Happy Summer! Since I am traveling at the moment, I thought I’d share some of my favorite summer reads this year. June, July, and August arguably yield the most idyllic reading conditions: open schedules, low stress, and enjoyable weather (if one isn’t in San Francisco, that is). European getaways, beach days, road trips, family reunions, sleepaway camp, they all call for addicting, magnificent reads to consume whatever spare time you have lying around, which you’re bound to have a lot of. Something about the summer just screams, “read!” Even though that mantra echoes nothing specific about what to read, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a certain “Je ne sais quoi” in a true “summer read.” This unidentifiable ingredient doesn’t live in a singular genre, but rather spans all literature. Here’s a bit of summertime cuisine for every reader:
Nina Simon’s Mother-Daughter Murder Night published by Harper Collins
Typically, I am not a mystery type of gal when it comes to books. That being said, if I find one that immerses me in its plot, I fall hard and fast. This summer, Nina Simon was the author who did it for me. The complex premise, stirred with the witty banter between her three main characters, a mother, daughter, and grandmother in a small town outside of Monterey, truly satiated my hunger for a good whodunit. If that perfect concoction isn’t enough, she even leaves you with a head-spinning plot twist in the final chapter. Mother-Daughter Murder Night isn’t just another mystery; it’s the mystery: a flawless, fearless, fast-paced novel, ideal for reading under the summertime sun.
Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, published by St.Martin’s Griffin
Kristin Hannah never fails to deliver a page-turner, but The Nightingale might be the best of her books. Hannah has an incredible talent of artfully carving her words into a steady, ever-flowing river that makes your jaw drop once you’ve realized you just read a 600-page book. While reading, I never felt bored or overwhelmed by the page numbers; the book’s punctuation stitches together enough love, loss, grief, joy, and hope to imprint itself on its readers permanently. Hannah follows the intertwined tales of two unique, yet equally daring French sisters during World War II while they struggle tosurvive the occupation of France and all the bloodshed that came with it. If there’s one book you should stuff into your carry-on at the last minute, this is it.
Emily Henry’s Beach Read, Berkeley Books
I know, I know, this name sounds almost too good to be true, but there are not many romances I’ve enjoyed more than Beach Read. If you’re like me and love to read classic, intellectual literature that splits your head into two with each word you glance over, yet you also fancy romantic comedies from time to time, I could not recommend a book more. Two polar-opposite authors cross paths while in a writing slump, and wouldn’t you know, sparks start to fly! There’s something about two authors in a beach town, with intellectual dialogue and matured character profiles, mixed with a tantalizing premise that quenches any reader’s thirst for the perfect summer read.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, published by Penguin Press
Everyone loves good fiction, but Celeste Ng infuses Little Fires Everywhere with an emotional spirit unrivaled by any other author. Imagine: a picturesque small town where everythinglooks pristine on the surface, until… a single mother and her teenage daughter arrive. All of a sudden, life isn’t as easy for the resident Richardson family; relationships begin to unravel, or materialize, in front of your eyes, and families are splitting at the seams. Ng slowly set my own heart on fire, starting by tugging up a smile from me as I read about teenage first love, raising goosebumps during precarious battles between characters, all the way to drawing tears. At the same time, you are watching the mother and daughter be torn apart again and again. This Penguin classic always reminds me of how joyous reading can be, and couldn’t be more suited for summertime.
Summertime brings a plethora of delights: relaxation, rejuvenation, and reflection, all of which can be found within the pages of a book. Their power never fails to amaze me. Bibliophiles, carpe diem! Read all you can, when you can, and can’t wait to talk more books when classes are back in session!
“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience. This is the ideal life”.
-Mark Twain
