What the Mastermind Team is Reading this Summer

Like a good film score, the pages of a summer novel bring emotion, pace or tension to long summer days. But what to read? To assist with one of summer’s most difficult decisions, the Mastermind team shares their personal selection of the books they packed in their bags this vacation. 

La Pouponnière d’Himmler by Caroline De Mulder

La Pouponniére d’Himmler [Himmler’s Nursery] tells an important, chilling story of Nazi Germany through the eyes of women. Set in 1944 Bavaria within the first Nazi maternity ward, whose goal was to look after and welcome into the world Aryan babies, the novel follows two women as they navigate the “requirements” of the hospital and the impending arrival of the American soldiers. 

Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy by Elizabeth Beller 

A compelling woman whose style has stood the test of time, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy continues to dominate the moodboards of today. In Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, author Elizabeth Beller attempts to explore who the woman behind the media frenzy was. Conducting interviews with friends and family, Beller builds a multifaceted view of Bessette-Kennedy.

Le Barman du Ritz by Philippe Collin

Based on a true story, Le Barman du Ritz [The Barman of the Ritz] follows Jewish bartender Frank Meier, who has no choice but to serve the Nazis as the Ritz became one of their favourite spots during the occupation of Paris. A chilling historical tale, the novel explores how Meier uses overheard information to help keep his friends and family safe. Author Phillippe Collin exposes an untold story that shines light on the difficult relationship between the collaborators and Resistance in France.

– Marie-Amélie Sauvé, Founder and Creative Director

Summer’s Crossing by Truman Capote

Summer’s Crossing follows young socialite Grady McNeil as she is left to her own devices during a New York summer. Alone in her parents’ penthouse, McNeil embodies the manic energy of the summer heat, pursuing a secret affair. However, once the season comes to an end, the inevitable responsibilities come crashing down, leaving McNeil with an impactful decision to make. Published 20 years after Capote’s death, Summer’s Crossing is the result of a decade of writing and editing from Capote before he abandoned the project, requesting it be destroyed with several other possessions upon leaving his New York apartment. 

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Conversations with Friends is a stylish commentary about love’s capacity and ever-changing nature. The novel follows two past lovers-turned-best friends navigating their early twenties at college, where they are drawn into the lives of a married couple. Questioning the frameworks of monogamous relationships, the novel has a strange dichotomous undertone of both lust and ennui – most appropriate for the season. 

– Michaela Perau, Visuals Editor 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Pachinko is the kind of beach-read that will keep you glued to your towel, turning pages, rather than going for a swim. Min Jin Lee recounts the multi-generational story of a poor Korean family who wind up in Japan, where they must reckon with society’s stigma against them as well as the unforgiving conditions of their lives. Written in a style that is at once cool and heartfelt, the novel is a richly researched tribute to outsiders, proving that in life there are no minor characters.

The Written World and the Unwritten World by Italo Calvino

“The Good Reader looks forward impatiently to his vacation. He has saved a certain amount of reading that interests him for the solitary weeks he’ll spend at the beach or in the mountains, and he can already taste the joy of siestas in the shade, the rustling of pages, surrender to the fascination of other worlds exuded by densely printed pages.” Thus begins “Good Intentions,” the delightful first essay in this collection by beloved Italian author Italo Calvino. The essays span 1952-1985 and cover a broad range of literary topics, from translation to anthropology. Some swerve toward the academic and theoretical; others go down with no effort, and will leave you with ideas you’ll swear you’ve always known, yet never articulated.

– Jeremy Olds, Executive Editor 

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

Coco Mellors writes beautifully about grief and the impacts of chronic pain in her latest release, Blue Sisters. The novel follows three estranged sisters who, following the death of their sister, return to their home in New York. Shown through the perspectives of each sister, Mellors provides a rounded view of the nuances that grief holds. While not a typical summer read, Blue Sisters shows the complexities within families that may indeed be a lesser spoken of summer theme. 

Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan

A French summer classic, Bonjour Tristesse is a coming-of-age story set against a south-of-France backdrop during the 1950s. Following 17-year-old Cécile, the novel moves through themes of love, monogamy, family, and sexual freedom. 

– Caity Hennessy, Digital Editor 

The Wager by David Grann 

The Wager is the latest release from David Grann, journalist and author of Killers of the Flower Moon. An adventure story at its core, Grann explores the depths of human nature when pushed to its most extreme. With an attention to detail that only the best non-fiction writers can deliver, he reconstructs the real-life mutiny which followed the wreckage of the HMS Wager in 1741, when sailors washed up on an uninhabited island were faced with the prospect of surviving. Grann navigates the trials of the survivors in an insightful and intriguing manner, questioning what depths humans will go to in order to survive. 

– Xenia May Settel, Fashion Director