What We're Reading: August 2018

When we’re not pouring over manuscript submissions to find the page-turners of the future, we’re digging into our own to-be-read lists. If you’re looking for your next book, try one of our picks--and if you read any of our recommendations, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below!

This August, team Celadon is revisiting beloved films, classic short story collections, and going deep into fiction that feels like a true escape.

“I was driving down the Taconic with a friend, and as we drove through Westchester, we started to talk about how much we loved the short stories of John Cheever. When I got home, I pulled my old copy of his story collection out of the bookcase. I find it helpful to read wonderful writing during periods when the world seems dismal. It reminds me that quality endures and the junkier aspect of life and literature don't.”

“I've read most of Sedaris's books, and they are incredibly funny. This one intrigues me because it seems a bit darker than the others, and talks about his family, and I find families as quirky and talented as his really fascinating.”  

“I've been saving this for my vacation in Maine in August--because clearly his home state is the best place to read King. I cheated and dipped early into it this past weekend and didn't look up for 200 pages. Pet Semetary scared the hell out of me when I read it (and watched the movie) way too young, so I'm thrilled we are in the midst of a full on Stephen King resurgence in film and TV, as well.”

“I've been excited about this book since the proposal sold to Knopf and the movie rights were sold to Adam McKay. I've been told by countless readers I trust that it delivers in the read -- a contemporary, nonfiction Silicon Valley story that reads like a thriller. And I had the chance to meet John recently, and he is an incredibly nice and generous guy.

It's for readers of David Grann and those interested in character-driven nonfiction, and I imagine fans of HBO's Silicon Valley will love the ridiculousness of Elizabeth Holmes and her uniform of black turtlenecks.”

“Throwback to a 2004 Pulitzer Prize Winner that has been tragically left untouched in my to-be-read pile: I toiled away an entire Sunday in the hands of small town minister John Ames, whose luminous reflections near the end of his life illustrate the exquisite beauty and sacramental value in the mundane.

“What would it have been like if the drama of your 20’s played out on Air Force One?  In this dishy workplace drama, Beck-Dorey Stein answers a Craigslist ad and lands herself a job as President Obama's stenographer.

Even if you're fatigued by countless Obama administration memoirs, you will devour the lives of these 'work hard, party hard' White House staffers as they travel the globe with the leader of the free world.”

“‘The Princess Bride’ is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I was excited to learn about how it was made. I'm actually listening to this as an audio book, because I had heard they did an incredible job producing it by bringing in other actors and people who worked on the film to share their own stories. It provides a lot of details about the making of a movie that I'd never considered before.”

“ story is absolutely incredible. Her writing is beautiful, and her story has so much tension. Nothing is what I expect it to be. Tara's family is like no one I've ever read or learned about before.”