Consuelo’s Summer Reads

Whether it’s by the pool or on her lunch break, Consuelo will give you this dirty look if you interrupt her while she’s reading.

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The story of two teenage outcasts, you will fall in love with Eleanor & Park as they fall in love with each other. This book is extremely endearing, partly because of the 1980’s nostalgia, but mostly because of its honest look at first love.

2. A Death in the Family by James Agee

James Agee is getting a bit of buzz these days following a New York Times article about the recently published book Cotton Tenants, which is the report that Fortune magazine rejected back in 1936 after they assigned him to spend the summer in Alabama. That rejection spurred him to expand on the subject, leading to Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Agee’s autobiographical novel A Death in the Family is the perfect starting point for anybody who is unfamiliar with his work. It tells the story of a family tragedy from the perspective of a child that is beautiful in language and powerful in its human insights.

3. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Rowling’s first novel for adults hits shelves in paperback on July 23rd and I can’t think of a more perfect mid-summer read. It leads the reader into a village full of family and political upheaval. Her writing overflows with whip-smart wit and uncompromising storytelling.

4. Little Birds by Anais Nin

For someone looking for a sexy summertime read, Anais Nin is the godmother of female erotic writing. This collection of stories displays her full range – evocative, dark, and sensual.

5. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

This is a collection of the 20-year correspondence between Helene Hanff, a feisty New York writer, and Frank Doel, a stodgy London antiquarian bookseller, after she initially writes to inquire about second-hand books. These letters are perfect to read in between laps around the pool. Completely charming, they celebrate bibliophilia and unlikely friendship