Hot Books for Cold Winter Days in the Hamptons

We may still be in the midst of winter here in the Hamptons, but what’s a little cold when we have these hot book picks from our friends at Books & Books in Westhampton Beach—fiction, nonfiction and kids books alike—to keep us warm.

Fiction

Indiscretion: A Novel by Charles Dubow

It’s the start of the summer season in the Hamptons and Harry and Madeleine Winslow, a couple in their early forties who have been blessed with talent, money, and charm, meet Claire, a young, quietly intelligent, and naïve being. Over the course of the summer, Claire’s reverence for the couple transforms to dangerous desire for more. This story of love, lust and deception will warm the long winter months and gear you up for the summer season.

Artful by Ali Smith

Narrated by a haunted character, this book is a duet between art and storytelling. A story of what art can do, what it is full of, and its nature. A set of stories based upon a set of lectures that Smith delivered at St. Anne’s College, Oxford, Artful is about love, grief, memory and revitalization. A kaleidoscope of insights to the aesthetic mind, this celebration of literature is a must read.

Truth in Advertising by John Kenney

Finbar Dolan has escaped his blue-collar Boston upbringing and has carved out a mildly successful career at a Madison Avenue agency. The problem is, he’s a bit of a mess – he has recently called off a wedding, is forced to cancel a long-postponed vacation in order to write, produce, and edit a Super Bowl commercial for his diaper account, and he’s closing in on age forty. Then things get worse. Kenney tells a wickedly funny, honest and ultimately moving story.

See Now Then by Jamaica Kincaid

A piercing examination of time and the human consciousness, told through the story of a mother, father, and their two children, living in a small New England village. Through the movement between the present, past, and future, as it exists in their minds, the characters feel constrained by the world and find despair in their domestic situation. Be prepared to be enveloped in a familiar and startling world, and taken on an emotional journey with literary giant Jamaica Kincaid.

Nonfiction

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower is back with an in-depth look into the world of Scientology. Based on two hundred plus personal interviews with current and former Scientologists and years of archival research, Wright uncovers the inner workings of the Church of Scientology. At the center we find the two men who began the revolution – science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard and his successor David Miscavige.

Venice:  A New History by Thomas F. Madden

A majestic sprawling history of Venice, Madden brings us the first full portrait of this city written in English in almost thirty years. He explores all aspects of Venice’s achievements, from the construction of its unparalleled navy, to its role as an economic powerhouse and birthplace of capitalism, to its stunning architecture. Escape to a far-away land in Venice.

Foundation: The History of England by Peter Ackroyd

Ackroyd takes the reader from the primeval forests of England’s prehistory to the death, in 1509, of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, from the building of Stonehenge to the founding of common law and cathedrals, and shows glimpses of the country’s most distant past. The story of warring kings, civil strife, and foreign wars gives the reader a vivid picture of England’s early people. This is a must read for history lovers.

The Pinecone: The Story of Sarah Losh by Jenny Uglow

This is the story of the builder of the strangest and most magical Victorian church in England, a strong-willed, passionate, and unusual woman. Discover the lost Romantic genius, architect, visionary, heiress to an industrial fortune, and her radical family, friends of Wordsworth and Coleridge. Uglow brings to life an extraordinary woman, along with the age she lived in.

Children’s Books

Henry in Love by Peter McCarty

Henry is a quiet dreamer who doesn’t speak his mind often, while Chloe says what she thinks and can perform quite the cartwheel. In the story of Henry and Chloe, one blueberry muffin makes all the difference. This is the perfect Valentine’s read for the youngsters.

Love, Splat by Rob Scotton

It’s Valentine’s Day and Splat has a special Valentine for a certain someone in his class named Kitten. Splat likes Kitten more than fish sticks and ice cream, but Kitten doesn’t like him very much. To make matters worse, Splat’s rival Spike also likes Kitten. Will his valentine win Kitten’s paw in the end? This is another great Valentine’s read for the kids.

I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

This is the book Romeo would have given to Juliet, Charlie Brown would have given to Snoopy, and you can give to a special friend. This small token expresses the true meaning of friendship in a list of ways with charming illustrations. I Like You is a touching Valentine’s gift for children and adults alike.

Nancy Clancy, Secret Admirer by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser

Nancy Clancy and her best friend Bree are back, and this time, they have love on the brain. Their science lessons on the human heart inspire the girls to play matchmaker and nothing works out as planned. The big question: Will love conquer all? Nancy Clancy is the ideal Valentine’s read for the older kids.

Visit Books & Books at 130 Main Street in Westhampton Beach or online at booksandbookswhb.com.