Northwest authors are well-represented in Real Simple magazine’s summer reading list for 2013. The magazine asked 31 best-selling authors to recommend books for summer, and four recent books by authors from Washington and Oregon were chosen. The full list is a blast, but here are the stars from our region:
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (Spokane, WA) recommended by Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife
A small coastal town in Italy where an ambitious young hotel-owner meets a young Hollywood starlet… a love story that spans decades… even some glimpses of the Pacific Northwest… This book has it all!
(I think McLain’s readers will love the historical European setting and the atmosphere.)
Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel (Seattle, WA) recommended by Jamie Ford (Seattle), author of The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
What would you do if someone wrote a computer program that could make your deceased loved one write you emails and even video chat? This moving love story set in Seattle explores the intersection of grief and technology like a funny, tender, modern take on Frankenstein. Anyone who’s been near the tech start-up scene in the northwest will particularly enjoy this richly entertaining novel.
(Ford’s readers should enjoy the ethical dilemmas and a different look at a familiar city.)
Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge (Seattle, WA) recommended by Garth Stein (Seattle), author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
Imagine if you lost your memory, but your fiance found you and brought you back to your old life– which you may or may not want anymore. Shortridge’s novel puts wonderfully complex characters in that crucible. Emotional suspense and romantic drama at its best!
(Stein’s audience will enjoy the compelling story and rich characters depicted in easy-flowing prose.)
Wild by Cheryl Strayed (Portland, OR) recommended by Susan Cain, author of Quiet
Strayed’s memoir of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in her 20s following her mother’s death was a PNBA Award winner and is an Oprah favorite. With good cause! This is a well-crafted, powerful book.
(Cain’s readers will enjoy Strayed’s inner journey as she endures her physical odyssey.)