Speed Reads: August's literary landscape at a glance
Everything is Going to be Great: An Underfunded and Overexposed European Grand Tour By Rachel Shukert, out now
This memoir of a young actress romp across Europe as part of a traveling playgroup has sex, humor, misadventureseverything a good read (and a good trip) needs.
To Sound in the Know: [Read an excerpt from Shukerts book here] and tell all of your friends how hilarious she is. ------
Rich Boy By Sharon Pomerantz, out Aug. 2
A novel that traces the journey of a middleclass Jewish boy who infiltrates the wealthy set, and rides with the tides from 1950s Philadelphia to 1980s New York.
To Sound in the Know: More soft-focus prodding than tough examination of The American Dream, the novel will please those looking for a nostalgia trip. ------
Old Jews Telling Jokes By Sam Hoffman, out Aug. 31
Considering the title of this book is literal and total, what more need be said?
To Sound in the Know: The book is a spinoff of the popular website [OldJewsTellingJokes.com] where, well, again, its all in the title. ------
Freedom By Jonathan Franzen, out Aug. 31
In his first novel since The Corrections, Franzen tells the story of a suburban familys demise, reaching across the years to touch on a wide range of themes from gentrification and sexual abuse to Iraq sub-contracting and shady West Virginia mining deals.
To Sound in the Know: Franzens two most recent fiction pieces in The New Yorker were excerpts from this novel. ------
How to Become a Scandal: Adventures in Bad Behavior By Laura Kipnis, out Aug. 31
This book examines the obsession behind Americas favorite pastime: watching people wreck themselves in scandal. Sorry baseball, youre so last century.
To Sound in the Know: Kipnis (known for her writing on adultery, sex and relationships) has referred to marriage as a domestic gulag. But how does she really feel? ------
Skippy Dies By Paul Murray, out Aug. 31
This novel examines how the titular characters aforementioned death plays out in a Dublin boarding school, including how it affects characters including a midget basketball player and a hip-hop aficionado nicknamed McSexecutioner.
To Sound in the Know: Already on the Booker short-list, its also being made into a movie. ------
Take Ivy By Shosuke Ishizu, Toshiyuki Kurosu, Hajime Hasegawa Photos by Teruyoshi Hayashida, out Aug. 31
Prep is back! And so is this classic 1960s photo treatise on Ivy League fashion shot through the lens of Japanese fashion gurus, featuring a new English translation.
To Sound in the Know: When the book was first published in 1965, it created a madness for preppy style in young Tokyo. Who knows what havoc it will cause in Williamsburg.