With summer officially underway, we’re kicking off the season by sharing our must-read books! Books transport us across time, place and cultures, and are one of our favorite ways to travel, whether we’re actually on vacation or at home. So hop into some cool cotton pajamas for some bedtime reading or stash one of these books in your bag for the beach — our new Pima poplin cotton shorts set would be the perfect outfit for either place.
Our top picks for chilling thrillers
For fans of Gillian Flynn, this summer’s crop of thrillers is sure to keep you in suspense. The debut novel by Katie Gutierrez “More Than You’ll Ever Know” cleverly plays to our obsession with true crime. Writer Cassie Bowman is investigating the mystery of Lore Rivera, who had two husbands — one in Mexico City, one in Texas — until one murdered the other. How could a seemingly devoted wife and mother lead such a devious and dangerous double life? Cassie’s determination to uncover the truth threatens to expose secrets that both women are hiding.
Veteran author and New York Times bestseller Chris Bohjalian of “The Flight Attendant,” now back for a second season on HBO Max, returns with “The Lioness.” This spellbinding thriller takes us back in time to the Serengeti in 1964, where a Hollywood starlet on a luxury safari with an entourage instead experiences a deadly kidnapping by Russian mercenaries. Talk about a vacation gone wrong!
Cookbooks to inspire
Summer reading, meet summer eating. Since Ofelia can read a cookbook like an encyclopedia, we rounded up the latest releases that have our mouths watering.
Adventurous home chefs are sure to enjoy Andy Baraghani’s “The Cook You Want to Be: Everyday Recipes to Impress.” Featuring more than 100 recipes honed over his years in restaurants like Chez Panisse and the test kitchen at Bon Appetit, Baraghani takes our taste buds on a trip with dishes inspired by his travels and Persian heritage.
Atlanta’s own Eric Kim, staff writer at the New York Times, shares stories about his table growing up as a child of immigrants in “Korean American: Food that Tastes Like Home.” The recipes are an intriguing cross-cultural blend, featuring dishes from gochugaru shrimp and grits to kimchi-stuff baked potatoes
Then, to end on a sweet note, sample the manifesto (with recipes) “Dessert Can Save the World” by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar, as she talks about family bonding over sweet treats and how to share joy through baking. And for recipes just like grandma used to make, Cheryl Days’ “Treasury of Southern Baking” reveals generational secrets and recipes behind the acclaimed baker’s from-scratch biscuits, muffins and pies.
Memorable memoirs
Our top picks for memoirs have us stepping in the shoes of some celebrated names and faces. Katie Couric’s “Going There” takes you behind the scenes of her meteoric rise from girl next door to TV queen, and behind the camera (and into the boys’ club) of her anchor gigs on the TODAY Show, CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes. “Finding Me” by Viola Davis is a fascinating memoir about overcoming the odds of an impoverished child to gracing the stage and screen. Stories like these teach us life lessons and give us fresh inspiration as women, mothers and leaders.
What’s on your summer reading list 2022? Let us know on Instagram @leenaandlu or drop us an email at hello@leenaandlu.co.
