The outdoor reading season is officially upon us. Whether you prefer to read in a hammock, on a park bench, or on a beach towel, there’s nothing like enjoying a great book en Plein air. If you’re unsure what to pack in your day bag, we’ve got you covered.
2021 has so much to offer for your literary diet, meaning that even if you’re missing the normal rhythms of social life. You’ll have plenty to keep your mind occupied. Our 3 favorite books of the year thus far come from authors both emerging and established, meditating on everything from life online to live in the intersections of identity.
Set everywhere from the all-too-real world to the distant past, and even peering into the speculative future, these books offer escape, education, and spiritual enlargement—whatever you’re looking for.
Not all of these books have hit shelves yet, but if you see something you like, do yourself a favor and pre-order it. When it lands on your doorstep in mere weeks, consider it a gift from the Past. You don’t waste any time diving in.
The Three Best Books
All too often, we’re told that young adulthood will be the time of our lives—so why isn’t it?. Stauffer explores the diminishing returns of young adulthood in this soulful book, providing meticulous cartography of how outer forces.
From chronic burnout to the loneliness epidemic to the strictures of social media. An Ordinary Age leads with empathy in exploring the myriad challenges facing young adults. While also advocating for a better path forward; one where young people can live authentic lives. Filled with love, community, and self-knowledge.
In this striking debut novel, structured as a polyphonic oral history, a magazine editor traces the electrifying origin. Story of Opal Jewel, an Afro-punk performer, and Nev Charles, an English singer-songwriter. Together the duo produced a singular seventies sound.
They flamed out when a photograph of Opal wrapped in a Confederate flag emerged from a gig turned riot. Decades later, Opal and Nev’s 2016 reunion tour is threatened by a shocking secret. Walton brings rock and roll to life in this powerful story of art and activism’s intersections.
McElroy’s thrilling debut novel centers on Sasha, a wellness influencer who comes into the crosshairs of men’s rights activists. A troll publicly blames her for his suicide while live-streaming the act. Sasha lives in a hyper-real speculative world plagued by “man hordes”: groups of men who temporarily lose consciousness and wreak havoc on society.
Sasha’s fall from grace leads to a reunion with her oldest friend. A struggling actor who persuades her to sign on as his partner in The Atmosphere, a cult to reform toxic men. Darkly funny and glitteringly satirical. The Atmospherians unforgettably takes aim at wokeness, wellness, and toxic masculinity.