I am happiest on a warm summer’s day, sitting on the beach with a good book in my hand. Sometimes it’s all I can think about when rushing to get across campus from Dinand to Kimball on a freezing cold night in February. Well, those days are behind us now, and as the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, I can’t wait to enjoy the sun and gain some more free time to read my old reliable comfort stories once again. Listed below are my favorite feel-good books, the easy reads that never seem to get old and are perfect for a day spent basking in the sunshine.
The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han
Of course, these books are by far my first pick. I know, I know, the title sounds like it’s straight out of a Disney show, but these have been my comfort stories for years. The three novels follow our protagonist, Belly, as she navigates relationships with the Fisher brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah, who she has spent summers with since she was born. On the surface, these books can be easily disregarded as ones that play into superficial love-triangle trope. However, I believe that every young girl or woman can connect with Belly in some way or another. She is far from perfect as she navigates love, loss, and the entirety of maturing. As we follow her from high school to college, these books allow us to question how friendship, family, and love can combine to create both extreme beauty and destruction. I’ve definitely read these books 5+ times, so it’s safe to say that I’m very excited for the TV series to premiere on Amazon Prime later this year.
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
This novel is one of those books that has been jumbled around in my beach bag for years. It follows the story of Daphne and Drue, who have been “friends” since elementary school. I put friends in quotes there because of the fact that Daphne and Drue have most certainly had their ups and downs through the years. In fact, when Drue asks Daphne to be her maid-of-honor, they haven’t spoken in years. This is partly due to the fact that Drue comes from an extremely wealthy and cold-hearted family, while Daphne comes from a loving yet less fortunate home. Without spoiling too much, I can say that there’s a big plot twist toward the middle of this book, and the ending is one that had me shocked for days. The story is fun and thrilling, but also an examination of today’s social-media centered culture and the impact that it has on the both the confidence and friendships of women and girls.
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
I only discovered this novel this year but let me tell you it will be #1 on my reread list for the summer. Lauren tells us the story of Macy and Elliot, who have been best friends since they were children. This book is definitely unique due to its use of flashbacks to explain why Macy and Elliot evolve from best friends to lovers to not speaking for ten years. As Macy grows older, she continuously struggles with the loss of her mom, her friendships, her career, and her relationship with Elliot. It’s a very comforting and appealing story but has yet another plot twist toward the end of the novel that definitely keeps readers on their toes.
Honorable Mention: 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
I’ve written about this one before, but honestly anything by Hilderbrand is amazing in the spring and summer. Set on Nantucket, her novels explore family dynamics and romance in a fun and enlightening way. 28 Summers is my favorite light read, following the story of Jake and Mallory as they enjoy their Same Time, Next Year for 28 years. It’s a fun story, but also causes readers to question how we choose the people that we allow to surround us and emphasizes the importance of community as a whole.