We love books over here at Southforker. And we especially love our local independent book shops! So starting this month, we’re kicking off a new monthly column, Feed Your Read, where we check in with a different shop each month and see what books they’re excited about, be they hot off the presses, or something staffers are revisiting.
We beginning with one of our faves, BookHampton (41 Main St., East Hampton, 631-324-4939). Right in the heart of East Hampton, there’s something for everyone at this year-round, vibrant bookseller, who for over 50 years has been keeping South Forkers supplied with page-turners. Bought by Carolyn Brody in 2016, the store has a 5,000-strong inventory packed into a 1,000-square foot space, which still somehow manages to come off as airy. There are tons of author events, a monthly book club that meets at LongHouse Reserve (cool, right?), and Brody’s awesome Authors to Schools program, which brings touring writers into local schools to talk about taking on writing as a career, among other topics.
We checked in with Brody and her staffers — here’s what’s on their list for March!
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston https://www.bookhampton.com/book/9780593492918
“My favorite mystery/thriller of 2024 so far. Lots of twists and criminal intrigue. Loved the clever characters. Good for those who loved The Last Thing He Told Me.” — Holly Buchanon
Wow! This is sure to be one of the best books of 2024, a powerful story of a nurse in the Vietnam war. I couldn’t put it down! — Holly Buchanon
Into Siberia by Gregory J. Wallace
“A fascinating and haunting biography of one of the 19th century’s most influential journalists. Kennan began traveling to Sibera in 1865 (!), ostensibly to lay telephone lines, probably a bit to prove his masculinity, and to document Siberia and the exile system. A gripping and chilling chronicle, timely today in understanding the history of Russian brutality.” — Carolyn Brody
Eastbound by Maylis De Karangal
“A gripping, fast paced novel in which a terrified, young Russian conscript on a trans-Siberian train forges an unlikely connection with a French woman who is fleeing her lover. A story about human connection and a masterpiece of narrative tension. — Eve Karlin
“This is a wonderfully unconventional novel about nature and time. North Woods follows a piece of land first inhabited by lovers fleeing their puritan New England village and traces the legacy of that land and those who inhabit it — spinster sisters, an abolitionist, a landscape painter, and their ghosts — to present day. The story is enhanced by a hodgepodge of botanical illustrations, poetry, diary entries, letters, even medical case notes. Engaging and inventive! — Eve Karlin
To browse additional BookHampton Staff Suggestions, visit bookhampton.com.
