Hot Books for Your Hamptons Spring Reading List

Spring is certainly in the air in the Hamptons, but with our friends at Books & Books in Westhampton Beach sharing autobiographies from Clive Davis and Mike Piazza, novels about Zelda Fitzgerald and cyborg mechanics, and kids books from the likes of James Patterson, it’s never too early to start on you Hamptons summer reading.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

In 1918, Zelda Sayre, a beautiful, reckless, 17-year-old Southern belle, meets F. Scott Fitzgerald at a country club dance. Before long, the “ungettable” Zelda falls for him despite his unsuitability. Unimagined celebrity comes for the couple after Scott’s first novel, This Side of Paradise, sells. Everyone wants to meet the dashing young author and his scandalous wife. Z reveals the woman behind the infamous husband, who forged her own infamous identity. 

The Burgess Boys: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout

The acclaimed author of Olive Kitteridge returns with a stunning, powerful novel. Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, the Burgess brothers escape their Maine hometown and head for New York City. Their plans are upended when their sister, who remained behind, urgently calls them home to assist with her troublesome teenage son. The Burgess Boys is a rare combination of brilliant storytelling and remarkable character insight.

Oleander Girl: A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Divakaruni, touted as a “skilled cartographer of the heart” by People magazine, returns with her most gripping novel yet. A wild, headstrong young girl, Korobi Roy enjoyed a privileged childhood under the care of her grandparents—until a sudden heart attack kills her grandfather and reveals devastating secrets that shatter her. Oleander Girl is a suspenseful coming of age tale about a young woman who leaves India for America, a decision that will change her life. 

A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea: A Novel by Dina Nayeri

In 1980s Iran, 11-year-old Saba Hafezi and her twin sister, Mahtab, are captivated by America. They keep lists of English words, collect illegal Life magazines, TV shows, and rock music. So when her mother and sister disappear, Saba is certain they have moved to America without her. Her parents had taught her that twins live the same life, no matter how far they are separated. Filled with colorful characters, A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea is a tale of controlling one’s fate. 

A California Childhood by James Franco

Franco’s memoir incorporates stories, snapshots, paintings, sketches, and poems. He reminisces about growing up Palo Alto, where he attended school with Steve Job’s daughter and the grandson of one of the Hewlett-Packard founders, across the way from East Palo Alto, the city with the highest murder rate per capita in 1992. A California Childhood is a portrait of childhood under the California sun, where trouble lurked in the shadows.

The Soundtrack of My Life by Clive Davis

Clive Davis’ career has spanned more than forty years, during which he discovered, signed, or worked with a diverse array of artists, including Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin, Barry Manilow, Loud Reed, The Grateful Dead, Kelly Clarkson, and Aretha Franklin. In this fully illustrated, personal account, Davis tells all, from becoming an orphan in high school, to starting up his own record company. The Soundtrack of My Life is full of never-before-heard stories.

Long Shot by Mike Piazza

When Mike Piazza was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 baseball draft as a “courtesy pick,” the Dodgers did not expect him to play for their team or any other, but Piazza overcame his detractors and became the National League rookie of the year in 1993, broke the record for season batting average by a catcher, and was selected as an All Star twelve times. Piazza’s autobiography is both charming and inspiring.

Between Man and Beast by Monte Reel

In 1856, Paul Du Chaillu ventured into the wilderness of West Africa to catch a monster. What he discovered was evidence of the gorilla, and the center of the biggest debate of that time—Darwin’s theory of evolution. This is the story of Du Chaillu’s instant celebrity, and the whispers of his past that followed. Between Man and Beast combines personal journey with the epic tale of the world on the verge of transformation.

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

In the second installment of the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder the cyborg mechanic is trying to break out of prison, and if she’s successful, she will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. On the other side of the globe, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing, and Scarlet finds out that there is much more to her grandmother than she ever knew. When she encounters a street fighter named Wolf, they set out to solve the mystery, and meet Cinder along the way.

Middle School: My Brother is a Big, Fat Liar by James Patterson

In the third installment in the Middle School series, Georgia Khatchadorian sets out to excel at Hills Village Middle School in all the ways her troublemaking brother failed to. However, the mark Rafe left behind is more than Georgia can overcome, and Rafe has signed up her band to play at the school dance, in front of the “Princesses” who run the school, and her new crush. Find out the truth about Rafe’s sister from the point of view of Georgia herself.

Betty Bunny Didn’t Do It by Michael Kaplan 

When Betty Bunny breaks a lamp, she blames it on the Tooth Fairy. When her mom asks “Is that the honest truth?” she replies, “It’s an honest lie.” While it seemed like a good idea at the time, it soon backfires on Betty Bunny. When a vase is broken, everyone blames her, and no one believes it when she says she didn’t do it. Betty Bunny Didn’t Do It is the story of a four-year-old trying to keep track of what’s right and wrong.

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis

Meet 11-year-old Timmy Failure, CEO of Total Failure, Inc., and his lazy business partner, a polar bear named Total. Using the Failuremobile (his mom’s Segway), Timmy plans to become so rich, his mother won’t have to worry about bills anymore. However, Timmy did not factor in the four-foot-tall female and Rollo Tookus. Timmy Failure is full of perfectly paced humor, an endearing hero, and a whodunit twist.

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