Of all Labor Day’s rituals, perhaps none is as enjoyable as taking a book to the beach. From cookbooks to textbooks, here’s a glimpse of what the DARA Artisans team will be reading this Labor Day, below.

The majority of my summer has been spent reading all the Kurt Vonnegut I can get my hands on. I am currently in the middle of Timequake, Vonnegut’s last novel. Timequake works on the premise that everyone on earth is zapped back to where they were exactly 10 years from the moment of the Timequake. Ultimately, it’s a collection of the author’s musings, seemingly disjointed but thoughtful and laugh-out-loud hysterical. A bizarre concept, and one that is true Vonnegut. –Ellen Krantz

I’m reading John Le Carré’s A Most Wanted Man. An avid reader of Le Carré for years, his storytelling and subject matter take me on a journey where the clue is always revealed in a small detail often overlooked. A bit like traveling: If you don’t keep your senses open to new experiences, you often miss the essence of a place or its people. –Dara Brewster

In my beach bag is The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook by Nikki Segnita. It’s a very ironic choice for me, as I’m not really a cook and usually only look at cookbooks for styling inspiration. The Flavor Thesaurus is an even more unexpected selection, then, as it doesn’t even have any pictures – it’s a guide, laid out like a color wheel, to help inspire food pairings. The impetus behind this seemingly odd choice: my garden. It’s just exploding right now, and I’m using this book to help me determine what I can make using specific ingredients. It is a surprisingly witty read, so I’m finding myself laughing while reading a cookbook. –Alex Bates

I will be reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, a gift from my colleague Annie Waterman. As a mother of two, reentering the workforce in the artisan world, it is interesting to read about successful women and how important it is to not be afraid to “lean in” to your work—especially work you feel passionately about! –Helen Joffe

I’ve just finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, which was just superb. Next up, I’m starting Poilu, The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker 1914-1918, a gift from DARA’s own Alex Bates. –Dan Brewster

I’m reading Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt, a touching family story told from the perspective of a young teenager. It’s about a family struggling to accept the death of a beloved uncle from AIDS in 1980s New York City, and the perception of that disease at that time.  It has elements of family drama and teenage angst. –Karen Gibbs

I am heading off to my freshman year at St. Lawrence University and The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love by Kristin Kimball is one of my required readings. I can’t put it down and highly recommend it. It’s the story of a young New Yorker who finds love, community, and a passion for the outdoor life and the hard work that comes with it as she starts a family and a successful organic farm in upstate New York. –Emily Hoffman

I’m in the middle of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which is excellent thus far. Set in World War II Germany and France, it follows the lives of two young teenagers—a blind French girl and an orphaned German boy, each deeply gifted in their own right, both impacted tremendously by the war. Throughout the novel, they live deeply connected yet narratively separate lives, all relayed in Doerr’s lyrical, almost poetic prose. Quality of writing aside, I’m finding myself ruminating on the book’s eerily relevant material: the danger of unchecked power, as well as the brutal impact of war on everyone—particularly children.  –Julia Sweeney

I had heard good things about Wild by Cheryl Strayed and finally decided to pick up a copy last week. I cannot put it down. It’s the story of Strayed’s solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail after a series of tragedies and bad decisions. Broken and not at all prepared, she sets out with hopes of rebuilding her life, recounting the 1,000-mile trek in a brutally honest, humorous way. The book is incredibly inspiring and makes you want to take a deep breath. It’s a great Labor Day weekend read—especially if you plan to hike! –Aydan Puth

I was telling someone recently that I have a hard time concentrating on just one book at a time these days; I have several on my nightstand. I’m currently reading The Affairs of Others by Amy Grace Loyd and Chasing the Rose by a Venetian friend, Andrea di Robilant. Being somewhat homeless at the moment I have been scouring Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home by Julie Carlson because I need to make a place for myself and am looking for inexpensive, smart ways to do it. And last but not least, The Art of Communication by Thich Nhat Hanh, which I’m guilty of not always practicing very well. –Pamela Berry

I’m not going to win any English major cred points for this, but I am beyond ecstatic that the new Louise Penny mystery, The Long Way Home, came out this week. I do read plenty of challenging fiction, and I’ve been obsessed with reading histories of World War I lately, but the day a new Louise Penny book comes out is a holiday in my household. This is the tenth book in her series focusing on Quebecois detective Armand Gamache, and two of the books in the middle, The Brutal Telling and Bury Your Dead are as good as anything I’ve read in the past few years, in or out of a classroom. And it’s nearly as exciting that the new Tana French book, The Secret Place, is out a couple days later. Amazing times for mystery lovers. –Diane Vadino