Looking for an escape this summer? Northeast Ohio book lovers curate a 2024 Summer Reading List

Picture this: you're packing for your summer vacation. This year, you decide to build in some relaxation days, because let's face it, its been a busy six months, and you're dying to cuddle up on the AirBnB couch with a good book. You go to your bookshelf and you think to yourself, "Uh oh, what am I going to bring?"

The right summer reading book can vary depending on the person. Are you looking to learn something new, or escape from reality? Summer holidays like Juneteenth and July Fourth can bring out one's interest in history and civil rights. Or summer reading may remind you of your younger years when the classics were school reading requirements. It might tempt you to try re-reading that copy of "Moby Dick" that you never finished junior year.

Monday's "Sound of Ideas," is here to be your personal book concierge with our annual "Summer Reading" show. We've invited four book lovers from Northeast Ohio who will help curate the perfect Summer Reading List.

And most importantly, we'll include what our listeners are reading this summer, and add them to the list after the show.

We've asked the panel to come to the table with all sorts of books - from fiction, to nonfiction, to poetry, to children's books. We'll also talk about all that our local literary scene has to offer, and hear what books our panelists like to read on their summer adventures.

Guests:
-Karen Long, Former Manager, Anisfield Wolf Book Awards
-Ron Block, Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library - Middleburg Heights
-Charlotte Blasier, Head of Youth Services, Geauga County Public Library
-Alicia Frazier, Owner, Black Cat Books and Oddities

2024 Summer Reading List

From our panelists:

• "James" by Percival Everett
• "Martyr!" by Kaveh Akbar
• "Eve" by Cat Bohannon
• "Waterlog" by Roger Deakin
• "There's Always this Year" by Hanif Abdurraquib
• "The Slough House" by Mick Herron
• “I Hope This Finds You Well” by Natalie Sue
• “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston
• “Diavola” by Jennifer Marie Thorne
• “Open Throat” by Henry Hoke
• “Annie Bot” by Sierra Greer
• “My Murder” by Katie Williams
• "Shiny Misfits" by Maysoon Zayid and Shadia Amin
• "Roswell Johnson Saves the World!" by Chris Colfer
• "Max in the House of Spies" by Adam Gidwitz
• "Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992" by Paula Yoo
• "Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli
• "The Reappearance of Rachel Price" by Holly Jackson
• "One of Our Kind" by Nicola Yoon
• "In Sunshine or in Shadow: A Molly Murphy Mystery" by Rhys Bowen
• "Summers at the Saint" by Mary Kay Andrews
• "What You Leave Behind" by Wanda M. Morris
• "The Sicilian Inheritance" by Jo Piazza
• "A Happier Life" by Kristy Woodson Harvey

From Ideastream staff:

• "Eruption" by Michael Crichton & James Patterson
  Joe Sheppa says, “Like reading a summer action movie.”
  
• "The Uncommon Reader" by Alan Bennett
  Josh Boose says, “I'm usually a non-fiction reader only, but this is a fun book. It's perfect for a long day relaxing in the summer sun or a weekend road trip.”
  
• "T-Shirt Swim Club" by Ian Karmel & Alisa Karmel
  Anna Huntsman says, “It's a comedian's memoir about body image/weight, and all of his essays have a follow-up from his sister, who has a doctorate in psychology.”
  
• "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
  Anna Garvin says, “I'm currently getting through the Throne of Glass series! There's a huge fan base for it, and my sisters got me hooked. Great & easy romance/fantasy read!"
  
• "The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex" by Incite! Women of Color Against Violence
  Sari Jackson says, "This book was recommended to me by a former coworker. It's older, from 2007, but feels very relevant to today's climate."
  
• "Horrorstör" by Grady Hendrix
  Joe Sheppa says, “This book is a blast, and is set in Cleveland.”
  
• "The Anthropocene Reviewed" by John Green
  Grace Prentice says, "Its John Green's meditations and commentary on various elements of the human experience. Some highlights: chapters on the song Auld Land Syne, Nascar, and Super Mario Bros."
  
• "Salt Fat Acid Heat" by Samin Nosrat
  Abigail Bottar says, "Part cookbook, part science of cooking. I was looking to up my cooking game this year, and this is so helpful. Plus it has the most gorgeous illustrations and graphics.”
  
• "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" By Kelly Weinersmith & Zach Weinersmith
  Joe Sheppa says, “A look at why colonizing Mars (and outer space) may not be the future we should expect.”
  
• "Rethinking Fandom" by Craig Calcaterra
  Stephanie Metzger-Lawrence says, “It’s an insightful read for sports fans who often find themselves struggling with their fandom amid the often unsavory moral landscapes surrounding sports, their leagues, teams and athletes. The author is also an Ohio guy.”
  
• "Dune" & "Dune Messiah" by Frank Herbert
  Joe Sheppa says, “I can't believe I hadn't read these until this year. The new movies are good but the books are very immersive. They don't read like they were published over 50 years ago.”

From our listeners:

• Matt Weinkam with Literary Cleveland says, “I love a short book in summer. "Fever Dream" by Samantha Schweblin and "Bitter Water Opera" by Northeast Ohio writer Nicolette Polek. But honestly "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville is the ultimate summer book. It's so much funnier and stranger than you think and has very short chapters that make it a fast read.”
• Laura says, “I focus on mysteries with great settings and historic detail. Just finished "Fleur de Sel Murders” by Jörg Bong."
• Dan Mouthrop with The City Club of Cleveland recommends "Grey Bees" by Andrey Kurkov, a novel “providing a fascinating picture of war in Ukraine, during the previous iteration of the conflict with Russia." Also, "Harlem Shuffle" and "Crook Manifesto" by Colson Whitehead, along with "James" by Percival Everett and "Heaven and Earth Grocery Story" by James McBride.
• Jim from Kent: recommends "War with Russia?: From Putin & Ukraine to Trump & Russiagate" by Stephen Cohen. Jim says it is good for any American trying to understand America’s relationship with Russia and the conflict in Ukraine
• Susan, recommends "Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World by Eric Jay Dolan" about a 19th century sailing expedition to the Falkland Islands. And The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush. Susan says the author balances well chosen historical facts about NASA and these women’s lives.
• David from Cleveland recommends science fiction anthologies as a way to escape. They contain two to three stories, and readers can skip around.
• Richard recommends "Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech" by Brian Merchant and "Jews in the Garden: A Holocaust Survivor, the Fate of His Family, and the Secret History of Poland in World War II" by Judy Rakowsky
• Andrea from Cleveland Heights recommends "Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality Television" by Emily Nussbaum
• Todd from Cleveland Heights recommends, "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari and "The Saint of Bright Doors" by Vajra Chandrasekera. Todd reads five books a week, and these stand out as amazing choices! Ending of “The Saint of Bright Doors” made him cry.
• Bobbi says, “I want to mention an almost forgotten classic, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. It has resonance today, because the central character is gay (as was the author).” Bobbi also recommends any biography by Philip Norman, who they said has written “profound” books about John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix. Also, Bobbi recommends anything by James McBride, Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell and Stephen King’s books. 
• William says: “I was listening to your current segment of Summer Reads and wanted to share that I recently wrote a book, "An American Samurai - Born to Pursue Righteousness.  I've noticed the decline of moral values in America and wanted to share my story of a Japanese American, an Eagle Scout and trying to do the right thing for the right reasons. I've not done a lot of marketing of my book but would love to share it with your readers. It's only available by directly contacting me at wmelver@gmail.com. Thank you.”
• Ryan says, “With Amazon's release of the TV Series - "Wheel of Time." If anyone enjoys the show, they should check out the book series. It's a lot better and more in depth than the show can do it justice. It's a huge time commitment though. The world-building is fantastic though, and each character has their time to shine.” 
• Patricia Sommer says, “The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon is the most immersive book I’ve read in a long time. Inspired by actual events in eighteenth century Massachusetts colony, it is the story of a Midwife and the events of her life as she is witness and participant in so much of her community.”
• Courtney says, “Love a funny, laugh out loud book in the summer. So far this summer, I’ve enjoyed "Big Swiss" [by Jen Beagin] and "Guncle" [by Stevem Rowley].”