What to Read Where This Summer
This summer’s reads are inspiring us to hop planes to islands and cities all over the globe. Here are the five new books at the top of our reading list.
READ Out this month, Gold is a timely tale by Brit Chris Cleave about two friends grappling for a once-in-a-lifetime spot at the London Olympics, just as their tangled pasts begin to catch up with them (Simon & Schuster, $27). RECREATE Anouska Hempel’s eponymous Bayswater pad, The Hempel, has quiet nooks, sunken seating areas and a zen-like garden for reading in peace. And all the real-life Olympic action is a tube-ride away in East London.
READ After 20 years documenting surf culture across the globe, former Surfer Magazine photographer Patrick Trefz shares a behind-the-scenes account of a life spent chasing waves in Surfers’ Blood (powerhouse Books). RECREATE Lumeria Maui is a 24-room retreat on Maui’s North Shore, a lei’s throw from the island’s legendary breaks, which offers surf lessons from seasoned pros.
READ Michael Frayn’s Skios (Metropolitan, $25) is a story of mistaken identity and holiday romance set on its namesake Greek isle. A beachy departure from Frayn’s award-winning Spies, this comedy of errors is best read with a glass of Tsipouro and a Med view. RECREATE Bed down at cliffside Gold Suites Santorini in the island’s low-key enclave of Imerovigli.
READ A quirky little tribute to the New York lived by ‘50s singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie, My Name is New York: Ramblin’ Around Woody Guthrie’s Town (powerhouse Books, $12.95) is a love letter that invites you to wander the streets and sit in the parks as Guthrie did half a lifetime ago. RECREATE Taste old New York at the classic Sherry Netherland. Part hotel, part private apartments, its best asset is its proximity to Central Park and Fifth Avenue.
READ The debut novel from Nick Dybek, When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man (Riverhead Books, $26.95)is an adventure story that unfolds on Loyalty Island in the far north of Washington State. In an unforgiving Pacific Northwest setting, this coming-of-age tale follows Cal as he navigates family secrets and twisted murder conspiracies. RECREATE Experience the real Pacific Northwest at The Inn at Langley, a foodie getaway on rugged Whidbey Island overlooking the Puget Sound.
