Summer is almost here and I’ll be the first, though certainly not last, to say – I am ready to indulge. One of my favorite parts of summer is having all the downtime in the world, free for leisure and guilt-free consumption of my favorite shows, new movies, and BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS. If you’re like me and struggle with choosing your next favorite book at Barnes & Noble, let me help you out.
Here’s a summer reading list, courtesy of my personal library:
On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
One of my favorite books in recent years, hands down. There’s school territory wars, mystery, intrigue, so much love, family, and friendship. You won’t be able to put it down.
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
I am in love with hopeless Ed, cabdriver who is tasked with mysterious missions from an anonymous card sender.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
So beautiful. So poignant. Read it. Cry. Give it to your gay best friend.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
It’s a love story in very John Green fashion. It’s pretty nerdy. It’s pretty witty.
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
Very charming coming of age story. They made a movie out of this book starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. The book’s much better though, trust me.
Dig Too Deep by Amy Aligeyer
Thriller with danger around every corner and a strong female lead!!
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Swoony in-love-with-my-best-friend story set in France. I wish that didn’t sound like the ultimate cliche, haha, but this book is CUTE ok.
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Set in a painfully dull summer in a dull town, it’s one of those books where nothing extraordinary happens in the plot yet you’re left with a very complex, sad, yet hopeful feeling by the end of it. Also, includes a missing boy…
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
Susannah Cahalan is a twenty-four-year-old journalist who woke up one morning hospitalized for a very rare autoimmune disease that affected her brain. This is her memoir recollecting this literally INSANE time period of her life, and a lot of it she had no memory of. It’s very interesting.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
A deeply poignant book that sort of forces us to explore truths about our humanity. It’s a science fiction gone wrong type of story, where the smarter Charlie becomes, the more disconnected he is from the world. It’s the Adam and Eve story we know.
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
An extremely witty book about our place in the universe. It’s breathtaking, heartbreaking, hilarious and just sooooo goooood. Aliens included. The end of the world as we know it, included.
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
If you need a good laugh and to reevaluate our current state of millennial dating – I highly recommend this book.
It by Alexa Chung
For lovers of aesthetically pleasing and messily put together thoughts. A collection of trendsetter Alexa Chung’s writing, doodles, and photographs. Almost a memoir, but almost not. Perfect for beach reading.
The Universe of Us by Lang Leav
I had to include a poetry book in this list. Lang Leav is a goddess with words, she basically LEAVS you with feelings of enamorment and longing, love and loss. Her fourth installment of poetry is my favorite.
Whether you read all the time or want to pick up reading this summer, on your next book browse, be sure to check some of these out and recommend some to your friends.