Your Saratoga Summer Reading List
Five local authors share insights into their new books. PLUS: Speed Dating returns, what's going into the old Savory Pantry storefront and more.
The last few weeks have been crazy, at least for us. After a jam-packed Belmont week, we hosted our largest event ever, and then designed, edited and shipped “The Races!” issue, which will arrive in Saratoga just in time for the track to open in July. And now? We breathe.
On my first night to myself in what felt like a month, it was refreshing to curl up in front of the AC to read something I didn’t write (I hope you’re not getting as sick of me as I am). The book I picked up was Saratoga historian Carol Godette’s On This Spot, inspired by a column Carol writes for Simply Saratoga of the same name. Carol’s is just one of several recent or upcoming books published by local authors; we caught up with her and four other writers to learn more about what we should be reading during this lull between the Belmont and track season.
On This Spot by Carol Godette
In her new, self-published book, lifelong Saratogian Carol Godette explores the Spa City’s small businesses of yesteryear—including Pepper’s Market, The Spuyten Duyvil and Farmers Hardware—weaving in personal observations about the city’s significant transformation that she’s witnessed firsthand.
1. What inspired you?
My writing journey started with my love for mom and pop grocery stores. This prompted me to write a series of heartfelt stories about these lost Saratoga treasures. I then shifted my writing to choosing various Saratoga spots and delving into their storied history.
2. What's your target audience and what feedback have they given you?
Lifelong Saratogians enjoy remembering iconic mom and pop businesses such as Farmers Hardware, Glickman’s and Lou’s Luncheonette. Newer residents love reading about a Saratoga they never got to experience. Many people have commented that the story on Fasig Tipton/Spyuten Duvil was their favorite.
3. Did your upstate NY connections influence the book in any way?
Several people I grew up with or later met as an adult influenced this book. I credit them on the last two pages.
Pick up a copy of On This Spot at Northshire Bookstore.
Nearlywed by Nicolas DiDomizio
After moving to Saratoga from NYC during the summer of 2020, Nicolas DiDomizio published his debut novel, Burn It All Down, in 2021, followed by The Gay Best Friend in 2023. And he’s back with a new beach read: Nearlywed, which follows an engaged couple who goes on an early honeymoon that puts their love to the test before the big day.
1. How did this story come to be?
I've always loved writing about love and relationships, and when the title Nearlywed came up during a brainstorming session with my publisher a couple of years ago, I became really inspired to write a love story from the perspective of a couple who's been together for many years but runs into obstacles on their path to the altar. From there, I drew heavily from personal experience—not that I've ever been on an "earlymoon" myself, but I love the concept!—and sought to write something that was fun and beachy but also honest and authentic when it comes to the reality of navigating life with the person you love.
2. What's your target audience and what feedback have they given you?
I'm always writing books that I myself would want to read, so I'd say my target audience is anyone who (like me) loves beach reads that are fun and breezy and occasionally over-the-top, but still imbued with depth and honesty in ways you might not expect. My favorite piece of reader feedback came from a woman who came to see me on tour in Pennsylvania earlier this year—she later DMed me to say that my books got her back into reading after being away from it for years. That's truly the highest praise!
3. Did your upstate NY connections influence the book in any way?
There's not a ton of upstate inspiration in Nearlywed, as it takes place in a fictional Connecticut beach town. (I grew up and went to undergrad in CT!) For Burn It All Down, however, there's a whole segment of the book that takes place on the Northern end of Lake George—at a house that was heavily inspired by a real-life Airbnb my partner and I used to stay in every year before we moved up here!
Pick up a copy of Nearlywed, and Nic’s other two books, at Northshire Bookstore, or online.
May the Mountain Speak to You by Ken Marcinowski
Featuring photos spanning decades spent exploring New York’s Adirondack mountains paired with quotes and excerpts about nature, May the Mountain Speak to You is a culmination of 46er and Malta resident Ken Marcinowski’s many excursions into the mountains he calls home. While the coffee table book is almost entirely photos, Ken doesn’t pretend to be a photographer. Instead, he calls his work snapshots—unedited glimpses at the Adirondacks through his eyes.
1. What inspired you?
At the beginning of the book is an excerpt from The Indian Pass by Alfred Billings Street. His ending line—”Then a whisper stole to my ear through the divine quiet, and I knew it was the mountain speaking to my heart”—has always stuck with me since reading it many years ago, and I hope other hikers have the same experience.
2. What's your target audience and what feedback have they given you?
Pretty much every fellow hiker who shares the passion and enjoys nature. One well-known photographer, whose opinion I value greatly, told me that the book draws him in through that connection between the quotations and the photos.
3. Did your upstate NY connections influence the book in any way?
The acknowledgement on page 2 pretty much explains the connection of being influenced by the mountains as a young boy and the feeling that I "return home" any time I go to the Adirondacks.
Pick up a copy of May the Mountain Speak to You at Northshire Bookstore, The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Market Block Books, several retail stores in the Adirondacks or online.
Murder in Spa City by David K. Wilson
Saratogian David K. Wilson’s Sam Lawson mystery series finally comes to Saratoga in his new book, Murder in Spa City. The premise? Beloved detective Lawson is attending a wedding in town, but is thrust into the investigation of a wealthy local businessman’s murder.
1. How did this story come to be?
I'm a big fan of the closed circle mysteries (where the key suspects were all present at the time of the murder) like Knives Out and Murder on the Orient Express. And I'd been wanting to bring the Texas detective of my series to Saratoga Springs for awhile and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. So I made up a wealthy family that lived in town, killed one of them, and took it from there!
2. What's your target audience and what feedback have they given you?
My target audience is anyone who loves murder mysteries that live somewhere between the grisly, heavy drama hardcore mysteries and light cozy mysteries. I like to keep the stakes high but with lots of laughs. Or at least chuckles. My audience's feedback has helped guide that tone. I'm also honestly surprised how much the main character, Sam Lawson, has resonated with people. Probably because he personifies that very tone. So he is my compass in this book.
3. Did your upstate NY connections influence the book in any way?
Absolutely. I've lived in Saratoga Springs for just about a year. Even before then, while I lived in Niskayuna, I considered Saratoga my second home. Still, I needed the insights of people that grew up in Saratoga to get the real inside scoop, particularly in terms of the racetrack. Also, while none of the characters are based on anyone in particular, several of them were inspired by people I know or have seen around town. In fact, every time I walked around town, I'd take notes on people or places I'd see. Walking down Broadway alone could inspire a million books!
Pick up a copy of Murder in Spa City at Northshire Bookstore, where David will host a book signing on Thursday, or online.
Once More From the Top by Emily Layden
You’ll have to wait a few months for this next book, but by the time you read the four above recommendations, it very well could be September already! Once More From the Top is Saratoga native Emily Layden’s second novel (All Girls was her first), and centers on a Taylor Swift–level pop star’s meteoric rise to fame—and the secret that draws her back to her hometown. It comes out September 10.
1. How did this story come to be?
This book was inspired by my own fascination with contemporary fame. Today's celebrities walk a tightrope between aspirational and accessible—and nowhere does that tension feel more alive to me than in the world of music, where an artist confesses some of their innermost thoughts and feelings to stadiums full of screaming fans. I wanted to write about what it must feel like to have millions of people think they know you—to want them to feel that way, at least a little bit, because that feeling is what ensures your success in today's market—and the impossibility that they ever could.
2. What's your target audience and what feedback have they given you?
As a millennial, I spent a lot of afternoons and weekend mornings watching MTV and VH1, consuming music videos and docuseries with a critical and anthropological lens my high school English teachers wouldn't have dared to hope for. I hope that this book finds its way to readers like me: Readers who also love pop culture and gossip, who can't resist decoding their favorite artist's lyrics for the tabloid references, who always want to know the story behind the music—but who understand, too, that there's something sinister to all that consumption, and that the truth will never be so straightforward.
3. Did your upstate NY connections influence the book in any way?
Yes! Once More From the Top is set in a fictional upstate lake town named Thompson Landing; Lake Tahawus is not real, but it's loosely modeled after Lake George. I spend a lot of time in the Adirondacks, and one of the things I find so striking about a mountain town is the way everything beautiful is also dangerous: those cliffs where hikers slip to their deaths, the valleys where skiers are buried alive by too-fast avalanches; all that water, everywhere, waiting for the weak swimmer, the drunk jet skier, the tourist who doesn’t know about the rip tide where the currents funnel through the gorge. It's a juxtaposition of myth and reality that I know all too well, and I thought it was the perfect setting for a novel in part about the darker sides of things that sparkle.
Pre-order Once More From the Top on Amazon.
—Natalie
Save the Date
Single in Saratoga is back and bigger than ever. This July 1 and 2, Saratoga Living is hosting TWO nights of speed dating—one in the Starlight Lounge at Panza’s, and one at The 408 (Cantina’s 2nd floor). First up is the over 40 crowd at Panza’s on Monday evening. We’ll be hosting two sessions: one for ages 40-55, and one for ages 55+. Then, on Tuesday, it’s time for the under 40 crowd to find love at The 408. We’ll again host two sessions: one for ages 21-30 and one for ages 31-40. Get your tickets now—these events have a tendency to sell out!
Life Is Good, Literally
Pretty soon, John Nemjo may run an entire Broadway block. Since 2008, John’s Saratoga Outdoors (formerly Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company) has expanded into two adjacent storefronts. This week, he announced he’d be filling the space left vacant when Savory Pantry closed with a Life Is Good store. “Back in 2008 when Saratoga Outdoors came to Broadway, it started as a Life is Good store known as ‘Just Plain Good.’” the company wrote on Instagram. “It's an incredible full circle moment to have the privilege to reopen a dedicated Life is Good store right next to where it all began.” Check it out beginning July 1.
Fire on Phila
Several Phila Street businesses have been closed since Wednesday following a small fire in the basement of the old Saratoga National Bank building on the corner of Broadway and Phila. According to a post made by Impressions of Saratoga, no one was injured and no businesses or apartments suffered damages, but businesses including Impressions, Lyrical Ballad, Magic Moon, Miss Scarlett Boutique and Trattoria Fortunata are closed until electrical damages can be repaired.
Big One
Henry Street restaurant Kindred is one! To celebrate the anniversary, Kindred is hosting live music by Sam Luke from 5-8pm today, and will be raffling off gift cards for $100, $200 and $300. Stop in for food specials and special wine pours.
Bottled Up
Another business that’s been around for one full year is GOLD-N-GO, a bottled cocktail brand launched by Capital Regionite Justin Feinman. (You may have met him at Overdress to Impress, where he was offering samples of his Moscow Mules, Cosmos and Margaritas.) Justin’s been hard at work—not only has he expanded his offerings from one to four cocktails (rumor has it a fifth tasty flavor is in the works), but he’s also gotten his product into nearly 100 liquor stores in New York State. Locally, you can grab a bottle—or several—at Purdy’s.
Free for (Almost) All
Yesterday, NYRA announced the schedule for its giveaway days, when Saratoga Race Course patrons get a free Saratoga Race Course–branded gift with entry, while supplies last. This year, fans can get a Stanley-style tumbler, a baseball jersey, a trucker hat and a windbreaker on four days throughout the season. For more info on how giveaway days work, scroll down to the bottom of this story.
ICYMI
Capital Region Living: Scenes From Bestie Fest 2024
‘Anomaly’ Puts the Capital Region’s Film Scene in the Spotlight—this short film premieres tomorrow night at Cohoes Music Hall at a special event. Read the article and then book your tickets!