Astoria Bookshop's Ultimate End-of-Summer Reading List

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Looking for summer reading material? In Beach Reads, we're asking some of the city's top bookstores the age-old question: read any good books lately?

With only a few leisurely-beach-reading weekends left, picking the right book is key, which is why we called up Astoria Bookshop owner Lexi Beach for her top summer page-turners.

Read on for the Simon & Schuster alum's picks—including the "glorious" conclusion to a fantasy trilogy, a coming-of-age tale that "nails the everyday anxiety of living through high school," and an "essential" collection of cultural criticism.

The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman
"At last, the conclusion to the trilogy that began with The Magicians! If, like me, you fell in love with Brakebills and Fillory, you will be equally enchanted with this glorious final volume."

The Fever by Megan Abbott
"Abbott's latest reads like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but without a witty heroine to vanquish the demon. She nails the everyday anxiety of living through high school, with creepy supernatural overtones as a bonus."

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
"Everything Gay writes is compelling and gorgeous, whether it's her Tumblr, her recent novel (An Untamed State), or her live-tweeting of The Barefoot Contessa. This collection of cultural criticism is essential reading."
· Astoria Bookshop [Official Site]
· All Beach Reads Posts [Racked NY]