The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman
June 18, William Morrow
From Stardust to Coraline, Neil Gaiman has mastered the art of the modern fairy tale, and his newest adult novel is no exception. In it, he tackles magic and memory, all from the point of view of a man visiting the place where he grew up. Consider buying it as a present for your returning-to-the-nest college grads—they all love Gaiman—then reading it yourself.
Sisterland
Curtis Sittenfeld
June 25, Random House
We know author Curtis Sittenfeld from her buttoned-up boarding-school tale of Prep, but she’s left the blue blazers behind in favor of a supernatural tale of psychic twins. In Sisterland, one sister embraces her extrasensory abilities while the other denies them—until one of them has a vision of a devastating earthquake on the horizon.
The Silver Star
Jeannette Walls
June 11, Scribner
Sisters again, but not-so-psychic ones this time. In The Silver Star, 12-year-old “Bean” Holladay and her 15-year-old sister, Liz, travel to live with their uncle in Virginia after being abandoned by their mother. This is perfect to pick up when you tire of light, easy, beach reads and are looking for something with a little more substance.
Into the Abyss: An Extraordinary True Story
Carol Shaben
May 21, Grand Central
Question: Say there’s a small plane crash, and the only four surviving members were the pilot, a politician, a cop—and the criminal he was escorting to face charges. Do you remove the handcuffs? That was the real-life problem that faced Larry Shaben, author Carol Shaben’s father, and she explores their decision and the consequences that result from it.
Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns
Lauren Weisberger
June 4, Simon & Schuster
Ten years after Lauren Weisberger wrote about the horrors of working in the magazine industry—uh, not that we know anything about that—she checks in on her The Devil Wears Prada heroine. This time, Andy Sachs is on the top of the masthead, having started her own bridal magazine. But, as every magazine editor knows, the industry is small, and you’re never truly safe from a run-in with the devil.
OF LOCAL INTEREST: Brewster
Mark Slouka
August 5, W.W. Norton & Company
Yes, that Brewster—as in, the town right over the border in Putnam County (where author Mark Slouka lives). So we’ll try not to get too offended that the book is about two teenagers trying to escape the “dead-end town” they’re trapped in. The book also takes place in 1968, so you’ll get a picture of what the area was like even before the completion of I-684.
MIDDLE GRADE: The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp
Kathi Appelt
July 23, Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Kids will love Newbery honoree Kathi Appelt’s story of alligator wrestlers, feral hogs, and the honest raccoon brothers, Bingo and J’miah, all vying for control of the beloved Sugar Man Swamp. Somehow, we think your kids will identify with certain aspects of the Sugar Man, the ruler of the swamp that delights in eating sugar cane.
YOUNG ADULT: Eleanor & Park
Rainbow Rowell
February 26, St. Martin’s Griffin
Sure, this book was released back in February, but The Voracious Reader’s Francine Lucidon notes, “It’s so good, you should include it anyway.” Who could pass up a recommendation like that? The ’80s-set novel is a tale of first love that unfolds over a single school year. You might want to steal it from the young adults in your house, since it’ll bring you back to the days of sharing a walkman and reading Watchmen in its original run.
For further reading, visit the bookstores that gave us these recommendations.
Anderson’s Book Shop
96 Chatsworth Ave, Larchmont
(914) 834-6900
andersonsbooksny.com
The Village Bookstore
10 Washington Ave, Pleasantville
(914) 769-8322
The Voracious Reader
1997 Palmer Ave, Larchmont
(914) 630-4581
thevoraciousreader.com
â–º For more from the June issue, click here.
