The Book Report by Rebecca Traver - Our Online Bookshop Curator

“One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more light to read by.” 

~Jeannette Walls

Beloved book lovers, Summer is finally here and it’s time to grab your favorite chilled beverage, a sun hat, a hammock (if you can), and, of course, a book! (or two…or three). We are blessed with an abundance of stories, styles, and genres available to us through our online Bookshop - drop by any time to see our full selection. 

For now, read on to discover what’s getting my attention…and what will hopefully appeal to yours.

I find that, along with the dark Winter months, Summer is my favorite season for sinking into novels that are rich with imagination, myth, and magic. Perhaps this penchant can be traced to how each of these seasons holds the tipping points between light and dark at their Solstice phases and how the characters and narratives in these kinds of tales bring this dynamic to life.

With that in mind, I invite you to consider these gems. The first two feature powerfully mythical elements involving bees and honey. What better way to depict the sweet warmth and goldenness of the season?

Honeycomb by Joanne M. Harris with illustrations by the legendary fantasy artist Charles Vess is a novel of dreams and nightmares comprised of original and interconnected fairy tales. There’s a toymaker who wants to create the perfect wife; the princess whose heart is won by words, not actions; the tiny dog whose confidence far outweighs his size; and the sinister Lacewing King who rules over the Silken Folk and their Faerie realm. These are just a few of the weird and wonderful creatures who populate Joanne M. Harris's first collection of fairy tales.

I’ve mentioned The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern before, but since it’s now available in paperback, I’d like to share my love of it all over again. It tells the story of Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a young and somewhat adrift graduate student in Vermont, who discovers a peculiar book hidden in the school’s library that ushers him into an ancient hidden library hidden below the surface of the earth. As he explores this strange world, he meets various extraordinary beings and has a series of experiences that help him make sense of his life and his purpose. 

The paperback version of H.G. Parry’s A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians came out earlier this year, telling a tale of epic history and magic, full of international mystical politics and vampires! And it’s all set in the Age of Enlightenment when the calls for revolution and freedom are running high. My advice is to read this first to be ready for its sequel A Radical Act of Free Magic which will be released later this month on July 20.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan has been described as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles with a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Intrigue and fantasy abound in this novel which will also be released on the 20th of July.

If classical myths are your thing, you will want to check out The Mythic Dream, an anthology of eighteen retellings featuring an all-star lineup of award-winning and critically acclaimed writers, including Naomi Novik, Rebecca Roanhorse, JY Yang, Arkady Martine, and more.

Whether you are a young adult or are a fan of YA literature like me, here are three books worth noting. May you be encouraged, inspired, and enchanted.

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He is set in a climate-ravaged future and follows the story of two sisters, separated by an ocean, desperately trying to find each other. We are treated to a fascinating tale of a future world with some interesting ideas on how to reduce the population’s environmental footprint.

Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper's Daughter is getting rave reviews for its story of 18 year-old Daunis Fontaine as she learns the meaning of family and identity as a member of the Ojibwe Native community. The narrative brings forward some harrowing elements, but allows its main character the opportunity to grow and empower herself. And, isn’t that what we’re all aspiring to achieve in our own lives?

The Marvels by Brian Selznik is a lavish work comprised of two stand-alone stories; the first told in nearly 400 pages of continuous illustrations, and the second in prose. Combined, they create a beguiling narrative puzzle, full of adventure and mystery.

“Remember, you have to plant a seed today if you want to promote growth tomorrow. Wishing you all a lovely summer full of reading.”

~K. Lamb

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