Beach books and romance recommendations -- perfect for August

Also this week: 'The Lorax' turns 50, critics' picks and more [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Petra Mayer [Island Affair, by Priscilla Oliveras, Honey Girl, by Morgan Rogers, and Intercepted, by Alexa Martin]( NPR Happy Friday the 13th! Can I blame today's bad luck for my inability to get this newsletter out on time yesterday? That's what I'm gonna go with. There are two-and-change more weeks of August left, so there's still time for summer reads -- and we've got some great ones for you this week, starting with romance superstar Jasmine Guillory, who joined Weekend Edition's Lulu Garcia-Navarro [to recommend some of her favorite romances.]( "I want to feel like I'm inside the story, you know? I want characters who feel real to me, who, even if I have nothing in common with them, I understand why they're behaving the way they are," Guillory says. "I think about their struggles, and I understand why they're falling in love. I think that's the most important thing for me in a romance, is to really know that these two people are meant for each other, and to feel like I'm kind of tagging along on their love story. That's my favorite part." Also, if you haven't read Intercepted, what are you WAITING for? --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Dream Girl, by Laura Lippman, Death of a Showman, by Mariah Fredericks, The Deep Blue Good-By, by John D. MacDonald, A Princess in Theory, by Alyssa Cole]( NPR But wait, as the commercials say, there's more! We also have beach read queen Meg Cabot, who stopped by Weekend Edition Saturday to recommend some favorites to Scott Simon. Cabot -- whose newest, No Words, is out next month -- brought a wide range of reads, from classic hardboiled detective fiction to charming contemporary romance (Alyssa Cole, yay!) to historical mystery. [Check that out here.]( Call it fate or an unfortunate coincidence -- Dr. Seuss's environmental classic The Lorax turned 50 the same week as the UN released an [urgent report on the dire consequences of human-caused climate change](. Our own Elizabeth Blair talked to scientists, environmentalists and educators [about the book's legacy]( -- and how prescient it turned out to be. As Seuss himself wrote: UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better. It's not. [The Lorax, by Doctor Seuss]( Finally this week, another bumper crop of reviews from our hard-working critics! [Susan Williams' White Malice]( looks at the CIA's meddling in Africa in the 1950s and 60s, as African nations gained independence. Critic Lily Meyer says no single book could encompass the topic, but White Malice "overflows with fascinating information, original research and bold ideas." [YZ Chin's debut Edge Case]( follows a Malaysian immigrant struggling with a failing marriage and a job at a sexist tech startup. Critic Michael Schaub calls it "a wonderful novel, smart but not showy, emotional but not sentimental." Mona Awad riffs on Shakespeare's "problem play" All's Well that Ends Well in her new novel about a washed-up drama teacher convinced a production of the play will solve all her pains and troubles. Critic Kristen Martin says [All's Well]( readers to witness female pain]( and society's refusal to acknowledge it. And in Britta Lundin's charming new YA novel Like Other Girls, a hot-tempered sports star gets kicked off her basketball team for brawling -- and discovers a whole new way of living once she tries out for football instead. Critic Alethea Kontis says ["I loved this book on all its different levels."]( [White Malice, by Susan Williams]( [Edge Case, by YZ Chin]( [All's Well, by Mona Awad]( [Like Other Girls, by Britta Lundin]( I hope books bring you what you need this week! — Petra --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [books@npr.org](mailto:books@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]