Swash Reads 2021
It isn’t fall until we’ve done our Swash Summer Reads Wrap-Up! Check out our favorite reads of the season below.
Josh Berthume, President/CEO, read:
Yearbook, Seth Rogen
The Shining, Stephen King
Forget The Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth, Jason Stanford, Chris Tomlinson, Bryan Burrough
The Sandman Acts I and II, Neil Gaiman
After The Fall, Ben Rhodes
The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green
The Tradition, Jericho Brown
Crossover, Vol. 1: Kids Love Chains, by Donny Cates
I Wear The Black Hat: Grappling With Villains, by Chuck Klosterman
Leaving Isn't The Hardest Thing, by Lauren Hough
Josh on Forget the Alamo:
“A history of the history of the Alamo, with a sharp and incisive deconstruction of how the false and problematic ‘heroic Anglo’ narrative of what happened at the Alamo came to be. Really excellent.”
Jessica Zerbe, Creative Group Head, read:
Flight Behavior, Barbara Kingsolver
Jess on Flight Behavior:
“I bought this book off the shelf, knowing only that it was written by Kingsolver, hoping it was not about airplanes. (It's not!) Kingsolver talks about climate change via a fictional plot involving the great annual Monarch migration gone awry. But it's the power of her language — in describing a scene, when capturing a moment — and the characters she creates that made this a can't-put-down read for me. Still on a high from the universe she created, I've taken to scouring my dusty, unattended bookshelves for the next fix.”
Joan Wells, Account Services Director, read:
The Coldest Case, James Patterson
The Girls in the Stilt House, Kelly Mustian
Joan on The Coldest Case:
“An acceptable book if you need something to fill a 4-hour drive and keep you somewhat engaged/awake.”
Diana Leilani Fonner, Director of Agency Operations, read:
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire, Delilah Dawson
A Small Space, Jamaica Kincaid
Dune, Frank Herbert
Diana on Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire:
“Delilah Dawson makes the extended universe of Star Wars feel not so far, far away. I loved visiting Black Spire through her writing. Vi Moradi (Starling), a Resistance spy, made her second appearance in this novel and I appreciate the way you get to know the characters fueling the larger universe. Basically, I'm ready to land on Batuu and grab a ronto wrap with friends. This was a perfect summer read for me.”
Nico Tracewell, Junior Media Planner, read:
Destiny Grimoire Anthology Volume I: Dark Mirror, Multiple Authors
The Fires of Paratime, L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark, Claudia Gray
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, Gene Luen Yang
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters Vol. 2: Target Valance, Ethan Sacks
Destiny Grimoire Anthology Volume II: Fallen Kingdoms, Multiple Authors
Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman
Firefly: The Ghost Machine, James Lovegrove
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search, Gene Luen Yang
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: The Engine Job, Alyssa Wong
Star Wars: Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand, Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole
Marvel 1602, Neil Gaiman
Destiny Grimoire Anthology Volume III: War Machines, Multiple Authors
Redshirts, John Scalzi
Nico on The Fires of Paratime:
“I initially picked this book up because of how oddly similar the concept is to the new Loki Disney+ show. Basically, Loki is a time cop and learns that the time cop organization he works for is corrupt, so he works on the inside to take them down. The book jumps around a lot, taking a long time to thread the various plot points together, but it's never boring and keeps a fast pace the whole way through. And I love the way the author describes the characters' interactions with time (although it can get a bit confusing). Overall, it was a fun read with surprisingly relevant social commentary.”
Faith Morrison, Copywriter, read:
Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Faith on Malibu Rising:
“I’ve been in a reading slump all summer, and this easy read was the only book I was able to finish. I've read this author before and her books aren't necessarily life-changingly good, but they are interesting enough and she tends to write about 70's rock stars and the like, which is fun.”
