You Need a "Cool" Read

Want a bonkers book or visit Nextdoor regularly

Hi friends,

I hope those of you in the U.S. had a great Fourth of July. I spent it chasing my cousins’ kids around my parents’ backyard, playing giant Jenga, lighting sparklers and eating hot dogs. All around, a great day.

And, now, what to read if …

You Need a Break from the Heat

With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson

I have two fans pointing at me as I write this, and it’s so sticky even the dog doesn’t want to take a walk. If the heat wave has you dreaming of snow, pick up a copy of Alicia Thompson’s With Love, From Cold World, a winsome romance set in a winter wonderland theme park.

Cold World, an indoor icescape in Orlando, Florida, might not have the cache of other theme parks down the road, but for Asa Williamson, it’s home. He’s held nearly every job at the aging tourist trap and is constantly seeking new ways to brighten his workdays, including teasing Lauren Fox, Cold World’s uptight bookkeeper. Lauren keeps her head down at work, mostly avoiding her coworkers until the theme park’s owner challenges her and Asa to come up with an idea — any idea — to boost revenue and visits. Lauren is shocked to learn that the fun-loving Asa is serious about saving Cold World, and maybe even pursuing a relationship with her.

This was the rare pick that nearly everyone at my book club loved (hilariously, we had to delay our discussion due to a snowstorm). It would have been so easy to write Lauren as an, ahem, ice queen, but Thompson imbues her with a vulnerability that keeps her from becoming a stereotype. These two characters will stay with me for a while. I hope they’re happy.

You Want a Wild Ride of a Novel

Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

During my decluttering sprint earlier this year, I was desperate for propulsive audiobooks that would distract me as I sorted through the piles of stuff scattered around my apartment. Concealed, a YA thriller from Christina Diaz Gonzalez, fit the bill exactly.

Katrina is the latest name our heroine has gone by — it’s just one of many sacrifices required for her family to survive in the Witness Protection Program. Whenever her parents say a city has become unsafe, Katrina packs her bags, dyes her hair and changes her name. She’s known nothing else since waking up after a car crash years earlier, with limited memories of the time before the accident. Her chaotic life grows even nuttier when their location ends up online and her mom and dad disappear. Katrina and her new pal Parker set out to find her parents and finally learn the truth about her past.

Concealed, which won the 2022 Edgar Award Winner for Best Juvenile Mystery, is absolutely bonkers, and I mean that as a compliment. Gonzalez delivers twists, creepy futuristic science and a spy, who’s either a double- or triple-agent. A super fun option if you’re looking for something to read with the kids this summer (Kirkus informs me it’s for children aged 8-12).

You Spend a Lot of Time on the Neighborhood Listserv

Community Board by Tara Conklin

I adore the kind of low-stakes drama that occurs in online neighborhood discussion groups, from the regular complaints on kids and dogs in restaurants to recommendations for dry cleaners. My favorite interaction over the past few years is a woman who accused people of “leash shaming” her, when they suggested she put her dog, who ate everything he found on the street, on a leash. And to think, this is free entertainment. If you share my fascination, consider reading Community Board by Tara Conklin.

Darcy Clipper has returned to her parents’ home in Murbridge, Massachusetts, after her husband unceremoniously leaves her for a sky-diving instructor (later, she uses Excel to run an analysis of all their communications to learn where their relationship went wrong).

Unfortunately, when Darcy pulls in, she’s shocked to learn her parents have moved to Arizona without telling her. Left alone in the house, she subsists off Y2K-era canned goods, avoids a well-meaning neighbor who comes to check on her, sleeps for hours a day and scrolls the community board. Low on funds and Chef Boyardee, Darcy begins to respond to listings on the board, taking on a variety of odd jobs. As she begins to leave her home, she considers whether attempting to build new relationships and connections is worth it.

Community Board is a bit like a cross between My Year of Rest and Relaxation and “Gilmore Girls,” combining the first’s deft examination of depression and the latter’s quirky small-town setting. As Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette, said, "A brilliant, hilarious look at modern-day community and the distance between who we are and who we say we are. Insightful, honest, and surprisingly sly. I loved this book."

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Thanks for reading. I’ll be back next week with the second annual Mid-Summer Murders edition.

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