Four Summer Reads for a Good Cause

Cape Fear Literacy Council helps more than 500 adults each year through free, individualized and confidential instruction in reading, math, digital literacy, English language learning and citizenship. Through its programs and community outreach, the nonprofit also works to foster a love of books and reading across the region.

That mission is supported in part by Friends of Literacy, a volunteer group that sorts book donations, organizes book sales and runs an Amazon book shop to benefit CFLC. Their next used book sale is set for May 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Hi-Wire Brewing Co., where books will be priced from $1 to $3. Additional sales are planned for Aug. 6 at Good Hops in Carolina Beach and Dec. 9 at Hi-Wire, both from 5 to 8 p.m.

Between sales, readers can also browse Friends of Literacy’s Amazon book store, where the inventory is updated regularly with affordable titles in a variety of genres. And when it is time to clear a little shelf space at home, donated books can be dropped off at Cape Fear Literacy Council, Building A, 1012 S. 17th St., Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tax receipts are available, and proceeds support literacy and learning right here in the community.

For your own reading list this season, CFLC recommends four popular picks, each offering a very different kind of escape.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

When Joy Delaney disappears, her family’s polished façade begins to crack. As suspicion falls on her husband, the Delaneys are forced to confront old tensions, buried secrets and the unsettling possibility that the people closest to you may be the hardest to know.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

After her beloved grandmother dies, 7-year-old Elsa sets out to deliver a series of apology letters that reveal hidden stories, old wounds and unexpected connections. Funny, imaginative and deeply moving, it’s a novel about grief, forgiveness and the kind of love that helps a child make sense of the world.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

After a family tragedy, a once-famous sitcom star finds himself caring for his young niece and nephew in Palm Springs. Witty, tender and emotionally sharp, “The Guncle” is a story about grief, chosen family and the unexpected ways love can pull people back to life.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

In 1960s California, brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott is pushed out of the lab and into an unlikely new role as a TV cooking-show host. Smart, funny and sharply observed, “Lessons in Chemistry” blends feminism, science and resilience into a story about refusing to be underestimated. 

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