We asked Andrea Talarico, the managing partner of Stanza Books in Beacon, to share four books from various genres on her summer reading list.
Amity Gaige’s mystery is about a hiker named Valerie Gillis who disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. It’s more than a typical whodunit; Talarico likens it to dramas like The God of the Woods and Where the Crawdads Sing. While lost, Gillis writes letters to her mother in her journal that keep her sane and pass the time. “If people ask for a good mystery, this is what I’m putting them onto,” says Talarico.
As the second part of his non-fiction Revolutionary War trilogy, Rick Atkinson recounts battles between 1777 and 1780 and examines how a local conflict evolved into global warfare. Stanza has hardcover copies signed by Atkinson, who has won Pulitzer Prizes for history and journalism.
The protagonist in this sci-fi thriller by Alexander Boldizar, published by CLASH Books, an independent press in Troy, can see 5 seconds into the future. Preble Jefferson lived under the radar until an incident on the subway leads to an encounter with the police. When the government becomes aware of his gift, Jefferson finds himself and his family in danger.
André Aciman is best-known for his novel, Call Me by Your Name, which was adapted into a movie starring Timothée Chalamet. This book includes three novellas: The Gentleman from Peru, Room on the Sea and Mariana. “To me he’s like a voice of summer,” Talarico says. “He’s the voice of summer love.”
The Gentleman from Peru follows a group of American friends staying in a luxurious hotel on the Amalfi Coast while they await repairs on their boat. They meet Raúl, a mysterious stranger from Peru. Room on the Sea, set in New York City, is about Paul and Catherine, two unhappy married people, who form a connection during jury duty. Finally, Mariana is the story of a girl from middle America who moves to Italy for a fellowship and falls for a man named Itamar. He defines her experience for better and worse.
