We hope you’ll soon find extra time for reading—by the pool, at the beach, or in a hammock in your backyard. Whatever your spring or summer escape, here are a few recommended reads, specially selected by The Snail on the Wall, Huntsville’s independent bookstore. You can order books of any kind at snailonthewall.com, and we’ll deliver them to your doorstep.
The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece, by Tom Hanks
Hanks is a natural storyteller as he proved with his 2017 story collection Uncommon Type. In this entertaining new novel, a real World War II soldier becomes the inspiration for a 1970s comic book, and then eventually a 21st-century superhero movie. Anyone will enjoy this thoughtful, heartwarming celebration of the movie business. And The Snail on the Wall has a limited number of signed copies!
All the Pretty Places, by Joy Callaway
Set amid the beautiful gardens of New York's elite during the Gilded Age, this historical novel follows a woman named Sadie Fremd as she attempts to take over her family's nursery while also finding ways to give beauty to the community outside the privileged garden walls.
Yellowface, by R. F. Kuang
Get ready for a wild ride through the world of publishing. One writer is a rising star, until she dies unexpectedly. Another writer is an unknown, until she steals the novel of her now-dead friend. Can June Hayward get away with becoming "Juniper Song" and passing for the author of a masterpiece about Chinese history? You'll be riveted by this exploration of identity, race, and the cutthroat book industry.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea, by Patti Callahan Henry
This magical story starts with a woman’s ongoing search for the long-lost sister who disappeared from their English village during the 1930s. Can a mysterious book hold the answers to Flora’s whereabouts? The Snail is hosting two events with Alabama author Patti Callahan Henry, on May 15 and June 6, with the chance for local readers to meet her.
The Lock-up, by John Banville
Strafford and Quirke are Irish detectives with an uneasy working relationship. You don’t need to have read Banville’s previous two novels to get involved in this latest case, which takes the two men from Dublin to Italy to Bavaria to solve a crime that may put their own lives in peril.
SNAIL ON THE WALL
HUNTSVILLE'S INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE
You can order online at snailonthewall.com or attend a pop-up or book signing event hosted by owner Lady Smith.