Just because school’s out does not mean you should spend all of your free time without any brain stimulation! Whether your book of choice is a romantic summer fling or a dramatically gripping novel, it’s still something to keep your mind occupied. Plus there’s no better time to start that untouched reading list of yours, than sitting on the beach or during a sunset on your porch.
Drama:
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Set in 1960s North Carolina, this book is a coming of age novel with a unique twist. Against all odds, young Lily Owen runs away from her home with her maid Rosaleen in the wake of her mother who passed and her abusive father who remained.
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
Told through the memory of Jacob Jankowski, he recalls the memories of his young adulthood as he was in search of a new beginning during the Great Depression. Although this book does have a romantic plot, the drama is heavily loaded with tales of abuse to the animals in the Benzini Brothers circus, as well as the emotional turmoil of Marlena.
Romantic:
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
This book is essentially the prompt to The Fault in Our Stars, except much more gut wrenching, if you can imagine that. I wouldn’t suggest reading the ending in public. The tale of Jamie and Landon is the kind of love story that is almost so powerful it hurts.
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
What is summer without a Sarah Dessen love story? In this particular novel Emaline, a Colby beach town native, must figure out how to balance city boy Theo in her life as she prepares to go off to college. This summer love has the possibility of extending full time, but only if they let it.
Thriller:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Filled with insane twists and turns, this book will have you questioning whether or not Nick Dunne killed his wife Amy. The uncertainty only increases as the novel goes on and then once you find out the truth, it is even more unimaginable than it seemed!
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
I’ve read this novel over and over and have always had difficulty describing it because it is one of those books that you just have to read for yourself. For some clarity the Amazon description begins with, “murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue combine into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel,” which is the simplistic way of explaining.
Non-Fiction:
Nicked and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
For those of you who still think the minimum wage is realistic enough to make a living, the author travels across the country to prove you wrong. Despite it being slightly outdated, this book takes a hard look at America’s lower class whose hard work does not result in social mobility.
Jackson, 1964 by Calvin Trillin
Despite all the recent media coverage on race in America it is important to remember this is by no means, a new news story. From the Civil Rights Movement to current race relations, it’s all the same but our reactions should be leading to change.
Fantasy:
Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
This dystopia is divided into five factions – Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Amity (peaceful), and Erudite (intelligent) – in which their citizens are determined at an early teen age. Beatrice challenges that when she meets Tobias in the Dauntless faction, only to discover that they may possess more than one quality.
Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier
Do you ever feel like the weight of the world is dumped on you all at once? Well 16-year-old Gwen gets an unwelcomed surprise that the time traveling gene didn’t skip her generation in the family, leaving her unprepared for the wild responsibilities of living in several time periods.
Allegory:
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Some books never leave you. Don’t be intimidated by the size or the allegorical messages. By no means does this book try to promote religion, however it is a modern story of how generations recreate the story of Adam and Eve as well as the mistakes of Cain and Abel.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Owen Meany has a strong faith in God, so much so that when his foul ball hits another boy’s mother, resulting in her death, he believes it is just another ploy in God’s plan. What is interesting is how the friendship between the two boys strengthens and the character development of the frail and squeaky voiced Owen Meany – a name hard to forget!
Happy Reading!