shapland brings that fresh perspective to the table and then some.

  2. With Teeth by Kristen Arnett: Kristen Arnett is my Floridian, lesbian dad and I, and the literary world, am so much better for it. Not only is she hilarious on twitter (@Kristen_Arnett) but her first novel Mostly Dead Things was a sticky and absurd delve into grief, art, familial chaos, and queer love. It can only get better from here with her new novel With Teeth coming out on June 1.

  3.  The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber: Carmen Maria Machado tweeted about this book being one of the most compelling novels she's ever read, and I would follow her into the dark, tbh. This twisting, erotic novel follows a sex worker in Victorian England and the relationships she forms with a range of characters. Also apparently there's a BBC serial of it starring Gillian Andersen?! Sign me up.

Harlem Shuffle: A Novel By Colson Whitehead Cover Image
$28.95
ISBN: 9780385545136
Availability: Not In Stock - Usually ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Doubleday - September 14th, 2021

Malibu Rising: A Novel By Taylor Jenkins Reid Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781524798659
Availability: Not In Stock - Usually ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Ballantine Books - June 1st, 2021

Staff Pick Badge
Near to the Wild Heart By Clarice Lispector, Alison Entrekin (Translated by), Benjamin Moser (Preface by) Cover Image
By Clarice Lispector, Alison Entrekin (Translated by), Benjamin Moser (Preface by)
$15.95
ISBN: 9780811220026
Availability: On hand at one or more locations, see product page for details
Published: New Directions - June 13th, 2012

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide By Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever Cover Image
$37.50
ISBN: 9780062802798
Availability: On hand at one or more locations, see product page for details
Published: Ecco - April 20th, 2021

88 Names: A Novel By Matt Ruff Cover Image
$16.99
Not Available
ISBN: 9780062854681
Published: Harper Perennial - March 16th, 2021

Every Night Is Pizza Night By J. Kenji LĂłpez-Alt, Gianna Ruggiero (Illustrator) Cover Image
$17.95
ISBN: 9781324005254
Availability: On hand at one or more locations, see product page for details
Published: Norton Young Readers - September 1st, 2020

Staff Pick Badge
War and Peace (Vintage Classics) By Leo Tolstoy, Richard Pevear (Translated by), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translated by) Cover Image
By Leo Tolstoy, Richard Pevear (Translated by), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translated by)
$22.00
ISBN: 9781400079988
Availability: On hand at one or more locations, see product page for details
Published: Vintage - December 2nd, 2008

The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis By Lydia Davis Cover Image
$25.00
ISBN: 9780312655396
Availability: On hand at one or more locations, see product page for details
Published: Picador - October 26th, 2010

Peplum By Blutch, Edward Gauvin (Translated by) Cover Image
By Blutch, Edward Gauvin (Translated by)
$24.95
Not Available
ISBN: 9781590179833
Published: New York Review Comics - April 19th, 2016

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir By Jenn Shapland Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781951142292
Availability: On hand at one or more locations, see product page for details
Published: Tin House Books - January 5th, 2021

With Teeth: A Novel By Kristen Arnett Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780593191507
Availability: On hand at one or more locations, see product page for details
Published: Riverhead Books - June 1st, 2021

The Crimson Petal And The White By Michel Faber Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780156028776
Availability: Not In Stock - Usually ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Harper Paperbacks - September 1st, 2003