The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.
Looking for your next great read this summer? The team at Elm Street Books has put together a list of eight titles they’re loving and recommending this season, from beach bag page-turners to Booker Prize contenders. Here are their picks.
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
“From the bestselling author of Pineapple Street, comes this character-driven story centered around a close-knit group of millennial friends living in a coastal town in Massachusetts. When Caroline moves to town and starts dating one of the guys in the group, her presence as an outsider triggers a shift in the group dynamics that reveals deep-seated marital issues, betrayals and long-buried secrets. This is a perfect addition to your summer beach bag!”
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
“Set in Depression era Oxford, Mississippi, this is an epic story told in Stockett’s signature southern storytelling voice. Following three main characters: Meg, an 11-year-old orphan who can’t seem to catch a break, Birdie an unmarried spinster of sorts trying to keep her family afloat, and Charlie who is down on her luck and running from her past. As their lives weave together there are moments of joy, frustration, love, redemption, hilarity and true southern grit. This much-anticipated novel is perfect for historical fiction fans!”
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
“At the end of your life, would you want to board the Midnight Train? You won’t be able to change the past, but you will be taken back to your life’s most important and possibly painful moments and you can see the kind of person you were and what kind of life you lived. This thought-provoking and heartwarming novel reminds us to pause and think about our choices and whether we are really living our best life while we have the chance. A fan of magical realism and time-travel fiction? This book is for you!”
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
“No one writes romantic comedy better! Set in the fictional coastal town of Whitfield, Rhode Island where the Whitfield and Brick families have been summering for generations. Dolly Brick is home from Boston for the summer to help her family after a minor setback when she comes to the rescue of Stewart Whitfield. He offers her a proposal she can’t refuse and the sparks start to fly. The chemistry is undeniable for this unlikely couple and their love story is one for the books. Dolly All the Time is a perfect summer read for lovers of contemporary romance!”
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
“Elizabeth Strout is a master writer of the human condition. This novel is a poignant, bittersweet story about Artie Dam, a 57-year-old high school history teacher in coastal Massachusetts. Set during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the story explores profound loneliness, family secrets, and political anxiety. Strout is a beautiful storyteller and her richly drawn characters are complex and deep. Recently announced as a Booker Prize longlist nominee, this novel is perfect for any literary fiction fan.”
“Master storyteller Ann Patchett does it again! A moving story of family, enduring love, and the ties that bind. What started as a regular visit to the Met with her husband Jonathan turned into a chance encounter with an impactful person from Daphne’s past. This surprising tale of reconnection unfolds in current time, woven with flashbacks to when Daphne was nine and a fateful event changed the course of both her and Eddie’s lives. A story of love, survival, family, connections lost and found, and the importance of lasting relationships. For fans of Patchett, The Whistler is contemporary fiction at its finest.”
John of John by Douglas Stuart
“With his extraordinary gift for creating unforgettable characters and vivid places, Stuart’s writing is lyrical yet grounded, with an authenticity that makes every street, every home, and every interaction feel tangible. Described as a coming-of-age novel, this is a profound exploration of grief, loss, identity, and the courage it takes to live authentically. Stuart captures the complexities of human relationships with remarkable tenderness, showing how love and pain often coexist. With its recent nomination for the Booker Prize longlist, readers who enjoy deeply emotional literary fiction and complex family dramas will devour this one.”
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
“If you loved The Book Thief, you’ll appreciate the familiar idea of Death as the narrator, though Ben Reeves takes it in a fresh direction. Here, Death is Travis, a weary, middle-aged man who reluctantly carries out his role while also navigating the ordinary parts of life, including falling in love with his neighbor. With its imaginative premise, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurts is a smart, heart-wrenching exploration of love, loss, and what it means to truly live. For fans of literary fiction with a little crossover of magical realism, this book is for you!”
Elm Street Books is located at 35 Elm Street in New Canaan. For more information, visit elmstreetbooks.com.