Emma Cline’s debut novel tops Best Summer Reads list

Jude Sales of Readers’ Books takes us on a quick romp through her favorites for summer reading, topped by

“The Girls” by Emma Cline
Sonoma’s own young author’s first novel is “a well-told coming of age story” about a 14 year-old-girl who becomes involved, while no one is noticing because her parents are divorcing, with a cult of exotic older girls. The book comes out June 22 and Emma will do a reading at Readers’ Books that evening at 7 p.m.

Beach reads

“Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel
A dystopian novel so well told that you really want to find out how it ends.

“The Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George
According to Oprah, “a wise and winsome novel.”

“Salt to the Sea” by Ruta Sepetys
This fast read was written for young adults, and Jude highly recommends it to fans of “All the Light We Cannot See”

“Everybody’s Fool” by Richard Russo
From the author of Pulitzer Prize winner. Jude highly recommends this one.

Not beach reads

“Dodgers” by Bill Beverly
A haunting story of East L.A. gang kids who do the bidding of older gang members.

“Tuesday Nights in 1980” by Molly Prentiss
This intriguing book is the story of an artist, part of the real-life Manhattan art scene, who has a unique sensory relationship to color.

“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara
The heart-wrenching story that follows four college friends up to their late fifties.

“The Door” by Magda Szabó
“The best thing I read last year,” Jude says.

Nonfiction

“Tribe” by Sebastian Junger
Store owner Andy Weinberger’s pick explores the idea of belonging as it relates to the experience of young soldiers together in combat, and after they come home.

“The Road to Little Dribbling” by Bill Bryson
The author of “A Walk in the Woods” tells his adventures in Great Britain. This would be a great Father’s Day gift.

Jude Sales will present these and more selections on June 30 at 7 p.m., at an annual open meeting of the Unruly Book Club. Reader’s Books is located at 162 E. Napa St.