It started as an ode to the pleasures of summer reading — but Bedside Reading, the curated boutique hotel books project launched by award-winning TV and film producer Jane Ubell-Meyer, is bringing story time to the nightstands of Hamptons Film Festival goers.
“Film festivals remind me of something I’ve believed my entire career: Everything starts with a great story,” said Meyer in a statement to the press. “Some stories are discovered on a screen. Some are discovered on a bedside table. And sometimes the book you pick up when you least expect it becomes the one you can’t stop thinking about.”
With the Hamptons International Film Festival bringing scores of moviegoers to the town for one of the most exciting, accessible film festivals that offer an exclusive peek into upcoming exciting movies, writers, directors and actors on the horizon, Meyer’s Fall Collection is aimed at keeping the plot as thick as possible.
There are 11 hotels participating in this autumnal offering from Bedside Reading: The Maidstone, Journey East Hampton, Mill House Inn, Hotel Moraine, The Baker House 1650, Capri Southampton, Southampton Inn, 1708 House, Canoe Place Inn & Cottages, Marram Montauk and Beachcomber Resort at Montauk. Each of these spots will be receiving the following books to be bestowed upon the nightstands for lucky story-loving guests:
- Twisted Lives by Tamara Merrill. A mother’s search for her missing son unravels into a psychological thriller about memory and deception.
- What We Left Behind by Valerie Nifora. A novel about the secrets families carry and the courage it takes to move forward.
- The Big Day by Lisa Cheek. A commitment skeptic says yes at 49, then discovers the wedding didn’t legally count.
- What Nature Teaches Us by Clay and Amber Vilhauer. A mother and son find lessons in resilience through the natural world.
- A River Remembers by Lee Clark. A forensic entomologist returns home to find a murder, a hidden family and a killer watching her every move.
- Tortured Soles by Fran Weinstein. Twenty-two years as an entertainment TV producer, told with candor and humor.
- His Daughter by Caryn M. McGill. God’s daughter is cast down to Earth and must choose between redemption and judgment.
- The Eureka Machine by Richard Socher. An AI pioneer on how artificial intelligence could compress a century of scientific discovery into a decade.
- Liberation From the Diet Prison by Regina Oswald. A path to body-mind harmony built on compassion, not restriction.
In addition, VIP ticket holders for HIFF will be treated to four best-sellers will be bestowed up on the gift bags offered during this year’s festival: Where the Heart Meets the Sea by Kimbra Drake, Blood in the Low Country by Paul Attawy, A River Remembers by Lee Clark and Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous by Christine Stringer.
Tickets to films can be purchased individually starting at $20 and up to $45 for opening night. Senior citizens get 20% off general and spotlight-designated movies in the line-up. Festival packages start at $180. The Hampton Jitney will be offering shuttle service between Southampton and Montauk during the festival and if you show your package badge or ticket stub, you ride for free. Get your seat for your favorite flick picks here.
