Happy summer! Today is the longest day of the year, and the official beginning of the summer season. Whether you’ve got vacations, beach days, or just better weather to look forward to for the next few months, we wanted to make sure you had a stack of great books to go along with your plans.
The ABA Journal is currently considering its nominations for the 2017 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. On June 30th, their four-person panel will vote on the winner, and by weighing in on this poll, you and fellow readers can be the fifth vote.
Molly McDonough, editor and publisher of the ABA Journal, said, “We’re particularly excited about the diversity of topics in this year’s finalists: a compelling narrative on race in America, a riveting piece of historical fiction on the lawyering behind the electrification of America, and a gripping legal thriller with a race against the death penalty at the center of the story.”
You can also follow up on last year’s Harper Lee prize winner, Pleasantville by Attica Locke.
We asked around the office to see what everyone was reading at One Legal, and we wanted to share our recommendations with you! From legal thrillers to fantasy favorites, there’s a little taste of something for everyone.
Richard Heinrich, Senior Marketing Manager
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes — After a childhood together, the creator of Sherlock Holmes seeks to prove the innocence of his childhood friend, while considering the different paths their lives have taken them.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini — Two women from different generations are brought together by war, loss, and fate in the Middle East.
Mike Stevens, Director of Sales
The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer — Is there a connection between the four successful assassinations of American Presidents and the newest threat of today? Government archivist Beecher White is going to find out.
Lili Daniel, Customer Success Manager
Intuitive Being by Jill Willard — A guide for unlocking the power of your intuition to tap into the profound power of what you already know. “Connect with spirit. Find your center. And choose an intentional life.”
milk and honey by Rupi Kaur — Centered around one woman’s real experiences, this is a moving collection of poetry and prose surrounding violence, abuse, love, loss, feminity, and survival.
Rising Strong by Brene Brown — One social scientist’s look at courage, shame, vulnerability, and worthiness, and her discovery that the strongest leaders recognize the power of emotion and are unafraid of leaning in to the discomfort.
Erik Knuppel, Director of Operations
Coming Apart by Charles Murray — Examining research from the past 50 years, this is an examination of how classes in America were formed, and how the core values and behaviors of different groups have diverged across those decades.
Denise Holden, Account Manager
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon — The third installment of a sweeping time-travel series, wherein a nurse from the 1940s finds herself in eighteenth-century Scotland, Clair must decide whether to follow her heart and find out if history can ever truly be changed.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg — A great book about why people do what they do in life and business–and how the most ingrained of habits can be changed.
Brian Carideo, Court Integration Manager
A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr — The true story of a class action lawsuit against two major corporations accused of dumping toxic chemicals into a river–and the lawyer who botched the case.
Katie McGonegal, Email Marketing Manager
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen — A comical mystery about a young woman who takes revenge on her cheating husband after he thinks he murdered her and the detective determined to prove that it was no accident.
Follow Her Home by Steph Cha — After being caught on the trail of a cheating girlfriend, Juniper Song is knocked unconscious and wakes up with a dead body in her trunk. This modern day noir features a female lead with the strength, smarts, and vices of the genre.
Visnu Ghosh, Business Analyst
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen — A young man, an equestrian rider, and an elephant decide their fates together while traveling and working with a circus during the Great Depression.
Lisa Eggers, Community Marketing Manager
The Litigators by John Grisham — Written by the master of legal fiction himself, a trio of misfit attorneys turn from ambulance chasing to the case that could make their careers, if only it isn’t too good to be true.
Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales by Randy Singer — After an ex-con-turned-lawyer teams up with one of the greatest legal minds in the business, the two take on the defense of a high-profile murder. But who is targeting members of their firm, and can they survive long enough to find out?
Ryan Edwards, Software Engineer
The Peripheral by William Gibson — This science fiction mystery-thriller follows two characters in different possible futures, one a “have” and the other a “have-not,” and imagines what could be coming next for our own timeline.
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole — A classic tragicomedy following the ridiculous figure of Ignatius J. Reilly on a series of unfortunate events that will eventually determine his fate.
Brooke Greene, Customer Success Representative
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda — A psychological thriller investigating the disappearances of two young women more than a decade apart, all told in reverse: from Day 15 to Day 1.
Lindsey Dean, Content Marketing Manager
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak — How do books impact the soul? Narrated by the character of Death, this story follows a girl and her foster parents during World War II, and what happens to their stolen books–and to the smuggled man in their basement.
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes — Fans of “Shondaland” television will be especially interested in this book, written and narrated by Shonda Rhimes herself, a sometimes laugh-out-loud, other times tearjerking story about how saying ‘yes’ to the things that scared her changed her life.
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What are you reading this summer? We’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments.
