Compelling Novels You Should Definitely Read by the Pool

The Year We Turned Forty

by Lisa Steinke, Liz Fenton

If you could repeat one year of your life, would you do it—and what would you do differently? That fun thought experiment becomes reality in this new novel. Thanks to a bit of Vegas birthday magic, three friends have the opportunity to go back ... to the year they turned 40, the year each woman made a mistake that may have ruined her life. If you have a hard time suspending belief or if you can't stand to watch characters sabotage themselves, keep moving. But if you're intrigued by this imaginative way to re-frame a life, and encouraged by watching fictional friends support each other through the tough and the crazy, this one's for you. A tad predictable at times, but charming and heartening. Pair this with What Alice Forgot and Maybe in Another Life for a fantastic book flight. Published April 26 2016.

One True Loves

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It's Cast Away, but in this version Tom Hanks comes home just before the wedding. Emma Blair married her high school sweetheart Jesse in her twenties: they traveled the world together and were blissfully happy—until Jesse's helicopter disappeared over the Pacific. Three years later, she's moved back home, made a new life for herself, and even found love again with a man she plans to marry. But then she gets a call that Jesse's been found, and she's suddenly forced to choose between the husband she thought was gone forever and the man who's helped her learn to live again. Reid deftly explores how our wrenching experiences shape us ... and then we have to live with the results. Until she ties it up with a bow, so if neat and tidy resolutions make you crazy, this isn't for you. A fun bonus for booklovers is the family bookstore that features prominently in the story. Publication date June 7 2016.

Chirp

The Knockoff: A Novel

by Jo Piazza, Lucy Sykes

Imagine a mashup of The Devil Wears Prada and In Good Company . The story is heavily inspired by All About Eve (which you must watch immediately if you never have): when 42-year-old Glossy magazine editor Imogen Tate returns from a 6-month sabbatical, she finds that her fill-in, a twenty-something Harvard Business School grad, is actively trying to usurp her position—permanently. (And worse—turn the magazine into an app!) Not great literature, but tons of fun.

Eight Hundred Grapes

by Laura Dave

I enjoyed this one from page 1: the storytelling is excellent, and the author explored so many interesting themes about relationships. (But I have complicated feelings about how those relationships resolve—which would make this a fantastic book club novel.) The story is set at a small family vineyard in Sonoma County; the title comes from the number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine. Add Audible narration for $11.49.

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

by Curtis Sittenfeld

This is the fourth installment of the Jane Austen Project, which invites contemporary authors to rework Jane Austen's novels for modern times. Sittenfeld is no Jane Austen, but she's okay with that: her snappy writing and spirit of playfulness make this such good fun for Jane Austen fans, if you're willing to go with it. (Think what 10 Things I Hate About You did with The Taming of the Shrew. Our modern tale is set in Cincinnati, where Lizzie is re-cast as an NYC-based magazine editor, Jane is a yoga instructor nearing 40, Darcy is a snooty brain surgeon, and Bingley is an ER doctor turned star of the reality show "Eligible," (which, in a running gag, all the characters watch but pretend not to). If you're revolted at the idea of on-screen sex in an Austen remake, or Darcy and Liz spewing profanity, this is NOT for you. The purists will need their smelling salts.

Compelling Novels You Should Definitely Read by the Pool

Compelling Novels

You Should Definitely Read by the Pool

The Year We Turned Forty

One True Loves

The Knockoff: A Novel

Eight Hundred Grapes

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

Buckle Up!

summer reading starts May 16th