Annually, the Water & Wall team takes an agency-wide “summer break” to rest and rewind. While we’ll be checking email and staying up to date on the latest news, we’ll mostly be spending time with loved ones (with dogs top of the list!) at the beach, lake, backyard pools and across the pond (hello, Scotland!).
We know reading emails wouldn’t be enough, though. Like the comms pros we are, new reading material was in order, leading us to a team field trip to Rizzoli Bookstore, our favorite local gem.
So, if you’re like us, and find yourself on a summer break, here are our 11 books to read this summer:
Kevin’s Rec: A Dystopian Utopia for A Long Drive
If by some odd coincidence, you are also driving upstate to take belated engagement photos before heading out east on Long Island for your fiancé’s annual family weekend, and are in need of a beautiful love story to fill the time during the drive, The Ferryman is absolutely not the book for you. Sorry to disappoint, but I had you there for a second, right?
The truth is I’m a sucker for mysteries, and Justin Cronin’s book follows the story of one man who’s responsible for transporting citizens between two utopian islands set within a post-apocalyptic world. When he reunites with his father, he discovers the utopia may not be so utopian after all. I can’t pretend it relates to my upcoming plans, but I felt like I had to pick it off the shelf.
Rebecca’s Rec: Does Design Really Matter? Unpacking My New Home
If you’ve moved multiple times in the last few years like I have, you’d start to ask yourself how much the space and the design of that said space has to do with your well-being. That’s why I’m starting The Architecture of Happiness this summer break, as I spend a few of my many days off putting the finishing touches on my new space.
The book not only explores your personal space and how this impacts mindset but argues that a well-decorated commercial venue also alters how we think. Lucky for me, I also get the chance to test that theory at my brother’s wedding during this summer break. Will all my issues be resolved post-beautiful wedding on the water? STAY TUNED!
Andrew’s Rec: Eat, Swim, Read – Repeat
At any given moment, there’s a very strong chance I’m doing at least one of the following things: swimming (shout out to Dr. Wallace Nichols / Blue Mind!), eating or reading. Which is why my book choice, Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D’, hits so close to home for me. I worked at a ton of restaurants from age 15-25, including in NYC when I was first living in the city and starting out in PR. I’ve always been fascinated by the inner workings of restaurants, from the owners to the patrons to the cooks/chefs to the front of the house, etc. It’s a wild, crazy and exciting place to be (sort of like working at an agency!), and I try to read as many food memoirs and books as possible, so I’m looking forward to diving into this book as well as whatever pools, bays and oceans I hopefully get to during our summer break.
Mike’s Rec: Ready to Rock
My family is visiting New York for the week of our summer break. I haven’t seen them in almost 6 months now and can’t wait to show them around! Thinking of my family, I decided to pick up the book Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd: Dark Globe. My parents always loved Pink Floyd and honestly when I was younger I didn’t really get it. I’ve grown to love them myself, too, and the Syd Barrett story, while tragic, has clearly had a distinct impact on the band and the way their music grew over the years.
Alaina’s Rec: A Cult Classic Beach Read
If you find yourself on a family & friend vacation where all the dads of the group were in the same fraternity, I got the read for you – Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism. I mean, they say Greek Life draws parallels to cults, right? So, it only makes sense. Kidding!
Amanda Montell argues that the power of cults boils down to one thing – language. From SoulCycle to Scientology, this book explores the social science of cult culture and begs the question, could you be drawn into a cult?
Katie’s Rec: New Summer, New Book by Emily St. John Mandel
I’ll be poolside this summer with my two favorite companions: my kids. Between applying sunscreen and making snacks, I’ll be sneaking in time to read the companion novel to Station 11 (my 2022 summer book pick), The Glass Hotel. I can’t wait to spend some more time with my favorite book characters in another entrancing, time-jumping novel and spend some real time with my favorite little characters under the sun!
Jen’s Rec: The Cady Heron of Books
I loved Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius too much for words. Plus, when I saw Katie reading The Circle by Eggers (and army pants with flip flops), it made sense for me to immediately go out and buy it too. Since every day of summer is a dog day for me, I’m so excited to spend my break with my dog, Ziggy, and crack open my new book.
P.S. Ziggy said if you didn’t get the Mean Girls joke, you can’t sit with us!
Jesse’s: Emily Henry + 90s British romcom = Big Smile
Lately I’ve been leaning into the light and fluffy easy summer reads that leave you with a smile on your face afterwards, and Emily Henry’s books are exactly that. Picture the book equivalent of a 90s British romcom and that’s basically her vibe. I’m looking forward to digging into her latest book, Happy Place, while I travel around Scotland and California with my sister, taking in the sights, sipping good scotch, and catching up with old friends. We’ll be celebrating our late dad’s birthday too!
Carmella’s: Escapism on the Lake
Spending my summer break at my best friend’s lake house calls for my favorite way to relax – a fantasy novel. Not to be dramatic, but I can’t think of a better way to unwind than submerging myself in a different world and forgetting about my own for a little while. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab seems perfect for this occasion. Addie Larue is a young woman who, in 1714, made a Faustian bargain to live forever and is now cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. 300 years later, she meets a man who remembers her name. I’m so excited to jump into Addie’s world while laying lakeside.
Sonia’s Rec: A Digital Read for the Unplugged
As the self-proclaimed resident Black Mirror fan of the agency, the Bandersnatch episode (?) aka interactive video game has been on my mind recently with the release of the newest season. That coupled with the fact that so many people have been raving about this book has led me to read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. The irony of it all is that while I embark on this journey about the connection and relationships that unfold through the creation of a digital world, I’ll likely be reading this from Upstate New York, deep in nature.
Matt’s Rec: Traveling How To
While traveling down the North Carolina coastline, I’ll be diving into essays on traveling while doing exactly what the title suggests, How to Travel. As I’ll be reading, my dog, Gunner, will be running on a loop as he thinks the ocean is chasing him.
It’s clear we like reading, but we also like listening. Are we a team that walks to the beat of our own drum? Possibly. Here’s our top beats of the summer, shuffle as you please: Water & Wall’s 2023 Summer Songs.