time-travel Archives : Westchester Publishing Services

Summer 2024 Edition

Working with as many publishers as we have the privilege to do, the employees here at Westchester often have long lists of books we want to read, with each week bringing new titles to add to the growing TBR pile. Below are some of the books we plan to take off the shelf or the bedside table in the coming months as we enjoy the longer days that summer brings.

For more information about the titles or to order a copy, click on the cover images to be redirected to the IndieBound powered by Bookshop.org site. And whatever book(s) you ultimately decide to crack open this summer, happy reading!

Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir (Revised and Expanded Edition)
Author: Eddie Muller
Publisher: Running Press (Hachette Book Group)

Why I want to read this book: This edition is a few years old now, but last summer I upped my noir game, running through several noir classics I had missed earlier, as well as some more obscure gems. I always enjoy Eddie Muller’s commentaries on TCM, and so I fully expect to enjoy reading this visually stunning book.

Submitted by: Scott Keeney, Director, Production and Customer Service

The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City
Author: Kevin Baker
Publisher: Knopf (Penguin Random House)

Why I want to read this book: I always look forward to a new book by Kevin Baker, and in this case, it’s about New York and baseball. I recently ordered it and it’s already sitting on my bookshelf just waiting for me to crack it open! As The New York Times Book Review shared: “A hugely entertaining history of baseball and New York City, bursting with larger-than-life figures and fascinating stories from the game’s beginnings to the end of World War II.” Sounds like a perfect summer read to me!

Submitted by: Deb Taylor, Chief Operating Officer

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
Author: Marie Brennan
Publisher: Tor

Why I want to read this book: During the initial quarantine of Covid-19 in March 2020, I listened to an amazing virtual creative writing class hosted by Marie Brennan about world building through Clarion West. A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent is the first in a series that utilizes a lot of the world building techniques she discussed. If you’re a fan of dragons and an alternative Victorian time-period, this is the book series for you!

Submitted by: Christina Jones, Resource Manager, Westchester Education

Q. Fulvius I Called You Brother
Author: M.G. Haynes
Publisher: Independent

Why I want to read this book: This is the third book of the Fulvius Chronicles series. I have read the previous books and found them to be a very intriguing storyline woven through ancient Roman times. They follow the path of Fulvius, a street urchin who saved from execution, makes his way into the military, and moves into piracy in the second book of the series. This third installment in the series picks up the storyline for a friend who he has betrayed who seeks vengeance for his betrayal. In addition to being a great series the author is my cousin M. G. Haynes, who is a West Point graduate, historian, and is still serving in the military.

Submitted by: Kevin Schroeder, Director, Client Solutions, Westchester Education

Yellowface
Author: Rebecca F. Kuang
Publisher: Borough Press

Why I want to read this book: I saw that this won fiction book of the year 2024 at The British Book Awards and was intrigued. I’m even more so now that I know it is about a stolen manuscript and the publishing industry as well!

Submitted by: Julie Willis, Editorial Director & Systems Lead, Westchester Publishing Services UK

The Ministry of Time
Author: Kaliane Bradley
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Why I want to read this book: Why? While attending the US Book Show this May, Simon & Schuster CEO, Jonathan Karp, shared this as his current read, promoting it as a blend of a spy story, a time travel story, and a rom-com. Sounds like it ticks all the boxes for a great summer read and I’m going to check it out.

Submitted by: Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

Long Island
Author: Colm Tóibín
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Why I want to read this book: I read Brooklyn which can now be considered the prequel, when it was released 15 years ago and was thrilled when news came out last year that the author had written an unexpected follow-up. Long Island brings back many of the original cast of characters and is set sometime in the 1970s, about 20 years after the events of Brooklyn. Similarly, the story takes place between New York and Enniscorthy, Ireland, where protagonist Eilis Fiorello (nee Lacey) was born and raised before emigrating to America. I’m looking forward to finding out what Eilis and her connections have been up to after all these years. Judging by all the pre-publication buzz around this novel, I’m apparently not the only one! Bonus: You can watch Saoirse Ronan bring Eilis to the screen in the 2015 adaptation of Brooklyn, available to stream on several services.

Submitted by: Nicole Tomassi, Marketing & Conference Manager

Looking for a few more titles to consider? These lists may offer up some worthy reading selections:

Summer Reads 2024 – Publishers Weekly

25 Books to Read this Summer – The Atlantic (subscription may be required)

What to Read Summer 2024 – National Public Radio

Best New Books to Read this Summer – Time Magazine

compiled by Nicole Tomassi, Marketing & Conference Manager

In a summer season likely to be filled with “revenge travel” as people catch up on trips that were postponed the last few years, it seems fitting that several of the reading selections made by the Westchester staff explore the travel theme in varying ways. Whether your summer plans take you to far-flung destinations on the other side of the world, as close as the Adirondack chair in your yard or somewhere in between, these books will help you pass the time and transport you to another location. Click on the cover images to visit the Indiebound website, for additional details and purchasing information.

Book Title: Hotel World
Author: Ali Smith
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton (A PRH imprint)

Why I want to read this book: My daughter brought this home from college—she was researching Muriel Spark and Smith quotes (and clearly is inspired by) Spark in the outset of the book, so she bought it, read it, and, as our children do, left it lying around the house. Curious, I picked it up and started reading. I’m only a chapter and a half in, but the first chapter was jaw-droppingly good. Smith experiments with form and language and bends reality in an unsettling but “gotta read more” way. The narrative is told by multiple perspectives, so I’m looking forward to seeing how some of the events unfurl through other characters eyes. If you like post-modernist literature, don’t sleep on this one.

Submitted by: Kevin J. Gray, President and Chief Content Officer, Westchester Education Services

Book Title: The Lincoln Highway
Author: Amor Towles
Publisher: Viking/Penguin

Why I want to read this book: This was recommended to me by my wife, and it looks like the perfect summer road trip read. It is the tale of four boys making their way from their family farm in Nebraska out west to San Francisco in search of a better life and their estranged mother. This sounds like a coming-of-age story with all of the detours and wrong turns as well as interesting folks they will encounter along the way. Perfect for passing the time while I am not behind the wheel as we head out on our own summer adventures.

Submitted by: Kevin Schroeder, Director, Client Solutions, Westchester Education Services

Book Title: The Histories – A Norton Critical Edition
Author: Herodotus
Publisher: W.W. Norton – a Westchester client and fellow ESOP company

Why I want to read this book: When I was young, this book had fueled my interest in history and mythology (Herodotus was a little gullible and believed many of the tall tales he heard during his travels). Recently, I found my old copy of this under a seat in my pickup truck, probably packed for a road trip many years ago and forgotten. I feel the need to reunite with it, and have a nostalgia trip as to why I got so excited about the classics when I was younger. Hopefully the well-worn older printing of the Norton Critical Edition I found in the truck can stand up to a trip or two to the beach this Summer.

Submitted by: Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

Book Title: The Book That Wouldn’t Burn
Author: Mark Lawrence
Publisher: ACE

Why I want to read this book: A lot of times the premise of a book alone can really draw me in. This fantasy includes a huge sequestered underground library, and it follows a character who grew up in the library. As a former librarian, some of my favorite moments were opening the library before any patrons came in. It was very peaceful to be surrounded by the hushed quiet and comforting presence of books. Also, it sounds like this book includes time travel elements and I love time travel!

Submitted by: Christina Jones, Resource Manager, Westchester Education Services

Book Title: Daisy Jones & the Six
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Why I want to read this book: Although I enjoyed the ten-episode fictional series on Amazon, I feel there could have been more to the brief interview segments. Since the book is written exclusively in an interview style between each character, the book is likely to add some texture omitted from the episodes. Taylor is a great writer and really captured what was happening in the ’70s music scene in the series. I’m excited to see how she develops the characters in the novel.

Submitted by: Darryl Keck, Pagination Specialist

Book Title: The Book of Form and Emptiness
Author: Ruth Ozeki
Publisher: Penguin Books

Why I want to read this book: “The Book of Form and Emptiness” is a novel by Ruth Ozeki, who is a Professor of Humanities at Smith College. In addition to being a novelist, Ozeki is also a filmmaker and Zen Priest. Her exploration of contemporary topics and themes in the context of the ancient tradition of Zen intrigued me greatly. This book was recommended to me by a bookseller at Broadside Bookshop in Northampton, MA

Submitted by: Hugh Shiebler, Director, Client Solutions

Book Title: National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders
Authors: Lorus and Margery Milne
Publisher: Knopf

Why I want to read this book: I’m a gardener, growing fruits, and vegetables. I need a go-to guide to help me in identifying which insects are beneficial and which are pests. The agricultural extension service used to be a great source of information regarding the latest gardening issues in our area, however, this is no longer the case and I’ve found this guide appears to be the best suited for my purposes.

Submitted by: Stephanie Nelson, Proofreader

Book Title: Little Monsters
Author: Adrienne Brodeur
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Why I want to read this book: I read Adrienne Brodeur’s memoir, Wild Game, shortly after it was released in paperback in the summer of 2020. I found it to be a compelling story about the deceits family members can entrap each other in and the terrible consequences that often result. This summer, the author is returning to fiction nearly 20 years after the release of her first novel, and I’m hoping the story she tells this time around is as fascinating a page-turner as her memoir.

Submitted by: Nicole Tomassi, Marketing and Conference Manager