Summer is here! That means road trips, packed coolers, days at the beach or lake and bags filled with all of the reads we’ve been meaning to catch up on since January. Take a look at Devine + Partners staffers’ must-read books this summer below. With plenty of days left before Labor Day marks the unofficial end of the summer, there’s never been a better time to grab a book, sit poolside with your favorite cocktail, and get reading. What is on your summer read list? We’d love to hear!
JAY’S PICKS
“Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?
“Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid: Exit West follows these remarkable characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.
CHRISTINE’S PICK
“The Last Castle” by Denise Kiernan: A New York Times bestseller with an “engaging narrative and array of detail” (The Wall Street Journal), the “intimate and sweeping” (Raleigh News & Observer) untold, true story behind the Biltmore Estate—the largest, grandest private residence in North America, which has seen more than 120 years of history pass by its front door.
SUE’S PICKS
“Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory” by Deena Kastor: Let Your Mind Run is a fascinating intimate look inside the mind of an elite athlete, a remarkable story of achievement, and an insightful primer on how the small steps of cultivating positivity can give anyone a competitive edge.
“Digital Photography Masterclass” by Tom Ang: Featuring tutorials, image analyses, assignments, and step-by-step image manipulation exercises, Digital Photography Masterclass explains how to see the world with a photographer’s eyes. Stunning images and stylish design make this book a great tool for anyone looking to learn about the technical and creative aspects of photography and post-production.
BRIANNA’S PICKS
“Saints for All Occasions” by J. Courtney Sullivan: A graceful, supremely moving novel from one of our most beloved writers, Saints for All Occasions explores the fascinating, funny, and sometimes achingly sad ways a secret at the heart of one family both breaks them and binds them together.
“Option B” by Sheryl Sandberg and Philly’s own Adam Grant: Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B. We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it.
AMANDA’S PICKS
“Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be” by Rachel Hollis: Each chapter of Girl, Wash Your Face begins with a specific lie Hollis once believed that left her feeling overwhelmed, unworthy, or ready to give up. As a working mother, a former foster parent, and a woman who has dealt with insecurities about her body and relationships, she speaks with the insight and kindness of a BFF, helping women unpack the limiting mind-sets that destroy their self-confidence and keep them from moving forward.
“All We Ever Wanted” by Emily Giffin: In the riveting new novel from the #1 bestselling author of Something Borrowed and First Comes Love, three very different people must choose between their families and their most deeply held values.
PAIGE’S PICK
“Priestdaddy” a memoir by Patricia Lockwood: What is it like growing up in rectories across the mid-west with an eccentric, married, Catholic priest for a father? In her memoir, poet Patricia Lockwood shares tales form her childhood and from her nine-month return home as a married adult living in her parents’ home. Insightful, entertaining, and most of all, side-splittingly funny. Her prose reads like poetry and sharp sense of humor shines in this self-portrait. Couldn’t recommend it more!
ALYSSA’S PICK
“When Life Gives You Lululemons” by Lauren Weisberger: In her latest novel, When Life Gives You Lululemons, Lauren Weisberger drops Emily Charlton, Miranda Priestly’s uber catty assistant from The Devil Wears Prada, into the suburbs of Connecticut, and the result is hilarious. When Life Gives You Lululemons is a laugh-out-loud funny look at rich people behaving badly and the steel bonds of true female friendship.
