If you're so lucky to be vacationing or spending a day at the beach this year, you're going to need some summer reading, and I don't mean The Scarlet Letter your AP English high school teacher assigned you.
By Melissa Presti (Book Publisher)
There is a legit aspect of my job that requires me to create lists of books that are appropriate for specific seasons and holidays. Which is why I'm going to expertly recommend two fanastic summer beach books for you!
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles debuted in paperback on the New York Times list at #8, which is an impressive feat considering the book came out in hardcover a year ago. Not to deter non-New Yorkers, but this book is a beautiful love letter to NYC. Set in the 1930s against a backdrop of jazz and gin, Towles paints a portrait of a young woman making her mark in the city during one eventful year, as she drifts through the grit and glamour of social hierarchy.
The novel relies heavily upon the rich description and details of the city and era, creating a Gatsby-esque atmosphere to tantalize even the most jaded New Yorker. A strained love triangle and ultimate tragedy shapes the whirlwind year, serving as a reminder that even behind a sparkling façade of wealth, charm, and morality – society’s elite are not immune to the perils of the city.
My next recommendation is part of a new publishing trend that excites me - On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves was found on Amazon as a self-published e-book with excellent physical book potential. Soon after an editor made the discovery, an offer was made, a contract was signed, and fast-forward to a few weeks ago when I met a very humbled author in the office to congratulate.
On the Island is what I would describe as Cast Away meets The Blue Lagoon (minus the incest). When a 31-year old tutor finds herself stranded on an island with the 16-year old boy she should be tutoring in the Maldives (rough life, kid), they find themselves fighting for survival against the growing tension of their relationship.
Tracey carefully develops her characters throughout the years they spend on the island by splitting the narrative between the two perspectives; by the time their unlikely romance is fully realized, it became one that I wanted to see succeed. The novel is serious and sweet, eloquently crafted, and the perfect summer read!
MELISSA PRESTI works in book publishing at Penguin Group (USA). www.us.penguingroup.com
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