It’s not too late to catch up on summer reading — and look ahead to what’s coming out this fall. KCRW gets book recommendations from Katie Orphan, manager of Chevalier's Books, an independent bookstore in LA’s Larchmont Village neighborhood.
Orphan says business has been good throughout the pandemic. “Many people turned to reading as one of their hobbies and free time activities. So we've continued to have a strong interest in reading books, for which we are quite grateful.”
Recommendations — including many written by Angelenos — for the end of summer
“The Pink Hotel” by Liska Jacobs
“It takes place at a pink hotel in Beverly Hills. …[It’s] perfect reading for this heat wave. The Santa Anas are blowing, and there are wildfires, and the people and the animals of Los Angeles are getting pretty restless. So it feels appropriate for right now.”
“The Long Answer” by Anna Hogeland
“It deals with abortion and reproductive rights. And it was written well before the summer, but it came out within a couple of weeks of Roe being overturned. So it's really been an appropriate and fitting and moving read for people this summer.”
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
“It is much more about creative partnerships, long-term friendships than it is about actual video games. So for anyone who's more of a reader than a gamer, it's still an excellent book.”
“Happy Go Lucky” by David Sedaris
“It's nice to have something smart and funny to dive into when things are not always that way in everyone's real life.”
“Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels” by Paul Pringle
“[This is] investigative journalism about Los Angeles and corruption. … For anybody who lives here [LA], I think the issues of freedom of speech, journalism, the power that local organizations have within the city, all of that has been fascinating.”
Anticipated new releases this fall
Orphan says Cormac McCarthy will release novels for the first time in several years.
Bono’s memoir will focus on 40 songs by U2, the stories behind them, and how they connected to his life.
And Madeline Miller — best-selling author of “The Song of Achilles” — will publish a short story just in time for the holidays.