TO READ
SPRING PAGE-TURNERS
By Lido Books | Contributor
SPRING 2024 ISSUE
Embark on a literary journey this spring and discover your new favorite book with these recommendations from the booksellers at Lido Village Books. As seasoned curators of exceptional stories, they are dishing out their top picks for the season’s must-reads that will have you glued to the pages. From captivating narratives steeped in history to tales of love and resilience, these books will spark your imagination and leave you enriched, inspired and eager for more.
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Photos courtesy of Lido Books
"STILL LIFE"
By Sarah Winton
Michelle P. can't keep “Still Life” on the shelves! It's a beautiful story of community, art and living life. The dialogue is cheeky but stunning, poetic and everything a story should be — the perfect read for spring or summer.
"MARTYR"
By Kaveh Akbar
Mo recommends this story of a young man recently sober, orphaned and living life in the Midwest. His head is between his knees until he’s called suddenly to visit New York — specifically, the art exhibit of a dying woman who will sit in a museum and talk to a line of strangers about death every day until she passes. He finds himself pounding on the wall of art's meaning, death's meaning and this insistence on saying he's "alone in this life despite all evidence to the contrary". With incredible heart and gorgeous writing, “Martyr!” is a whole new way to tell a story.
"THE WATERS"
By Bonnie Jo Campbell
Set in rural Michigan and evoking a strong sense of place and character, “The Waters” is at the top of Ellen’s current reading list. From the beginning you feel immediately drawn into the Gothic, almost magical landscape and the people who live there. Rooted in mythic and folk traditions but with a very real, modern and gritty take on reality, this is a powerful read about love in all its forms.
"A LITTLE LIFE"
By Tanya Yanagihara
The beauty and tenderness of the writing has enthralled Hannah and cemented its status as her favorite read of the year. At a time when so many novels are romance-forward, “A Little Life” captivates with a friendship-centered narrative. It’s a refreshing portrait of the kind of unconditional acceptance and care we long for, and the ways it reshapes us into better versions of ourselves.
"THE BOYS IN THE BOAT"
By Daniel James Brown
Guada can't stop gushing over this true story of a college rowing team made up of the sons of loggers, fishermen and farmers who defeated Hitler's Germany in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This beautiful underdog story offers a breathtaking peek into the power of the human spirit despite suffering and hardship. Prepare for heart palpitations and to cry your eyes out!
"FOURTEEN DAYS"
A Collaborative Novel” By the Authors Guild
Michele M. recommends reading “Very Powerful!” from this short story collection with a twist. Written by 36 prominent American and Canadian authors, each story is told to us via characters in a New York apartment building. Set during the COVID lockdown, the cast of characters gather on the roof of their building every day at 7 p.m. to exchange stories riddled with conflict, redemption and more than a few surprises.
"HARROW"
By Joy Williams
Adam proclaims “Harrow” is the novel we deserve. Our earth is dead and so, probably, are we. Yet in Joy Williams’ first long-form fiction in 20 years, we persist — mostly without enthusiasm, in curious ways: bowling alleys, unbeautiful resort grounds, existential court proceedings. A favorite character in the book is a stagnant black lake named Big Girl, so thin and sticky with toxins she “wouldn't take a drop of rain.”
"THE STORM WE MADE"
By Vanessa Chan
Kat has not been able to let go of this riveting story, a work of historical fiction set during WWII but told from the perspective of a Malaya (Malaysian) mother who entangles herself with a Japanese man and unwittingly becomes a spy for him. This book explores the devastating consequences she put on her family by the choices made in pursuit of doing the right thing. It’s a haunting and beautiful story of a WWII that is rarely discussed or written about.