Cappuccino Thoughts 125: On The 10 Books I'm Reading This Summer + 7 Recs for You

Beach reads, here we come

Cappuccino Thoughts is a weekly newsletter about culture and creativity in New York.

Structure Coffee, Montréal

I am moving at the end of this summer (if you know a good 1-2 bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side, call me!) and I am trying to get through my bedside table full of books.

I’m a big believer in summer reading. I’m in search of well-written, light fun to read fiction that feels totally immersive and transportive. So, here’s what I’m reading this summer.

1. 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand. I’ve never read any of her books, and people refer to her as the Queen of Summer!

2. Summer in the City by Alex Aster. This is probably the trashiest book I have on the table. It’s about a screenwriter who hates New York who’s forced to spend the summer in the city and a billionaire tech guy who needs a fake relationship to bring him good press to cover up the bad press about his company’s acquisition (as someone who’s worked in VC….no???? This does not make any sense.). But I love a New York City story!!

3. Wedding People by Alison Espach. A woman crashes a wedding in Newport, Rhode Island. Count me in! I really want to visit Newport.

4. Notes to John by Joan Didion. Not exactly a beach read, but I want to read everything by Joan Didion wrote. This is a compilation of journal entries she wrote for her husband, John. Sounds like a lighter read than her books about grief.

5. Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. After visiting Ireland earlier this year, my Irish lit obsession continues. Maeve Binchy is one of Ireland’s most celebrated authors and one of my favorite podcasts, The Ringer Dish, just recommended this.

6. We Might Just Make it After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade by Elyce Arons. This is the story of how Elyce and Kate met in college and went on to found Kate Spade, the handbag and clothing company. I looooved Kate Spade products in middle school and I had the pleasure of meeting Elyce once, so I’m very much looking forward to this.

7. I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally. Every summer I read one celebrity memoir. I’ve heard great reviews and Keith McNally’s biting humor cracks me up. I’m excited for this NYC restauranter’s memoir. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times—I love a New York City story!

8. Perfection by Vicenzo Latronico. Anna and Tom, an expat couple, have fashioned a dream life for themselves in Berlin. They are young digital "creatives" exploring the excitements of the city, freelancers without too many constraints, who spend their free time cultivating house plants and their images online. Then something happens. Count me in!!

9. There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. Repeat after me, sprawling family saga across generations and countries!

10. Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams. Charlie is twenty-three, single and the new publicity assistant at London’s preeminent independent book publishing house. Richard Aveling is fifty-six, married and the author who has defined his generation. Charlie has long idolized the charming, illustrious writer, who also represents a link to her late mother who loved his work. But as they embark on an illicit and all-consuming affair, Charlie is forced to hide the relationship from everyone she cares about. Drama!

If you have any other recommendations, drop them in the comments!

And 7 Recommendations for You to Read this Summer: