Sail Away with a Good Book

There is no Frigate like a Book

To take us Lands away

Nor any Coursers like a Page

Of prancing Poetry –

This Traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of Toll –

How frugal is the Chariot

That bears the Human Soul –

Emily Dickinson 

It's officially summer in Old Town, Alexandria, but you don't need us reminding you of that fact. Frizzy hair, soupy air, melt your face off temps. We've got it all in our swampy little city by the river. So maybe that's why we have sailing on the mind? Or maybe it's the adorable sailboat-shaped kites Ally found online and decided to build a display around (pictured here)? 

Who's to say? Whatever the inspiration, we've got boats on the brain. Here are some thoughts about sailing away - wind at our backs, books as our sails. Because no, we don't actually know anyone who has an actual boat. We're gonna pull an Emily Dickinson and use ye ole imagination. That's the power of books! 

But, like - if you do have a boat and you want to take a few booksellers out on a day trip - you know where to find us. 

Enjoy some of our favorite boat/pirates/water-adjacent books to sail away with this summer!

Ally’s Picks

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. Ok fine it's about airplanes. But the inciting incident, The Who origin story of the protagonist, has to do with a boat sinking. Boats appear throughout the story, so do themes of exploration, the expansiveness of the sky and ocean, crossing oceans, disappearing in them. This book certainly takes you "to lands far away." Author Maggie Shipstead traveled the world for her research - read it and feel like you have, too.

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. I'm the resident dad-book reader around here. Love me some pop history books by old white dudes, what can I say? I think it's because my dad is himself an old white dude, and I read whatever I found around our house as a kid. Which is how I came to be a sixteen year old reading about 1820s sailors (spoiler alert) cannibalizing each other. Which oddly is not what has stuck with me these 22 years since reading it. They ate Galapagos turtles and drank their blood! Those bastards!

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson. My bookseller super power is suggesting to you your favorite book you've already read seven times and have four editions of. Have you heard of this great book called The Odyssey? By this guy named Homer? It's soooo good! Anyway, this translation is the coolest.

Jen’s Picks

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen is my favorite Carl Hiaasen book and it starts with the seemingly murder of Joey Perrone by her husband Chaz, who pushes her the balcony of their cruise ship. Little does he know that Joey has been rescued by staying afloat on top of a square grouper (and yes, square groupers are real) and she slowly starts plotting her revenge with the help of some interesting people along the way. Carl Hiaasen is just one of those dry authors that I adore and living in Florida for most of my life, his books are closer to non-fiction for me. 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware is a classic thriller about a travel journalist, Lo Blacklock is sent to cover a luxury cruise ship launch and what starts out as a dream cruise quickly turns into a nightmare as Lo witnesses a murder. Or did she? Ruth Ware will have you doubting yourself as Lo races to uncover the truth. This book is classic Ruth Ware and is such a page turner.

Melissa’s Picks

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen

Ages 4-8

 Only the best read aloud EVER! When a circus ship capsizes off the coast of Maine, the fleet of animals on board braves the chilly waters to find a new home on a nearby island, where they quickly win over the leery townspeople. But when the greedy circus owner turns up to claim them, they’ll need only the cleverest plan to evade him. Chris Van Dusen is the master of rhyme, not to mention sensational art, and the suspense culminates in a double-page spread that my kids still talk about, even eight years later!

 Lily Leads the Way by Margi Preus & Matt Myers

Ages 4-7

 Boats abound in this underdog tale of a sailboat who is small in size but big in determination. To pass from the harbor to the lake, Lily must blow her horn for the bridge to rise—“Meee-me?”—but again and again, her horn is drowned out by the sound of the larger ships, their wake forcing her back towards the harbor once more. Until a lucky shot not only gets her under the bridge but a chance to save the day. The perfect summer read, with painterly art that swims with every shade of blue imaginable.

 The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

Ages 8-13

 A gripping, high seas fantasy set in a Thai-inspired world, which asks, How far will you go to secure your footing in a world where status is everything? As apprentice to Mangkon’s most celebrated mapmaker, Sai has mastered the part of the well-bred young lady, en route to a prosperous future. If she plays her cards just right, no one will ever know her home is actually in the slums, her father nothing more than a low-life con man. But how far is Sai willing to go to hide her secret? For starters, she’ll jump at the chance to follow the mapmaker on an expedition to chart the mysterious Southern Seas—a dream come true, not to mention a chance to put more distance between her and her upbringing. But soon after she boards the Queen’s ship, Sai discovers there’s more to this expedition than she was led to believe. There are some who wish to steer it all the way to the fabled Sunderlands, a land of dragons and riches, from which no one returns alive. By the Newbery Honor recipient for A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen and one of our family's favorites, Christina Soontornvat!

Rachel’s Picks

Love, Lists and Fancy Ships by Sara Grunder Ruiz follows yacht stewardess Jo, who was on track to complete an exciting 30 before 30 bucket list challenge before she learned her nephew died suddenly and unexpectedly.  Her nieces arrive to spend the summer with her and encourage her to continue the list- a tall feat with 8 intense items left and only 12 weeks in which to complete them.  A compelling story about grief and trying again, this one has single dads, quirky, hilarious and raw teenagers, romance, a one-of-a-kind best friend and lots of highs and lows along the way.  (Oh yes, and there IS a yacht! And sailing!) This one will have you in your feels, but in a good way (but the grief storyline is front and center throughout, so take care of yourself, book friend).  And that one-of-a-kind best friend has her own boat story, Luck and Last Resorts coming August 9!

If you haven’t read It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey yet, now’s your time to jump on the bandwagon- Tessa just announced the movie has been optioned by a studio, so it’ll will (hopefully) be coming to the big screen sometime soon.  It Happened One Summer is a Schidt’s Creek inspired Rom-Com about a spoiled LA party girl, Piper, who is sent off to Westport, WA (where her father is from) for the summer.  While there, she meets a sea captain, Brendan, who can’t seem to stand her, but also can’t seem to stay away from her. Piper and her sister, Hannah make the most of their time in Westport and it’s just a charming, hilarious story that is going to make a fantastic movie. The hero in Hannah’s story, Hook, Line and Sinker, works on the boat with Brendan as well, so another opportunity for two interconnected boat stories.  Tessa is known for writing very steamy romances and writing them well (Hook, Line and Sinker was the combined NYT bestseller it’s release week. Yay, romance on the bestseller list!)

Abby’s Picks

The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer is a perfect read for young teens looking to fill that pirate shaped hole in their lives. Set in the last 18th century, we meet Mary “Jacky” Faber who has recently been orphaned by the plague and left to wander the streets of London with only her wits and the clothes on her back. But when she takes on the disguise of a young boy in order to enlist as a shipsboy upon the HMS Dolphin she encounters friend and foe and begins a wild journey upon both the high seas and all across the world. The series continues for twelve more books and the history is some of the most rich and well researched I’ve ever encountered in the YA/middle grade genre. Jacky is such a fun character to read and the wild cast of characters she meets only add to adventures and trouble she encounters. 

One of the many things that surprised me when I lived in Birmingham England for grad school, was learning that Birmingham has more canals than Venice. It’s true, look it up! But with canals come canal boats, a major feature in Daisy Johnson's debut novel Everything Under. The haunting tale follows Gretel, a lexicographer and life-long lover of language, as she returns to her childhood home and her mother, her sole companion in her early life growing up on the canals of England. A modern take on classic myth (though I can’t tell you which one, just trust me it’s good!)Johnson's gothic prose and creepy atmosphere will have you second guessing your lifelong dream to live on a houseboat (although maybe that’s just me…)

hannah’s picks

I scoured every book I've read since 2018 and couldn’t find a single boat (seriously, this is a huge gap in my reading that I was not aware of until now, so I will be taking everyone else’s suggestions immediately in order to rectify it). I did, however, remember how much I used to love Sarah Dessen’s young adult novels, and how many of them took place, at least in part, at the beach. It turns out that her latest novel The Rest of the Story, which came out in 2020, is actually set in a small lake town and follows a young girl named—get this—SAYLOR, who returns to her mom’s hometown several years after her death. It has everything I used to know and love about a Sarah Dessen novel, from the female protagonist struggling to create her own identity away from her parents to the dreamy love interest to the internal transformation over one incredible summer. (It also has a sailboat on the cover, so I really crushed this assignment). I read it, I loved it, and I gave it five stars. Whether that’s due to nostalgia or the relief of finally reading a boat book, I’ll never know, but it was still a delightful way to kick off my summer reading.

angie’s picks

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Leah was slated for a routine submarine expedition, but things didn’t go as planned. Miri is dealing with the aftermath of Leah’s return as a changed person. We get taken into the deepest parts of their relationship, while also unfolding what happened to Leah and her crew in the deep sea. 

Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen

So maybe this doesn’t revolve entirely around a boat or sailing, but it has so much gorgeous and terrifying water imagery throughout. It’s about a Vietnamese family’s immigration to New Orleans, swapping viewpoints between the two sons and their mother. At its core, this is a story about identity and belonging. I was bawling by the end of it.