I’m sure you have heard of hot girl summer, but have you heard about book girl summer? We are coming in HOT taking over social media with our love of summer reads, thrillers, fantasy, Kristin Hannah, Emily Henry, Sarah J. Maas, and other remarkable genres and authors. These past four months I have been trying to expand my reading horizons and diving into genres I wouldn’t normally reach for, and it has stretched my love for reading even further. So, to my book girlies out there, if you have been trying to get out of your comfort zone, keep reading for reviews of some of my favorite books that I read this summer!
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The thriller genre is a genre I truly would never reach for (I’m still afraid of the dark and get nightmares from scary movies) so when I was gifted this book, I was extremely hesitant to read it. The Silent Patient is a double narrative story that follows a once-married woman who is in a psychiatric facility for killing her husband and, a criminal psychotherapist obsessed with this murder (I am a sucker for a double narrative BTW). I will say, it takes a little while for the storyline to pick up, which usually is an immediate turn off for me, but as soon as it started to pick up, I couldn’t put it down. The constant surprises and twists had me putting the book down to process what I was reading. Truly, one of the most shocking plot twists I have ever read. This book made me add a plethora of thrillers to my reading list and I will be uncovering the secrets of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden very soon.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass is a series I actually started a while ago, but I am finally starting to finish up the last of these books this past summer. Similar to thrillers, I have not dabbled too much in the world of fantasy, but girl, am I glad I did. As someone who still considers Percy Jackson her favorite book series, I was overjoyed to read about sword fights and magic again. This series follows an 18-year-old assassin in a kingdom where she has to fight for her freedom and, that’s just about all I can say without giving away spoilers. The worldbuilding in this series is unlike anything I have ever read, which makes it hard to keep up with at times, but the way that Sarah J. Maas ties everything together is truly something remarkable. The enemies-to-lovers storylines in these books are actually the best that I have ever read and I have been through quite a few of the classic, “hate you, love you” romance novels. Moral of the story, if you are looking to get into fantasy, I would start here, but buckle up, it’s a long ride.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
I purposefully saved this book for last. There is not much I can really say about The Nightingale other than you must get in your car right now, drive to your nearest book store, purchase this book, and spend the next 48 hours reading it. Or 18 hours if you are like me and cannot put it down the moment you turn the first page. This is another double narrative plot centered around two sisters living in Nazi-invaded France. It is the most devastating, intense, gut-wrenching, powerful book I have ever encountered in my 16 years of reading. I will never understand why this isn’t required reading in every high school around the country because it is so eye-opening and teaches so much about the reality of this haunting time period. The themes in this novel will keep you in a constant state of, “oh my gosh, I’m going to cry and throw up,” and actually cause you to close the book at times to process the detail of the cruelties these sisters had to endure. As someone who refuses to read historical fiction out of fear that I will be bored out of my mind, I have put all of Kristin Hannah’s books on my reading list and am planning on not leaving my house until I finish them.
These are not all of the books I have read this summer, just some of my favorites. I hope these book reviews have inspired you to add to some of your reading lists and maybe make you more inclined to dive into diverse genres and expand your reading horizons!