While the long, hot days away with these recommendations – from children’s literature to nonfiction – from McIntyre’s Books staff.
Compiled by Emily Gessner | Photo by John Michael Simpson
“Plant Pets: 27 Cool Houseplants to Grow and Love” by Beatrice Boggs Allen & Belle Boggs
Written by kid author Beatrice Boggs Allen and her mom, Belle Boggs (author and professor of English and creative writing at NC State University), [this children’s book is] all about the pets you can grow in your own home: houseplants! Bea uses her own voice to give practical advice and lots of fun tips. – Johanna Albrecht, children’s buyer
“Friends of the Museum” by Heather McGowan
A rollicking, humorous novel is told minute by minute from many perspectives about a day in the life of a midlevel museum in New York City beginning at 5:30 a.m. when the museum director gets a text that the museum has been displaying stolen antiquities. Damage control ensues! This book will keep you turning the pages way into the night. – Keebe Fitch, manager
“Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World’s Greatest Museum” by Elaine Sciolino
Sometimes traveling vicariously is the best way to go, and what better place to visit than the greatest museum in the world? Go on a scavenger hunt as you explore, through these pages, the fascinating history of the Louvre, and seek out royal graffiti carved in odd places while perusing the art. Meet the curators, gardeners, frame makers, even the firefighters who protect this ancient vulnerable building. All while sitting comfortably at home. What a joy! – Pete Mock, buyer
Here are a couple of recent books from UNC Press that may not seem like summer reads, but they are exactly what I like to cool off with on a hot Chatham day!
– Sarah Goddin
“Clover Garden: A Carolinian’s Piedmont Memoir” by Bland Simpson
Just up the road from us, in Alamance County, is Clover Garden; this is Bland Simpson’s love letter to the Piedmont community he and his wife, Ann Cary Simpson, have called home for more than 50 years. Bland’s engaging word portraits of the local flora, fauna and humans are accompanied by Ann’s photographs. This will make you look at where you live more closely and appreciate it more fully. – Sarah Goddin, veteran bookseller
“A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas”* by Alan E. Bessette, Arleen R. Bessette & Michael W. Hopping
The revised edition of this essential go-to guide for local mushroom lovers is a cause for celebration. Everything you need to know to identify and learn about the fungi in our neck of the woods is here in a beautiful, readable format compiled by experts. I can spend hours just browsing through it. – Sarah Goddin, veteran bookseller
*(second edition, revised and expanded), part of the Southern Gateways Guides series
NEW & UPCOMING RELEASES
“The Doorman” by Chris Pavone
This could very well be my book of the year. It’s still early, with many more books to be read, but this one is truly stunning. Set in Manhattan at The Bohemia, a Central Park co-op, it is the story of doorman Chicky Diaz and the residents he opens the door for, in particular two others who, along with Chicky, the story revolves around. The suspense rises as we get to know the characters, and their lives begin to intersect in unexpected ways that paints an indelible picture of today – the good, the bad and the ugly. Superbly written, this is one book I can’t wait to start putting in people’s hands. – Pete Mock, buyer
“Park Avenue” by Renée Ahdieh (releases June 3)
I’m looking forward to reading “Park Avenue” by Renée Ahdieh, a Charlotte author and graduate of UNC. Pitched as “Crazy Rich Asians” meets “Succession,” this novel about a New York City lawyer and her wealthy clients’ major family drama will be perfect for a juicy summer read! – Johanna Albrecht, children’s buyer
“Hemlock & Silver” by T. Kingfisher (releases Aug. 19)
Looking for an escape from the real world? Chatham County resident and multiple Hugo Award-winner T. Kingfisher will not let you down in her retelling of Snow White, “Hemlock & Silver.” The king calls upon Anja, a distiller and taker of poisons, to help him cure his daughter, Snow, who has fallen into a deep sleep. A ragtag group forms to aid Anja, but then the secret world behind a magic mirror changes everything. Anja is a sometimes churlish and inventive thinker who will make you smile. The best fairy tales are the ones when women are perfectly capable of saving themselves. – Keebe Fitch, manager
