The summer months are meant to be filled with trips to the library on hot days. Books go with us on all our summer adventures from the beach to backpacking across Europe. Use your free time during these months to catch up on some great reads you won’t want to miss out on!
1. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
If you love a historical novel, this is the book for you. A unique aspect of this novel is that it’s told in split timelines. The story follows Miami-born Marisol Ferrera as she travels back to Cuba after her grandmother’s death and uncovers details about life in Cuba in the midst of it’s complicated political situation. The novel follows both Marisol, and her grandmother Elisa’s life in 1950’s Cuba. The parallel between the two women demonstrates two stories that are interwoven together and the genuine love that is between them. Cleeton does well to capture the romance and mythical qualities of classic Cuba. You can purchase this novel on Amazon.
2. Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche
This is a memoir with an interesting and witty novel like feel. Follow Torre DeRoche as she is swept off her feet by an Argentinean man as he is about to set sail across the Pacific Ocean. Torre details overcoming her fear of crossing the ocean for the man of her dreams. This memoir is often times hilarious while dealing with deep issues. It offers a unique and compelling story that is even more relatable because it’s based off true events. You can purchase this book on Amazon.
3. The Art of Holding On and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz
This novel takes on serious topics as well as the journeys we take through life. Cara Jenkins is a competitive climber who views the world as her jungle gym. However, when a tragedy occurs on an Ecuadorian mountaintop, Cara is forced to reevaluate her life. She returns home and moves in with her grandparents and embarks on a journey of uncovering new friendships and love while discovering that home is where the heart is. You can purchase it on Amazon.
4. The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes: A Mystery by Leonard Goldberg
What if Sherlock Holmes had a daughter? This novel explores exactly that. In 1914, Joanna Blalock is a highly skilled and intelligent nurse who’s detective skills are put into use when she witnesses a man falling to his death. She teams up with Dr. John Watson Jr. to solve this mystery, as well as a mystery of her own. Is she able to uncover the truth about her birth? Read this novel to find out! You can purchase it here.
5. Overseas by Beatriz Williams
Time travel? Check. A compelling romance? Check. This novel has all the things history lovers search for in a novel. This is another novel with a parallel timeline, however with an interesting twist. Overseas follows Kate Wilson and Julian Ashford as they fall into a love that transcends time and space. Julian Ashford is a pilot during the Great War who is somehow saved by modern-day New Yorker Kate Wilson. Read the novel to find out exactly how everything unfolds! You can purchase it here.
Get to reading, colegiettes!