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Best Summer Beach Reads: Westchester Bookstore Owner Shares 9 Titles

POUND RIDGE, N.Y. -- Ready to stack up on your summer reads?

Susan Williamson, the owner of Booksy Galore in Pound Ridge.

Susan Williamson, the owner of Booksy Galore in Pound Ridge.

Photo Credit: Richard Mendes

Susan Williamson, the owner of Booksy Galore in Pound Ridge suggests the following.

Adult Picks

  • "Into the Water" by Paula Hawkins: Hawkins enraptured us with "Girl on the Train" and she’s back with a page-turning summer thriller. Two women meet mysterious and watery deaths, a river becomes the vessel for uncovering dark secrets, and multiple points of view provide a twisty tale guaranteed to captivate.
  • "Rich People Problems" by Kevin Kwan: Travel to the Philippines, Singapore, the Sulu Sea, and Hong Kong even if you never leave your beach chair. When Matriarch, Su Yi, falls ill the entire Shang-Young clan gathers around her. What ensues is couture gown sabotage, step-daughter suspicion, and a wickedly satisfying peek into privileged Asian families and their rich people problems.
  • "Apprenticed to Venus: My Secret Life with Anais Nin" by Tristine Rainer (released on July 11): Legendary writer Anais Nin died in 1977 but her work and life remain intriguing and controversial. Her writing was a groundbreaking style of personal memoir sprinkled with eroticism and sometimes outright embellishment. Forty years after Nin’s death, Tristine Rainer, Nin’s protege, offers an insider’s look at Nin’s unorthodox life and work. 
  • "Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom" by Thomas E. Ricks: Two great men of the 20th century battled against a tide of totalitarianism; Churchill, as a direct political force, and Orwell, through words and ideas. Although linked in their work against Hitler and authoritarianism very little has been written about the convergence of these two powerhouses. In this moving work of nonfiction, Thomas E. Rick weaves a beautiful tale about staying true to one’s convictions and unearths how these two unlikely compatriots helped point the West in the direction of freedom after WWII. 

Kid Picks:

Picture Books

  • "Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel  by Adam Rubin: If you know the first book, you know that Dragons Love Tacos but what if there were no more tacos? In this modern classic, the dragons travel back in time, to before tacos went extinct. 
  • "The Seashore Book" By Charlotte Zolotow and Wendell Minor: Get ready for summer with a beautifully illustrated tale of a mother and her son as they imagine what it would be like to spend the day at the seashore. You can almost smell the salt air! 

Middle Grade

  • "Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties" by Dav Pilky: The third installment of Dog Man has our hero tangling with Petey the cat and a super-cute kitten. Pilky, also the creator of Captain Underpants, delivers a comical story series that will have your kids asking for more.
  • "The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or Three Inquisitive Children and Their Holy Dog"  by Adam Gidwitz: In 1242 travelers cross paths and tell the tale of three children. There is a quest (of course) knights, a king, and a farting dragon. The result? A 2017 Newbery Honor and a gem of a book.

Young Adult

  • "Thorn in My Side" by Mary Quinn: Senior year is hard enough. Add in demons, a sleeping curse, and an unwanted prince completely determined to marry you and what do you get? Chaos. Quinn is herself a Connecticut high school senior and this is her first book. This is a great read to discuss issues of image/expectations, high school life, and the power of friendship. 

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