Summer Reading List: Local Authors With Recently Released Books

People looking to read a few more books before summer ends in a few weeks might want to check out work by local authors.

Tysons Reporter recently revisited its profiles of local authors from the last few months. From murder mysteries to kids’ books, the books run the gamut of genres.

While nowhere near an exhaustive list, the titles below are a few of the recent books by Tysons-area residents:

“Little Yura Loves to Dance”

At the start of this year, Garry Gekhman, the owner of Tysons Ballroom, published the kids’ book. Gekhman, who is a former “Dancing With The Stars” contestant and started dancing at age 6, hopes the book sparks kids’ passion for dancing.

“To Kill a Mocking Girl”

Harper Kincaid’s murder mystery is set in Vienna and features local spots like Bards Alley bookstore and the Freeman Store. The book follows a woman’s investigation after she is framed for murder. The book debuted in May.

https://twitter.com/HarperKincaid/status/1292986521914671104?s=20

“Bob In A Box”

After the success of “Bob Winging It,” local author Joe Jamaldinian decided to write a second book about a penguin named Bob. “Bob In a Box” was published last January.

Jamaldinian told Tysons Reporter that he aims to inspire the younger generations to follow their dreams through his writing.

“Get Back in the Book!”

Larry Issa won the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in 2019 for his picture book about a young boy who keeps catching the characters trying to escape from his book. The book, which features art by British artist Emma Chadwick, was released last January.

“The Emancipation of Evan Walls”

Jeffrey Blount published his novel tackling classism and racism last June. The main character, Evan Wells, reflects on the oppression he faced during his childhood in a small Virginian town.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the book, Blount and his wife Jeanne Meserve, a former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News, are set to talk about the book during a Zoom event on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

#TheEmancipationofEvanWalls pic.twitter.com/e97yxNVgnR

— Jeffrey Blount (@JEBlount) November 18, 2019

“Gay Men in the Feminist Revolution”

Nick Benton, the founder and owner of the Falls Church News-Press, released the volume for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The book explores the power of feminism in politics and discusses various perspectives in the LGBTQ+ community.

Benton, who wrote for gay media outlets and worked as an LGBTQ in the San Francisco Bay Area, told Tysons Reporter that the book “is my two cents in terms of what happened 50 years ago.”

“BunnyElla”

Cooper Middle School student Chloe Middleton became a published author with her book about a bunny who has to be brave and overcome peer pressure. An artist digitized the artwork by Chloe and her younger sister, Adeline, for the book.

The book was published in March. Chloe told Tysons Reporter that she is working on a sequel.

“Vienna Stories 1950-2000”

Marie Kisner, a former public information officer for the Town of Vienna, collected and compiled newspaper stories to share vignettes about what the town was like from the 1950s to early 2000s.

Kisner got the idea for the book after the town’s clerk office gave her dozens of boxes with news article clippings. The book was published in 2019.

Memorial Day weekend reading: “Vienna Stories: 1950-2000” by former @TownofViennaVA PIO Marie Kisner pic.twitter.com/KVvHNEJb6u

— Catherine D Moran (@c_douglasmoran) May 24, 2019

Do you know of a local author with a book published within the last year that isn’t on the list? Email us at [email protected].

Photo via Kimberly Farmer/Unsplash