The Celadon Team share their summer reading lists, from food memoirs to epic bestselling novels.
By The Celadon Team
Jamie Raab
Publisher & President
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
I've loved the author's previous books, and am drawn to the subjects at the heart of King's new novel — mothers and daughters, loss, creativity and finding love and direction at a difficult time of life. I always find the author's characters ring so true.
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
Dysfunctional families are always interesting, but a family in which six of 12 children have schizophrenia is the stuff of a gripping true story, especially one written by a very talented journalist.
Deb Futter
Co-Publisher & Senior Vice President
Dirt by Bill Buford
I love food memoirs ... especially when set in the French countryside ... especially as we all have to be armchair travelers this summer.
Ryan Doherty
Vice President & Executive Editor
Pizza Camp by Joe Beddia
I've always wanted to improve my homemade pizza game and with all this time at home this summer, it seems like the perfect opportunity. I've sadly never been to Pizzeria Beddia (and I'm from Philly!), but it is meant to be incredible. First up is Beddia's dough recipe, which people swear by.
Jaime Noven
Marketing Manager
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
I loved Dead Astronauts, so I picked up a copy of VanderMeer's previous book, Borne, which takes place in the same world. It will be an interesting experiment to read them in reverse order. I loved the unique narrative style of Dead Astronauts and VanderMeer's beautifully terrifying descriptions of nature gone wrong. And as a Thoreau nerd, I appreciate the nods to Walden.
Heather Orlando-Jerabek
Publicity Assistant
Oligarchy by Scarlett Thomas
I'm a sucker for a good English boarding school drama and I've heard great things about this one! Reading about a vanished girl and her dark secrets seems especially escapist when you're out getting some sun in the park.
Lauren Dooley
Marketing Assistant
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
I caved and got myself a copy of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I needed to know what the hype was about and it is certainly deserved. Inside I found a tight mystery with a lot of heart for its complicated characters. Of course, I had to read the book before checking out the TV series adaptation too.
Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh
Next on my list is Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh which I have dutifully pre-ordered. I was a huge fan of The Water Cure which quickly became my go-to book recommendation for anyone who would listen. I am looking forward to Blue Ticket, another haunting dystopian novel which seems fitting for the times.
Randi Kramer
Assistant Editor
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
I'm looking forward to a beautifully written, powerful story of love and survival. And that gorgeous cover will make me feel like I'm sitting by the ocean every time I look at it!
Cecily Van Buren-Freedman
Editorial Assistant
The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang
While this doesn't exactly fit the bill for light, escapist summer reading, I've been hearing amazing things about Wang's essay collection for a long time now. Wang's essays explore her thoughts around the road to her schizophrenia diagnosis and her experiences with mental illness. As someone living with the disorder and a lab researcher, Wang is able to approach the illness and our country's mental health systems from both a personal and scientific perspective.
