January 21, 2020 —During the 1960s “In Cold Blood” and “Valley of the Dolls” was cracked open on beach towels throughout the country. In the ‘70s most of us were reading “Jaws” and “The World According to Garp,” then in the late ‘90s Harry Potter grabbed the collective attention of young and old.
Some summers, though, it’s hard to find an “everybody’s reading” book and 2019 is looking like one of those times.
Oprah Winfrey, for instance, picked 32 books to read this summer, all by female authors.
Along with popular novels, such as Elizabeth Gilbert’s “City of Girls” (yes her “Eat, Pray, Love” was a hot summer book in the mid-2000s) and Jennifer Weiner’s “Mrs. Everything,” here are non-fiction books that may appeal to select audiences: “No Walls and the Recurring Dream” by musician Ani DiFranco; “I Like To Watch” by Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic (and Oberlin College alum) Emily Nussbaum; and “Leaving the Witness” about Amber Scorah’s formative years as a Jehovah’s Witness.
The New York Times Summer Reading List – Food & Travel
The New York Times’ annual summer reading list is 75 titles long, with books divided among nine genres. For cooks and foodies, there’s “My Mexico City Kitchen” by chef Gabriela Cámara, “Love & Lemons Everyday” by food blogger Jeanine Donofrio and “Happiness is Baking” by 102-year-old Miami Beach baker Maida Heatter.
Travel more your interest? The Times recommends “Seven at Sea” about a New York family’s year-long sailboat voyage by parents Erik and Emily Orton, “In Putin’s Footsteps” by teacher (and Nikita Krushcheva’s granddaughter) Nina Khrushcheva and journalist Jeffrey Tayler, and “Volcanoes, Palm Trees and Privilege” about Liz Prato’s attachment to Hawaii.
Librarians across the country picked 10 favorite books published in July, including two about books (“The Bookish Life of Nina Hill” by Abbi Waxman and “The Book Charmer” by Karen Hawkins) and “Lock Every Door” by Riley Sager, which was selected by Rocky River librarian Megan Alabaugh.
Kendal at Oberlin’s library offers an extensive collection of books for readers year-round. We invite you to take some time away from your summer reading to visit us here in Oberlin.