Summer 2022 Reading Recommendations

Looking for some juicy reading material for your summer getaway? You’ve come to the right place! 

There are lots of new titles to choose from, including the latest from best-selling novelists Jennifer Egan, Isabel Allende and Stephen King, as well as the critically acclaimed “South to America” by Imani Perry, which explores the history of America as viewed from below the Mason-Dixon line. 

If you seek heavier fare, dive into one of the recipients of the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, which recognizes literary works that illuminate the law and our judicial system.

Below are top fiction recommendations from Today, Goodreads and the ABA Silver Gavel Awards.

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10 Picks for Fiction

1. “South to America” by Imani Perry. “[A] native Alabaman returns home and looks at her state with fresh eyes — and learns about the stories and experiences of others she's met along the way.”
2. “Violeta” by Isabel Allende. “It centers around Violeta, the first girl in a family of five boys, whose life is marked by ‘extraordinary events’ such as the Spanish flu and the Great Depression [and] written in the form of letters to someone she loves.”
3. “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson. “Byron and Benny are left with a lot of questions after the death of their mother, Eleanor Bennett. Mainly, questions about the inheritance she left behind: a traditional Caribbean black cake.”
4. “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley. “The story of Jess, who needs a fresh start and leans on her half-brother, Ben, who lives in Paris, for a place to stay. When she arrives at his apartment, however, he's not there.”
5. “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan. “Bix Bouton is 40, the successful head of a tech company, the father of four kids and hungry for new ideas. After he stumbles into a conversation group, he gets his big new idea: “Own Your Unconscious.” With this technology, you can access every memory you've ever had — and exchange them for the memories of others.”
6. “Memphis” by Tara M. Stringfellow. “Joan discovers she has the power to change her family's legacy, she finds a way to heal with all of the trauma that they have been through — with her paintbrush.”
7. “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel. “Edwin St. Andrew has crossed the Atlantic at just 18 years old and finds himself entering a forest when he reaches land. He hears a violin echoing in an airship terminal and is spooked. Two centuries later, a writer features a passage in a book that seems a little too familiar.”
8. “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry. “Bookworm Nora Stephens and editor Charlie Lastra keep bumping into each other in the small town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, where Nora has escaped to for the summer.”
9. “The It Girl” by Ruth Ware. “A mystery about one woman's search to find answers about her friend's murder.”
10. “Billy Summers” by Stephen King. “A hitman takes one final job.”

Sources: 12 of the best new books to read in 2022 - TODAY  and Goodreads.

ABA Silver Gavel Awards

1. “Believing—Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence” by Anita Hill
2. “Punitive Excess” by the Brennan Center for Justice (documentary series)
3. “Black Legal History in Oklahoma: May 2021 Oklahoma Bar Journal” by the Oklahoma Bar Association/Oklahoma Bar Journal
4. “Legal Roadblocks to Police Accountability” by the Gateway Journalism Review/Pulitzer Center
5. “The Real Damage” by The Washington Post (series)
6. “Unsettled—Cashing in on Accident Victims” by the Star Tribune (series)

Source: 2022 Silver Gavels go to book by Anita Hill, documentary about trailblazer Pauli Murray (abajournal.com)

Why choose Lawyers Mutual for your financial protection? One reason is experience. Lawyers Mutual has been in business since 1977 and insures more than 8000 lawyers in North Carolina. We’ve been providing continuous protection from professional liability to NC lawyers longer than any other insurance company. Another reason is stability. The company’s financial strength is absolute. Since 1999, Lawyers Mutual has paid dividends fourteen times, with more than $8 million dollars returned to policyholders since 2011. Want even more reasons? Visit our website, give us a call, or ask a colleague why Lawyers Mutual is the smart choice for liability coverage.