Some of the best summers are those filled with journeys, reunions and good food — three themes that factor prominently in the books recommended by our independent booksellers.

A second shot at first love After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy

Paolo and Francesca (1863). Anselm Friedrich Feuerbach (German, 1829-1880). Oil on canvas. ...One day, to pass the time away, we read of Lancelot— how love had overcome him. We were alone, and we...