Your next great beach read: Books written or set in RI that you'll love reading on the beach
You've heard the term staycation as an option for summer travel, but did you know it could apply to reading, too?
In keeping with the idea of enjoying our home turf, owners of four local independent bookstores came up with titles and genres of books either written by Rhode Islanders, set in Rhode Island, or both.
In these wide-ranging recommendations, there’s truly something for everyone.
Ink Fish Books in Warren: Books by Ann Hood, Christa Carmen and Jessa Maxwell
Ink Fish Books (488 Main St., Warren) goes a step beyond the typical bookstore by promoting locally made culinary products via food and book pairings, hosting special events and fostering collaborations in the community.
For example, Ink Fish celebrated the release of “The Stolen Child” by Ann Hood, one of Rhode Island’s most recognized authors, in May at a special event held at Imago Gallery on Market Street, around the corner from the bookstore.
Hood, now of New York and Providence, shared insights on the novel, about a veteran of World War I who recruits an adventure-seeking young woman to help him resolve a roughly 60-year-old mystery from his war days, involving a young artist and a baby. The journey by this older man and younger woman leads them to explore parts of Europe – and their own lives.
Ink Fish’s owner, Lisa Valentino, also recommends Rhode Islander Christa Carmen’s “The Daughters of Block Island,” described as “an ingenious and subversive twist on the classic gothic novel” that also will appeal to fans of the Bront? sisters. Carmen, who has twice been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award, also has a book slated for December release: “Beneath the Poet’s House.”
A perfect fit for Ink Fish’s food-and-book pairings is Jessa Maxwell’s “The Golden Spoon.” In a book jacket note, Janet Evanovich, a New York Times bestselling author, called it a “delicious combination of ‘Clue’ and ‘The Great British Bake Off.’”
And in August, the Jamestown resident has a new book coming out, “I Need You to Read This.”
From Martin House Books: Three reads with ties to Westerly
Gretchen Miller, who held a grand reopening in April for Martin House Books (10 Canal St., Westerly), formerly known as Savoy Bookshop & Cafe, highlights two books by Westerly residents and a third that takes place in town.
“The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna” is the debut novel for Juliet Grames of Westerly. The story moves from the Italian village where Stella was born to America, where her family immigrated at the start of World War II.
Stella’s childhood was marked by a number of inexplicably lethal events, which led even her mother to believe the girl was cursed. In America, Stella and her younger sister come of age in a new world with old-world expectations still imposed by their family. Their story is recounted in present day by a family member who lives in Connecticut.
“Stella Fortuna” was shortlisted for the New England Book Award and will be followed in July by “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia.”
Westerly resident Deborah Goodrich Royce is the author of “Reef Road,” named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2023.
A thriller inspired by a true crime, the story begins when a severed hand washes ashore in wealthy Palm Beach, Florida, and two women – a lonely writer dealing with an unsolved murder, and a panicked wife whose husband and children have disappeared – come together in 2020 as the world shuts down because of the pandemic.
A former actress and story editor at Miramax Films, Royce’s previous book “Ruby Falls” won a Zibby Award for Best Plot Twist, and her “Finding Mrs. Ford” was on a "Good Morning America" “best of” list.
If you’ve ever driven past Ocean House in Westerly and thought it would be a great setting for an Agatha Christie mystery, well, New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice beat you to it.
Her latest book “Last Night” is set at the Ocean House, where artist Maddie Morrison seeks refuge from a fierce blizzard and from a contentious divorce. Hours later, her body is discovered under the snow, and her young daughter is missing.
It’s up to Detective Conor Reid; his brother, a Coast Guard commander; and Maddie’s sister Hadley to figure out whodunit, in the process uncovering a tale of greed, rage and revenge.
Rice, of Old Lyme, Connecticut, has written 35 novels, several of which have been adapted for television, including “Crazy in Love” for TNT, “Silver Bells” for Hallmark, and “Blue Moon” for CBS.
Island Books recommends: Don Winslow's final book, a coming-of-age comedy and a novel set in Newport
Topping the list for Laurie Sutherland, owner of Island Books (575 East Main Road, Middletown) is Don Winslow’s “City in Ruins.” Winslow, who grew up in Rhode Island, has written more than 20 books and has announced that this one will be his last.
The novel is the conclusion of a trilogy that has followed Danny Ryan through escapades in Providence, California and Las Vegas. He’s a guy with a past, including being a fugitive from the law, but now he’s rich and thinks that past is buried. It wouldn’t be a book, however, if that were true.
Fellow author Stephen King has called Winslow’s book “the final shattering installment in a gangland trilogy to equal ‘The Godfather.’” (The first book in that series, "City on Fire," is in development for a movie, starring Oscar nominee Austin Butler.)
Hot off the press is “Oye,” by Melissa Mogollon, described as a coming-of-age comedy, written as a series of phone calls from the narrator, Luciana, the youngest in a Colombian American family, to Mari, her older sister.
The situation is that Luciana’s eccentric grandmother is ill, a hurricane is heading for their home in Miami, and grandma Abue, who can drive Luciana crazy, refuses to evacuate. Luciana’s senior year in high school is disrupted as she takes on responsibilities – and grows up.
Mogollon, who has a master’s degree from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, teaches at St. George’s School in Middletown. This is her first novel.
Readers must wait until July 30 for Island House's final recommendation, author Alison Espach’s third novel, “The Wedding People.”
On a beautiful day in Newport, Phoebe Stone arrives at an elegant hotel where a wedding is about to take place. She’s not there for the wedding, but she and the bride end up confiding in one another in a tale about chance encounters that change lives.
Espach is an associate professor of creative writing at Providence College and the author of two acclaimed novels, “Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance,” and “The Adults,” a New York Times Editors’ Choice.
From Stillwater Books: Showcases for RI authors
Stillwater Books (1745 Main St., West Warwick) is not only a bookstore but also a publisher specializing in Rhode Island authors.
Owner Steven R. Porter speaks of books such as the late sportswriter Bill Reynolds’ “Story Days: Highlights from Four Decades Covering Sports,” or John Kostrzewa’s “Walking Rhode Island: 40 Hikes for Nature and History Lovers” as if they are old friends, always in demand.
But he and his co-owner wife, Dawn, also suggest different sorts of reading material they have published by Rhode Islanders.
“The Jewish Prince of Denmark,” by Michael Fine, former director of the state Department of Health, is a collection of fictional short stories about Jews and non-Jews living together and finding their way in a world that keeps changing. Often introspective, the stories may suggest themes widely applicable to more than the individual characters.
A stirring nonfiction story of grassroots collaboration is detailed in Providence resident Linda J. Kushner’s “The Fight That Saved the Libraries: A Rhode Island Story.” In 2004, when the board of directors decided to close outlying branches of the Providence Public Library, the people in those neighborhoods organized and assumed operations as Community Libraries of Providence. Their success could be a template for other activists.
If it’s variety you’re craving, check out “In a Dark Time: Selected Short Fiction & Nonfiction from the Association of Rhode Island Authors," featuring short fiction, nonfiction and poetry from 37 writers.
Finally, Porter, a Glocester resident, has his own book for the young adult audience: “Fiddlehead: A Baseball Story.” In a fictional, satirical saga of youth sports, protagonist Nate – aka Fiddlehead – navigates obstacles while learning what it takes to succeed.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Beach reading with a RI theme: Don Winslow, Ann Hood and more