Hampton Beach Reads: Who Done Its, Who Lived Its

Abraham Lincoln gets impeached? Juila Child works for a spy agency? The FBI holds secrets about Marilyn Monroe? They do when you dive into this week’s hot summer reading picks from our friends at Books & Books in Westhampton Beach.

The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter

From the bestselling author of The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White comes a thrilling novel that begins in an alternate history. Lincoln has survived the assassination attempt at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, and two years later is charged with overstepping his constitutional authority during and after the Civil War. He now faces an impeachment trial. Abigail Canner, a young black woman with a degree from Oberlin, holds a letter of employment from the law firm that has undertaken Lincoln’s defense. When his lead counsel is found brutally murdered on the eve of the trial, Abigail is plunged into a web of intrigue and conspiracy. A vivid work of historical fiction, this is a brilliant courtroom drama full of political suspense.

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child­ by Bob Spitz

Julia Child’s first public exposure was cooking an omelet on a hot plate on a local TV station. She soon became an iconic figure whose joyous rule-breaking launched an American food revolution. Spitz’s affectionate biography brings this fearless woman vividly to its pages, following her through her gawky, directionless youth working for a spy agency during World War II, to her arrival in Paris, where she learned to cook and collaborated on the writing of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Award-winning author Bob Spitz has also authored the New York Times bestseller The Beatles, as well as other nonfiction books and a screenplay. Spitz will appear at Books & Books WHB on August 24 at 7 p.m. for a book signing.

The Secrets of the FBI by Ronald Kessler

New in paperback, The Secrets of the FBI by New York Times bestselling author Ronald Kessler reveals the FBI’s most closely guarded secrets, as well as the secrets of celebrities, politicians and movie stars uncovered by the agents. Revelations about the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, the recent Russian spy swap, Marilyn Monroe’s death, Vince Foster’s suicide and J.Edgar Hoover’s sexual orientation—all this and more is found in The Secrets of the FBI. Don’t miss this compendium of headlining disclosures.

The Last Bohemia by Robert Anasi

Williamsburg, Brooklyn has become synonymous with hipster culture and urban revitalization. Well-known all over the world as the playground for status-seeking and one-upmanship, many have forgotten how different it was a few years ago – a spread of factories, mean streets and ratty apartments. Anasi is more than familiar with that Williamsburg. He moved to a $300 apartment in 1994 and watched up-close as the area transformed from gritty industrial district to high-rise real-estate developers’ colony of brushed aluminum and plate glass. A celebration of the fever dream of bohemia, a lament for Williamsburg and a cautionary tale of lurching transformations of city neighborhoods, Anasi brings us what he has seen—from warehouses to lofts, cocaine bars to absinthe parlors, bar rooms to stage sets and rising rents.

Vengeance: A Novel by Benjamin Black

In his new novel, Benjamin Black reveals a world where money and sex trump everything. Delahaye, one of Ireland’s most successful businessmen, takes his boat out to sea, taking with him his partner’s son, who will become the sole witness to Delahaye’s suicide. The mysterious death sets Detective Hackett and his partner Quirke on the trail with high stakes and dangerously-close interviews. When a second death occurs, more shocking than the first, it becomes apparent that a secret threatens to destroy the lives and reputations of Dublin’s elite. Vengeance is a compelling whodunit that will keep you guessing.

Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco

Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges and award-winning cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco set out to look at the sacrifice zones, the areas in American that have been offered up for exploitation in the name of profit, progress and technological advancement. In both words and drawings, they show what life looks like in places where the marketplace rules without constraints—where humans and natural resources are used and discarded to maximize profit. This is the searing account of their travels.

Check out these books and more great summer reading picks at Books & Books, 130 Main Street in Westhampton Beach. Call 631-998-3260 or visit online at booksandbookswhb.com.