Summer’s 18 Must-Reads

Reading nourishes mind and body, and we found some perfect picks for both. Plus, a short list of fiction to feed your appetite for great summer escapes.

By Nancy Bilyeau

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Books to Feed Your Soul

First Sheryl Sandberg taught us to “lean in;” now she’s helping us build our resiliency muscle in Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant (Knopf) … Springboarding from a viral speech at a University of Texas commencement, this book on overcoming challenges is taking the country by storm: Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World, by William H. McRaven (Grand Central Publishing) … Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People, by Vanessa Van Edwards (Portfolio), reveals the findings of a human-behavior researcher who’s cracked the social-skills code…Unleash your inner scarlet, or harness your secret turquoise in Your Life In Color: Empowering Your Soul with the Energy of Color, by Dougall Fraser (Hay House) … If you want to meditate but can’t seem to quite figure out how, there’s a “tool kit” in The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness, by Culadasa (John Yates), Matthew Immergut and Jeremy Graves (Touchstone).

…Physical

Books to Feed Your Senses

Absolutely everyone can draw inspiration from the how-to’s in Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body, by Jessamyn Stanley (Workman Publishing) … Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism, by Fumio Sasaki (W.W. Norton), shares the much-talked-about story of a man who found focus through an epic purge… In Full Flower: Inspired Designs by Floral’s New Creatives, by Gemma and Andrew Ingalls (Rizzoli), shows how to incorporate the new “back-to-nature” aesthetic…your spirit will take flight after paging through Birds, by Hunt Slonem (Glitterati) … If you adore French cuisine but wish you could find lighter versions of favorite dishes, start those sauces stat with Simple Nature: 150 New Recipes for Fresh, Healthy Dishes, by Alain Ducasse (Rizzoli) … Dinner With Georgia O’Keefe: Recipes, Art, Landscape, by Robyn Lea (Assouline), is like being hand-delivered an invitation to a New Mexico meal with one of the 20th century’s greatest talents.

Fabulous Fiction: Stories for Every Taste

If you’re looking for the novel everyone will be talking about … Bed-Stuy Is Burning by Brian Platzer · If you fancy a juicy historical epic … House of Names by Colm Toibin · If you crave a stay-up-all-night page-turner … The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne · If you desire a sexy romance … It Happens in the Hamptons by Holly Peterson · If you want to revel in a literary triumph … Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane · If you’d like to luxuriate in a classic … The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway · If you’re dying for a perfect beach read … Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid