🏖️📚 Be our 'Guest'

Also: Book-inspired TV show recommendations [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  This newsletter is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. What book are we bringing to the beach this week? "[The Guest]( by Emma Cline After the success of “The Girls” (2016), “Daddy: Stories” (2020) and a myriad of published essays, Middlebury College grad Emma Cline is back with “The Guest.” This is a messy coming-of-age tale about a young woman who moves to NYC from a nondescript small town to make something of herself but has to deceive, steal and lie to survive. Unfortunately for her, she is being chased by her past and trying her best to outrun it. Back of the cover: Alex, a 22-year-old NYC party girl and grifter, gets kicked out of her apartment for stealing and not paying rent. But worry not, she always finds her way back on her feet through her job in sex work and street smarts. She’s currently dating Simon, a wealthy older suitor who brings her to his beach house on Long Island for the rest of the summer. Unfortunately for her, she slips up at his dinner party and he dumps her from his vacation compound. Not willing to give up on her summer of riches, she plans to win him back at his Labor Day party, which is just five days away. She just has to keep herself afloat in Long Island until then by tapping into her old ways: lying, swindling and wandering into people’s homes for shelter. Why I like it: I’m all for the anxiety-inducing young ingenue. It’s one of the most relatable archetypes for me and my friends. A tale like this will keep you on your toes the entire time because of its chaotic protagonist who, at the end of the day, is just trying to survive her own life. Read this if... You like shows like “Insecure,” “High Fidelity,” “Girls” or any other entertainment with a self-destructive protagonist. This is like those but turned all the way up. Pairs well with: The cheapest bottle of prosecco and stale french fries from your local dive bar. Happy reading, Christian Burno Arts & Culture contributor [Follow]( Support the news Tell us: What book are you breezing through? It could be fiction or nonfiction, funny or scary. Reply to this email to share your favorite read and why you like it (so we can all add it to our beach book reading lists). From Book To Screen Left to right, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton and Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma in "Bridgerton." (Colin Hutton/Netflix) When I don’t feel like reading, I just turn on my television and watch a show adapted from a book instead. (Still counts as reading to me, though!) Here are some of my favorite shows adapted from books in recent years: "[Normal People]( by Sally Rooney: This show came to us right at the beginning of the pandemic. A mini-series that packs a lot of emotional punch. I was in my room crying during the six episodes and it still makes me emotional thinking about Paul Mescal’s character Connell. "[Bridgerton]( by Juila Quinn: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Shonda Rhimes’ incredible show in this list. Me, along with the rest of the internet, ate this show up! You could feel the yearning and chemistry through the screen. (And I’m eagerly awaiting season three!) "[The Summer I Turned Pretty]( by Jenny Han: I trust no one more than Jenny Han to tell a coming-of-age story. I mean, she already gave us "[To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before]( which reignited my love of romantic comedies a few years back. Bonus: "[The Other Black Girl]( by Zakiya Dalila Harris — this comes out next month, but I am anticipating a fun, thrilling watch. Seen While Scrolling Sarah Thompson is a Boston book influencer with recommendations for reads, indie bookstore suggestions, monthly book roundups and literature reviews on [Instagram]( and [TikTok](. Her content is incredibly funny and refreshing.  From The Archives [Emma Cline Reads “The Iceman” | The Writer's Voice: New Fiction from The New Yorker | WNYC]( The author reads her story from the August 23, 2021, issue of the magazine. [Read more.]( [Emma Cline Reads “The Iceman” | The Writer's Voice: New Fiction from The New Yorker | WNYC]( The author reads her story from the August 23, 2021, issue of the magazine. [Read more.]( 📘 The 'BUR Beach Blanket 🏖️ What are you reading to beat the heat? "In the middle of blistering heat in the Northwest, I’m consuming 'Empire of Ice and Stone' [by Buddy Levy], a riveting unimaginable story about an Antarctic expedition on the brigantine Karluk in the early 1900s." — Bill M., a WBUR newsletter reader  😎 Forward to a friend. [They can sign up here.]( 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   # # Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here.](  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here](. Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.