You’re Working on Your Summer Reading Bingo Card

The books to get you five in a row

Jul 24, 2023

Hi friends,

We’re about halfway through the annual What To Read If Summer Bingo challenge, so I thought it was a good chance to highlight some books from the archives that will help you get Bingo. On Friday, I’ll send around a discussion thread where we can all chat about our fave summer reads and trade Bingo ideas (perfect chance to cross off that “swap book recs with a friend” box).

Quick Rules Reminder

Get a copy of your card here.
Fill it in with books you read between now and Labor Day.
We’ll run on the honor system, but I’m asking everyone to use each book for a single category (i.e. if you listen to an audiobook by a favorite author, you can only use it for one square).
Submit your final card here by Friday, September 8 (Don’t worry. I’ll remind you.) for the chance to win prizes.
If you get Bingo, you’ll get one entry to the raffle. If you fill out your entire card, you’ll get two!

You can see a list of prizes here.

And, now, what to read if…

You Need to Fill the Book Published Before 2020 Box

Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel

Small Admissions is a novel about private school admissions in New York City, featuring parents who share Loughlin and Huffman’s obsession with getting their children into the “right school.” The book’s main character Kate is unemployed, newly single and spending her days watching Sex and the City reruns when she suddenly gets a job as an admissions assistant at an exclusive school.

I loved that this book was both a satire of the insane preschool admissions process and a story about Kate building a life she loves. As she begins working at the school, she also starts putting together the pieces of life — job, friends, family — in a way that works for her instead of just going along for the ride.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Historian spans generations and countries, focusing on three academics who become convinced that Dracula is not only real, but is still alive and hiding. They spend years deciphering obscure texts and hidden symbols, unlocking codes and outwitting adversaries who want to keep the truth hidden. Kostova deftly incorporates Eastern European history, vampire lore and an exploration of how “history” is written.

It took Kostova a decade to write The Historian, and the intricate plotting makes it clear why. It’s a Russian nesting doll of a book — at one point, there are four stories going on at once — yet it never feels complicated or convoluted. I remember reading The Historian in the snack bar at the pool I worked at when it first came out in 2005, dreading when I would have to go out and serve as a lifeguard. I’ve returned to it multiple times since then and found something new each time.

The Audiobook Square Will Give You Bingo

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

If there was ever a book to enjoy on audio, it’s Julia Whelan’s Thank You For Listening, a romance and the adult version of coming-of-age story set in the world of audiobook narration. Whelan, an award-winning narrator, brings her own words to life in the recording and offers a peek into her niche community.

As the book opens, Sewanee Chester, a one-time rising star in Hollywood, is now a top audiobook narrator. She performs heavy, weighty books and eschews romance, claiming its promise of a Happy Ever After is a lie. But, when she gets offered a huge amount of money to record one last romance novel — with wildly popular male narrator Brock McKnight — she begrudgingly accepts, knowing the payout will allow her to fund her deteriorating grandma’s medical care. While recording alternating chapters and trading emails, Sewanee and Brock develop a surprising connection that’s tested as secrets arise.

Thank You For Listening is a love letter to the romance genre — the characters sweetly mock the tropey situations they land in — and the joy of listening to audiobooks. I was especially impressed by Whelan’s ability to incorporate multiple plotlines. While the main plot focuses on Sewanee and Brock’s relationship, there are also well-developed threads on her connections with her family and best friend, her career and her attempts to overcome her past. All this makes Sewanee feel like a real, complex person.

Reminder: I interviewed Julia about this book and her work as a narrator.

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

Cara Romera, the star of How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, is the type of character who stays with you long after you finish the book. She’s a deeply flawed yet loveable human. An immigrant from the Dominican Republic now living in New York in the aftermath of the Great Recession, Cara thought she’d spend the rest of her life working at a factory making little lamps. But when the factory shuts down, she’s unemployed and in a job counseling program instead.

Over the course of 12 sessions with the counselor, Cara recounts her life in stories — fleeing her home country after her husband attempted to kill her, a strained relationship with her sister and son, the care she provides her elderly neighbor and the advice she’s getting from Alicia the Psychic, who may or may not a con artist. Cara is often hilarious, even as her anecdotes highlight sharp and sometimes distressing truths about her life — and the promise of the American dream.

The audiobook of How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, complete with special effects, is a real treat. Narrator Rossmery Almonte imbues such emotion to Cara’s monologues that it feels more like listening to a one-woman play than an audiobook. I’ll have Cara’s voice — and Almonte’s — in my head for a while.

You Want to Cross off that Debut Corner Square

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

In the early chapters of the book, wedding photographer Meddelin Chan accidentally kills her blind date. In a panic, she calls her mother, who in turn, calls her three sisters for assistance. The five women agree to hide the body, but then the corpse is accidentally shipped to the billion-dollar wedding the women are coordinating. In between finishing the lavish floral arrangements and perfecting the bride’s hair and makeup, the Chan women attempt to ditch the body and evade hotel staff.

Dial A for Aunties is perfect for fans of “Jane the Virgin,” combining increasingly absurd scenarios, a family with a lot of love for each other and a lush resort setting.

It made me laugh and want to give all my aunts a giant hug. To maximize your enjoyment, suspend any sense of reality and just enjoy the ride.

The Local by Joey Hartsone

I love a good legal thriller, and based on John Grisham’s enduring popularity, I don’t think I’m the only one. If you’re looking for a new courtroom drama, add Joey Hartstone’s The Local to your TBR list.

The titular local is James Euchre, a patent attorney living in Marshall, Texas. It’s a town that draws dozens of big intellectual property cases each year because of its speedy trials and massive payouts (this is based in real life). To win, though, big-city lawyers need an attorney who can connect with local juries. That’s where James comes in.

As the book opens, James’ new client, Amir Zawar, gets into a heated confrontation with a judge who is found murdered a few hours later. Amir, an outsider with no alibi, is immediately arrested and demands James represent him. The lawyer agrees, not because he believes Amir is innocent, but because the dead judge was his mentor, and he wants to uncover the truth.

Legal thriller fans will find a lot of to love about The Local — memorable characters, a distinct setting and courtroom drama. Hartstone has written for “The Good Wife” (RIP Will Gardner) and “The Good Fight” and carries those shows’ snappy dialogue to the book. I’m hoping it’s the start of a series starring James and his private investigator, Lisa “The Leg” Morgan, a former high school football star.

Thanks, as always, for letting me in your inbox. I look forward to hearing what you’re reading on Friday!

What to Read If is a free weekly book recommendation newsletter. Need a rec? Want to gush about a book? Reply to this email, leave a comment or find me on Twitter or Instagram.

If you’re reading this on Substack or were forwarded this email, and you’d like to subscribe, click the button below.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.