Rhody Reads: Reading With Robin Shares Eight Summer Books

Plus hosts Hannah Pittard, Amber Oliver, Laney Katz Becker, and Kate Russo at Alchemy July 16

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This season promises to be one for the books, especially with this slew of summertime releases. Whether you’re beach-bound, hammock-ready, or curled up inside with the AC blasting, here are eight standout books to add a twist to your TBR pile, plus an upcoming opportunity to listen to four of their authors.

Tina Knowles opens up about her extraordinary journey, from growing up in 1950s Galveston to becoming the powerhouse behind three of the most iconic names in music (Beyoncé, Solange, and Kelly Rowland). But Matriarch isn’t just a celebrity memoir, it’s a heartfelt story about motherhood, identity, resilience, and the strength passed from one generation of women to the next. Knowles’s voice is intimate, wise, and full of heart.

Hannah Pittard delves into themes of identity, memory, and artistic ownership in If You Love It, Let It Kill You, a novel as sharp as it is surreal. When a writer discovers her ex-husband’s debut novel is based on her, she spirals into a bizarre midlife crisis, complete with a talking cat and brutal self-examination. Pittard doesn’t hold back, resulting in a read that is funny, biting, and emotionally unfiltered.

In All the Men I’ve Loved Again, Christine Pride introduces Cora Belle, a woman caught between her past and present in the most personal way. Spanning decades, this beautifully told story inspired by real events, explores love, heartbreak, and the chance to make a different choice the second time around. It’s tender, thoughtful, and filled with characters you’ll want to root for. Out July 8.

Set in early 1960s suburbia, In the Family Way invites readers behind closed doors to witness the quiet courage of women confronting impossible choices. Laney Katz Becker skillfully reveals secrets – from hidden pregnancies to subtle acts of defiance – all unfolding amid weekly games of Canasta. The novel is moving, empathetic, and a vivid reminder of social progress alongside ongoing struggles.

Amber Oliver’s debut, When the Music Hits, vibrantly captures the highs and lows of New York’s ruthless music industry. Billie Grand lands her dream position at a record label but quickly encounters office politics, subtle racism, and moral compromises. Tested on all sides, Billie finds renewed purpose in an artist who rekindles her passion for music. This story is smart, soulful, and honest about ambition and authenticity.

Against the backdrop of 1981 South London, Jamaica Road centers on Daphne, the only Black girl in her class, striving to stay under the radar. Everything changes when she meets Connie Small, a bold and magnetic Jamaican immigrant. Lisa Smith’s debut is rich with emotional depth, depicting the complexities of race, class, first love, and family secrets amid a city in transition. Tender, tense, and beautifully crafted.

Beck Dorey-Stein’s Spectacular Things delves into the complicated love between sisters Mia and Cricket Lowe, tight as kids but drifting apart as adulthood takes hold. Cricket is chasing a soccer career, and Mia’s left trying to figure out where she fits in. What follows is a story about ambition, identity, and the quiet heartbreak that comes when the people we love grow in directions we didn’t expect. Dorey-Stein writes with warmth and insight, capturing the messiness of family with grace and bite.

In her second novel Until Alison, Kate Russo delivers a chilling literary thriller set in a small Maine town where buried secrets refuse to stay hidden. After Alison’s murder, her former rival Rachel Nardelli is drawn into a tangled investigation marked by guilt, class divides, and simmering resentments. Russo’s sharp prose and layered characters create a gripping, quietly unsettling story you won’t soon forget.

 

BOOK IT: JULY 16

The Cardigan Connection, Rhody’s original author series returns with Hannah Pittard, Amber Oliver, Laney Katz Becker, and Kate Russo, all discussing their books and more. Books available from Symposium Books. Begins at 6:30pm. Alchemy,
171 Chestnut Street, Providence.  RobinKall.com

 

ABOUT ROBIN KALL

Robin Kall is a literary influencer and head of books at Rohm Feifer Entertainment, with a knack for bringing book lovers together. For over two decades, she’s built a devoted and passionate following, whether in her home state of Rhode Island, online, or anywhere readers gather. As the host of Reading With Robin, Kall has interviewed some of the biggest names in literature. She’s also the mastermind behind countless author events, including her signature Summer With Robin, and the newly minted The Cardigan Connection, which she co-hosts with her daughter, Emily Homonoff. Most recently, Kall co-hosted Former First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid with Rhode Island First Lady Sue McKee at the Rhode Island State House to celebrate the release of Reid’s Death on the Island. When she’s not championing books and authors, Kall enjoys life in the Ocean State with her husband, and their corgi, Benny. Follow her bookish adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and (occasionally) TikTok. Learn more at RobinKall.com

 

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