Novels set over one long summer

A National Bestseller An NPR Book of the Year Semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor Finalist for the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer. Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. So when tragedy strikes and Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian, he is, honestly, overwhelmed. Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. But when his waggish set of "Guncle Rules" no longer appease Maisie and Grant's parental void, Patrick's eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you're unfailingly human.

Now a major motion picture starring Glenn Close and directed by Charlie McDowell In The Summer Book Tove Jansson distills the essence of the summer—its sunlight and storms—into twenty-two crystalline vignettes. This brief novel tells the story of Sophia, a six-year-old girl awakening to existence, and Sophia’s grandmother, nearing the end of hers, as they spend the summer on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little cranky; Sophia is impetuous and volatile, but she tends to her grandmother with the care of a new parent. Together they amble over coastline and forest in easy companionship, build boats from bark, create a miniature Venice, write a fanciful study of local bugs. They discuss things that matter to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and of love. “On an island,” thinks the grandmother, “everything is complete.” In The Summer Book, Jansson creates her own complete world, full of the varied joys and sorrows of life. Tove Jansson, whose Moomintroll comic strip and books brought her international acclaim, lived for much of her life on an island like the one described in The Summer Book, and the work can be enjoyed as her closely observed journal of the sounds, sights, and feel of a summer spent in intimate contact with the natural world. The Summer Book is translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal.

'I devoured THE SHAMPOO EFFECT . . . it's funny, drama-fuelled, and full of Jackson's breezy wit.' Coco Mellors, Sunday Times bestselling author of BLUE SISTERS 'So breezily readable and laugh-out-loud funny while excavating the deepest truths about motherhood, family, and forgiveness.' CATHERINE NEWMAN, author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS 'An absolute DELIGHT . . . a must, must, must for your summer reading list' Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of THE PERFECT COUPLE 'Funny, sharp and charming' Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of IN FIVE YEARS OVER ONE LONG SUMMER, WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT COME OUT IN THE WASH? When writer Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, she falls immediately for its scenic beaches and New England charm - and even harder for Van Whittaker, a gorgeous, fleece-wearing, litter-collecting, kayak enthusiast. She meets his friends: Augusta, old money and uptight; Fran, drowning in everyone else's problems whilst keeping two kids (and an inebriated husband) afloat; and Bailey, who is sexy, confident... and inconveniently pregnant with Van's child. Determined nothing will dull the shine of her new romance, Caroline joins the friends as they run wild through Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, gossiping on beaches while their children paddle, and playing risky games. It seems the fun will last forever - until it doesn't. As decades-old friendships and marriages begin to fracture, Caroline's place in their world is called into question. And with all the group's most tightly held secrets at stake, who knows what might come out? Dazzlingly funny, sexy, and as juicy as it is astute, The Shampoo Effect is a story of late-night parties, early mornings with small children, and old friends finally growing up - despite all their best efforts.