It is officially beach season which means you can finally catch up on your reading. Yes, you have been meaning to read War & Peace since you were about 17 years old but that can wait another day (or 10 years.) In the meantime, why don’t you go for one of these new novels.
Opening Belle by Maureen Sherry
Already optioned by Reese Witherspoon for a film version this novel of the plight of the lone working mom on Wall Street is a must-read. “Working Girl meets Wolf of Wall Street in this in-depth, behind-pinstripe peek inside a temple of elite finance, navigated by a sharp, smart woman in an old boys’s club,” writes Jill Kargman, author and creator of Odd Mom Out. Want to know what it’s like to be a woman on Wall Street? Look no farther than Opening Belle.
The Assistants by Camille Perri
At some point in all our careers most of us were either assistants or just low on the totem pole. But for Tina Fontana that position of making it all about someone else has lasted for six years and she is so over it. But what if by accident you were given a check from your boss that would take care of all your student debt, your rent for months and that statement bag you’ve emanated since you were 18? Would you take it? See what she does in this fun romp about the modern workplace.
The House of Bradbury by Nichole Meier
This novel from Nicole Meier sounds part Eat, Pray, Love part Under the Tuscan Sun and part any of us when we have a career crisis. Mia is having a rough time after her first novel gets killed by critics and her relationship with her producer boyfriend starts to unravel. So what does she do? Buys the house of famous writer Ray Bradbury thinking it will revive her inspiration, it probably does, but in a very unexpected way.
25 Sense by Lisa Henthorn
Another good one for anyone having a 20-something existential crisis. It’s about coming to the city with big career dreams and before long you find yourself having an affair with your boss and feeling completely lost. Even if that didn’t exactly happen to you, you can relate to that feeling of just being aimless. Lisa is known for her work on CW’s The Beautiful Life, A&E’s The Glades, and CBS’s Swingtown so you know this will definitely be a juice read. Perfect for the beach!
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix
Inheritance, adult sibling squabbles and New York City? Sign us up. This novel by Cynthia D’Aprix is getting tons of buzz and already talking movie rights (we’re thinking Nancy Meyers should direct.) Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly wrote “It’s easy to see why Sweeney’s debut earned her a seven-figure advance and early praise from fans including Amy Poehler and Elizabeth Gilbert. Her writing is like really good dark chocolate: sharper and more bittersweet than the cheap stuff, but also too delicious not to finish in one sitting.”
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
OK, so you may be thinking, ‘Really? Another Pride and Prejudice retelling?’ And yes, Jane Austen has been done to death but honestly, it doesn’t matter because her stories are so good and still clearly resonate today. Which is why the amazing Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Prep and American Wife, has decided to take on Austen’s beloved classic P&P with a modern spin. Now the Bennett sisters are career gals in the present day. Liz (AKA Elizabeth Bennett) works at a magazine and Jane is a yoga instructor. When their father gets sick they return home and what do you know? Two handsome doctors named Bingley and Darcy are now in town. Though everyone is now obsessed with CrossFit and texting the basic story lines are still the same and wonderful as ever. Austen would be proud.
Not Working by Lisa Owens
While sitting on the beach you should totally be reading someone also not working! Claire Flannery, who is being compared to Bridget Jones, quits her day job to try to find her true passion, but then realises that is really difficult. Raise your hand if you struggle with this on a daily basis!
The Girls by Emma Cline
If you are looking for a slighter darker read then you will love Emma Cline’s seductive debut novel which centers around a group of young women modelled after the ones who go involved in the Manson cult. According to The New York Times, Random House gave the 27-year-old author a seven-figure, three-book deal and Scott Rudin has already optioned the screen lights to The Girls.
