Whether you’re by the pool, in a hammock or at the beach, summer is a great time for reading. In the interest of passing along some great tips, we asked four of Hartman Simons’ most avid readers which books they’re currently plowing through and if they would recommend those books to others. Here’s what they had to say.
Amanda Buckley: I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I usually take a Nora Roberts romance novel with me to the beach or pool! Since I usually have one eye on my daughter and one eye on my book, it’s good to keep my reading light.
At home, however, I usually read non-fiction, and I particularly like biographies. I’m currently reading “There’s More to Life Than This” by Theresa Caputo, which isn’t very lawyerly but a good read nonetheless. Caputo is a medium who stars in TLC’s “Long Island Medium.”
If you’ve ever watched her show, it’s pretty amazing. I know there are a lot of skeptics, but it’s hard to watch the show or read her book without becoming at least a little intrigued. I’ve also read “Proof of Heaven” and “Heaven Is for Real.” I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with the other side or the afterlife, but I do find it very interesting.
Lori Kilberg: I’ve just read two books for my two book clubs, which are great ways to get new reading suggestions and to have a social format to discuss what you’re reading. The books were “The Circle” by Dave Eggers, a not-so-futuristic look at a social media/Internet company that goes to the extreme of information dissemination and a cautionary tale about good intentions and philosophies gone awry; and “Dog Stars” by Peter Heller, a post-apocalyptic story about a world left after a pandemic and one man’s attempts to find a “family.”
Laura Kurlander: I’m an avid reader of contracts and leases, but in my free time I absolutely love to read literary novels.
I recently finished “The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kidd, which is about two young girls growing up on a Charleston plantation, one the owner’s daughter and the other a slave. The story was inspired by the true story of Sarah Grimke, a leader of the women’s suffrage movement, and follows the lives of these two women as they grow up searching for a better life. The author, who also wrote “The Secret Life of Bees,” is a beautiful writer, and her story is one you can’t put down.
I’m going on vacation next week and am bringing “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,” “Where’d You Go Bernadette” (a fun beach read) and “Shantaram,” which is about a convicted Australian bank robber and heroin addict who flees to India. I’ve wanted to read “Shantaram” for years and finally downloaded it to my Kindle.
Katherine Silverman: I just finished reading “Where’d You Go Bernadette” by Maria Semple. I was reading it on the airplane and probably disturbed my neighbors with how much the book made me laugh.
There’s a little something for everyone — a satirical sendup of Microsoft, a voyage to Antarctica and gossipy private-school mothers. The story is told from the perspective of Bee, Bernadette’s daughter, who is trying to figure out what caused her mother to have a complete mental breakdown. The characters are unique, and the plot moves quickly. It’s an easy read, but a really fun book.