Summer reading from Darvill’s Bookstore
There are so many good books this season that it’s hard to pick just a few, but we’ll give it a shot.
“Martin Marten” by Brian Doyle
A wonderful read from Brian Doyle. A coming of age story of two energetic, brilliant, creative animals, one human and one mustelid (marten) who wander into adolescence in Oregon’s mountain wilderness. Beautifully written with heartfelt lessons.
“Vanishing Games” by Roger Hobbs
A much-anticipated sequel to “Ghostman.” Now we’re on the South China Sea, and a heist of sapphires from a small smuggling yacht goes awry and changes the course of action. Jack, the Ghostman, is called in to partner with an old protégé to stop a psychopath. Smuggling, danger, crime, death; everything you want in a summer crime read.
“An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir
To put it simply, Laia is a slave, Elias is a soldier, and neither is free. In this young adult novel, that’s the setup under the Martial Empire where defiance is met with death. Great plot twists and turns.
“The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey” by Rinker Buck
Inspired by an actual family trip in a covered wagon in the 1950s, Buck and his brother set out by wagon to tell the story of the Oregon Trail between Missouri and Oregon. Lots of history and personal story intertwined for a real page-turner.
“The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest” by Audrey Benedict and Joseph K. Gaydos
Whether you’re a long-time islander or visiting for a few days, this is the quintessential look at our fascinating and varied marine life. Beautiful photography combined with a lively scientific narrative make for a wealth of information about our unique home.
Book selections from Sounder staff
“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin
When a book has life lessons, literary allusions and a little bit of suspense, it’s sure to be a pleasurable read.
Widower A.J. Fikry is leading a quietly unfulfilling life running his small-town bookstore when two strange things occur: his rare collection of Poe poems is stolen and an unexpected package is left in his store. His life will be changed forever.
“The Queen of the Tearling” by Erika Johansen
Kelsea’s been in hiding all her life, but on her 19th birthday she’s summoned to New London where she must now fulfill her late mother’s role as queen. But the Red Queen of Mortmesne has different ideas… Though set in a medieval-like time, settlers from a few hundred years ago chose the Tearling as a utopia away from the real countries and histories we readers know to be true. Emma Watson has been cast as Kelsea in the upcoming movie version.
“The Martian” by Andy Weir
When one man gets stranded on Mars, his grieving crew thinks he’s dead … or will be before long. But Mark Watney is determined to stay alive using his botanical and mechanical engineer prowess, to say nothing of attempting communication with NASA. Written from the perspective of journal entries by Watney, the film version starring Matt Damon comes out this October.
