Boiling Point: Literary Heatwaves in the Members’ Lounge this July
With the temperature rising outside, we’ve compiled a list of books that feature hot weather or heatwaves here at the American Library in Paris this July.
Authors often use hot weather and heatwaves at moments of intensity, helping to build tension between characters in the run-up to an often explosive climax.
From characters who can’t keep their hands off one another on a sultry summer’s day, to fiery revelations, strained and exhausting midday meals where time feels suspended, and children running riot under the influence of sunburn and hot temperatures, this literary trope guarantees drama and suspense in equal measure.
We’ve curated a selection of literary heatwaves in the Members’ Lounge, all available to check out and read, just in time for some real-life hot weather here in Paris.
On the hottest day of the summer of 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her older sister Cecilia strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house, setting off a chain of events that will change the lives of all three.
Taking place during a balmy 1980s summer on the Italian Riviera, a sudden and powerful romance blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents’ house.
The story of Rahel and Estha, twins growing up among the banana jam vats and peppercorns of their blind grandmother’s factory, and amid scenes of political turbulence in Kerala.
But no matter where you are in the world—whether it’s sizzling hot or freezing cold—you can escape into a literary heatwave on our online reading platforms.
We recently launched a collection of e-audiobooks, from classics to today’s bestsellers, many of which feature high temperatures:
Listen to Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery set in the sweltering Egyptian heat, Death on the Nile
Listen to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, in which the rich and the poor contend with the heat—and their own trials and tribulations—in 1920s New York
You can also use Libby to borrow e-books which feature hot weather, including:
NW by Zadie Smith – set in summer in northwest London, four locals try to make adult lives outside of Caldwell, the council estate of their childhood
Holesby Louis Sachar – Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – either as an e-book or an e-audiobook – follows an unforgettable young woman who is determined to make her way in the wilds of North Carolina
We take your privacy and the protection of your personal data very seriously. This website is GDPR compliant, uses only essential cookies that are necessary to function, and does not use cookies that collect or store data about you or your device. By using this website, you agree to our Data Protection Policy.
Benefit program for Library supporters
Friends of the Library (50€ – 249€) will receive invitations to unique, donor-only programs.
Folio Society (250€ – 1 999€) supporters will be invited to the annual Book Award ceremony, as well as donor-only programs.
Gutenberg Society (2 000€ – 9 999€) patrons will have the opportunity to host a dinner with an Evenings with an Author sponsored by GRoW @ Annenberg speaker, as well as all the benefits listed above.
Ex Libris Lux Society (10 000€ and above) sponsors will be invited to an annual dinner with Ex Libris Lux donors and Library leadership, as well as all the benefits listed above. They will also be invited to an exclusive cocktail dînatoire with our Gala speaker.
Planned giving to the Library
A charitable gift from your estate is simple to implement and is easy to change if you should need to access the assets during your lifetime. If you would like to include a gift to the Library in your will, ask your estate planning attorney to add this suggested wording to your will or living trust. Please make sure to use the Library’s correct legal name appears in all final documents as: The American Library in Paris Inc.
Unrestricted Gift: I give, devise, and bequeath to the American Library in Paris Inc, (insert dollar amount) Dollars* to be used for its general purposes.
Residuary Bequest: I give, devise, and bequeath to the American Library in Paris Inc , (insert percentage amount) percent of the residue of my estate to be used for its general purposes.