A few summer reading recommendations!
THE MUSIC OF BEES by Eileen Garvin
This is one of our favorite paperback summer reads this year. Three people in a small Oregon town have all undergone great personal tragedies when they come together in a book that highlights the power of friendship and the experience of beekeeping.
THE FLAG, THE CROSS, AND THE STATION WAGON: A GRAYING AMERICAN LOOKS BACK AT HIS SUBURBAN BOYHOOD AND WONDERS WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED by Bill McKibben
Bill is one of our Vermont treasures, and he weaves the questions of how we got to the point of near fascism, climate collapse, and enormous differences we face in our society into an autobiographical story.
THE MINISTRY FOR THE FUTURE by Kim Stanley Robinson
A fascinating blend of non-fiction relating to climate collapse and speculative fiction about how the world might cooperatively try to bring our world back into some kind of livable environment, as more areas in countries such as India become potentially unlivable due to the extreme heat and humidity.
ONE, TWO, THREE by Laurie Frankel
The story in this book is told by triplets who are older teens- they were in utero when a terrible industrial accident created a massive toxic event in their town. The result was that many residents, including 2 of the 3 triplets, have serious physical impairments, and the town has adjusted to the many partially able people living there. The factory is threatening to reopen. This is a hard book to read, but also hard to put down.
TWO WHEELS GOOD: THE HISTORY AND MYSTERY OF THE BICYCLE by Jody Rosen
As a lifelong bike commuter, and as bicycles are regaining their proper place as a major means of transport and not just a toy, this book is so timely, It tells the international story of the bike- lots of interesting anecdotes.
ON THE WINGS OF A HUMMINGBIRD by Susan Mills
Newfane author, and retired immigration attorney, Susam Mills has taken true stories from her clients to create a novel that does a fantastic job of showing us why young people are forced to leave Guatemala due to gangs' intimidating, raping, and killing young women and forcing young men to take part,