Your next beach read, as recommended by Larry Gagosian

As people are turning their minds to the summer and what reading material they should pack for the beach, Rakewell is particularly heartened by the news that the beloved Long Island store BookHampton, which was put up for sale last year, has been rescued by none other than super gallerist Larry Gagosian.

Of course, Gagosian is no stranger to selling books. (Indeed, he is no stranger to selling almost anything: the now famously high-end art dealer started out selling posters that even he described in the New Yorker as ‘schlock’.) One of the wonders and pleasures of his art empire is its dedication to publishing serious and beautiful artist monographs. The Burlington Arcade in central London is home to a deliciously proportioned Gagosian bookshop.

But BookHampton is another breed altogether. It is what is known in the trade as a general bookstore, and one of those storied bookshops that is frequently described as ‘beloved’, with its fans including morning-show anchor George Stephanopoulos. In the New York Post he described it as one of his favourite shops, with a level of enthusiasm that marketeers can only dream of: ‘Every time I go out to East Hampton, I buy a book here. The last one was Her First American by Lore Segal. I enjoyed it.’

BookHampton in East Hampton. Photo: Steve Eichner/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images

Reports of the takeover suggest there might be only a ‘slight lean’ towards art and design, so locals can rest easy that their preferred reading material is not likely to disappear. However, the idea that there might be a turn towards serious art writing in one of the world’s most exclusive holiday resorts has Rakewell ready to pack a towel and head for a summer in the Hamptons.