10 Westchester Authors to Check Out
Looking for a summer “beach” read? Whether you’re looking for a book to unwind with, or learn something new this summer, these books from Westchester authors are sure to keep you engaged and stimulated. Happy reading.
“Embrace the Work, Love Your Career: A Guided Workbook for Realizing Your Career Goals with Clarity, Intention, and Confidence:” Westchester native Fran Hauser recently released her latest book, “Embrace the Work, Love Your Career: A Guided Workbook for Realizing Your Career Goals with Clarity, Intention, and Confidence.” A follow-up to Hauer’s “The Myth of the Nice Girl,” this book provides guidance through advice and tips, exercises, and creative prompts to help you create a specific career action plan. A great resource, the book gives readers some inner work “homework” to help you to tap into your dream job as you unlock your full potential.
“Unboxed: Essays on Learning to Trust Myself to Stop Doing the Things I Hate:” Part memoir, part advice book, Lauren Schwarzfeld’s new book, “Unboxed: Essays on Learning to Trust Myself to Stop Doing the Things I Hate” is 100% unapologetic as she shares stories of her own “unboxing” through career, family, school, friendships, etc and what she learned along the way. Funny, honest, and completely raw, the essays get to the heart of how Lauren rewrote her own story as she guides readers to do the same. This is a quick and heartfelt book that’s perfect for a lazy day at the beach or pool. Bring a notebook to jot down notes and musings you pick up throughout the book.
“Some Nerve: Lessons Learned While Becoming Brave:” Patty Chang Anker had a lot of fears. Fear of aging, death, crime, driving, biking, and even water were just a few. In her funny and inspiring book, “Some Nerve: Lessons Learned While Becoming Brave,” she uncovers how she tackled those fears and learned to become brave – and thus become a better role model for her daughters. Throughout the book, Anker shares the stories of how she took action and faced what she deemed was scary by learning how to dive in a pool, riding a bike, and learning to surf, to name a few things. By sharing her stories she also encourages readers to tap into what scares them to find their own bravery, and essentially their own joy.
“Relentless: How a Leading New York City Health System Mobilized to Battle the Greatest Health Crisis of Our Era:” Deborah Schupack’s new book, “Relentless: How a Leading New York City Health System Mobilized to Battle the Greatest Health Crisis of Our Era” tackles a huge subject: Mount Sinai’s hospital system. With access to hospital documents and candid interviews from doctors, patients, staff members, students, and nurses, Schupack shares stories from those in the system who were on the front line during the beginning of COVID. A real-life look into the past that wasn’t so long ago, Schupack shares the heroism and fears from the medical community during the start of the virus and what they had to quickly learn at the start of the virus.
“Parenting with Sanity and Joy: 101 Simple Strategies:” For those looking to improve their parenting skills, check out Susan Groner’s insightful book, “Parenting with Sanity and Joy: 101 Simple Strategies.” Through this collection of tips and advice, Sue Groner aka The Parenting Mentor distills her simple strategies to guide parents in their everyday parenting decisions and challenges. Chapters include family time, rules and respect, life skills, and family management, to name a few. This is a book you can reference whenever you need it as you continue to adapt and take in her gentle guidance.
“We Were Mothers:” For some page-turning and suspenseful fiction, check out Katie Sise’s book, “We Were Mothers.” The novel follows what happens when a woman goes missing, and the secrets of two seemingly perfect families. This thriller is perfect for the summer that will keep you guessing about what happened to Cora O’Connell and her daughter as secret after secret comes to the surface.
“The Fragile Edge (A Jimmy Vega Mystery):” Enjoy book six in Suzanne Chazin’s Jimmy Vega series that follows his teetering between worlds – where he grew up in the Bronx and where he works as a cop in a mainly white, suburban community. When a court officer gets shot, Vega has to try to get to the judge who he believes was the real target. A page-turning adventure, the book follows a complex, suspenseful story as we see Vega faces with choices to become a hero, or letting the criminal go.
“Double Helix:” A fascinating story, Irvington resident Robin Dellabough’s new book, “Double Helix” takes readers through scenes of her life through a collection of poems. This includes thoughts and reflections on addiction, divorce, and heredity that reveals Dellabough’s discovery that the man who raised her was not her biological father. Dellabough’s words connect readers to her past as she tries to make sense of the mystery of her parents, and essentially her life.
“Ask Again, Yes:” Best-selling novel, “Ask Again, Yes” by Pearl River native Mary Beth Keane follows the story of two rookie NYPD cops who are also neighbors in the suburbs. The book unveils what happens in their homes, touching on loneliness and instability of their partners as well as what links them – both in love and their struggles. A look at marriage, forgiveness, and the unseen, “Ask Again, Yes” is a powerful page-turner that reveals great depth and truth as told in Keane’s beautiful narrative style.
“Summer of ‘69:” Take a trip to the past in Todd Strasser’s novel, “Summer of ‘69.” The semi-autobiographical book features insight from Strasser’s own past, told through 18-year-old Lucas Baker who just wants to have a “chill” summer with his friends and go to Woodstock. His plans are quickly derailed when he discovers that he might be drafted to fight in Vietnam. On top of that he deals with bad trips, a run-in with a motorcycle gang, and issues with his parents who are getting divorce. A coming of age tale, readers are taken on Baker’s 100 days of summer, revealing the uncertainty of what it means to be 18 while also dealing with the tumultuous time that was ‘69.
