Books to Read Before the Summer Blockbuster

Winner of the National Book Award, Berg’s famous 1978 novel was recently re-released in paperback on the 69th anniversary of Max Perkins’ death. Full of fascinating insight into the publishing world, Berg paints a powerful portrait of one of the greatest editors of all time, who nurtured early 20th century writers like Thomas Wolfe and Edith Wharton. After reading the book, watch Perkins’ world come to life on the big screen in Genius, as he works with greats like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald and brings their writing to life.

Most of you are probably familiar with this classic children’s tale of The Big Friendly Giant, one of Roald Dahl’s best, which he wrote in 1982. Unlike other giants, the 24-foot-tall BFG is far from scary, which is good for Sophie, since he snatches her up in the middle of the night. Adventure ensues when Sophie is soon put in danger, but with the BFG on her side, a happy ending is inevitable. Haven’t read it yet? No worries! At only 224 pages, you can easily gobble up this fun story in a morning, leaving plenty of time to see the matinee.

Louisa Clark is leading a fairly ordinary life—bland boyfriend, over-protective family, dead-end job—when she’s hired to look after Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after a tragic accident. Pre-accident, Will’s life was far from ordinary, full of grand travel, risk-taking adventures, and a thriving career. But now that that’s all been taken from him, he’s turned sullen and moody—and very difficult to be around. When Lou arrives, all cheer and innocence, she changes something in Will and together they embark on a heartbreaking love story that tests the boundaries of love. Fair warning: make sure you have tissues at the ready when you settle in to read the book or watch the movie—we know you’ll cry either way.

This story of two sisters gives us a peek into the near-future, and it’s not pretty. Stranded 30 miles from most of civilization, Nell and Eva have no power and no food. Isolated and alone, the pair are thrust into adulthood, forced to figure how they will survive. Starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood, this gripping thriller will have you hanging on to see if they make it.