With summer break a mere week or so away, my thoughts have begun to drift to how I will spend this much-needed break away from school. While it may seem counterintuitive, one of the things I am most excited about is catching up on my reading list. I know what you are probably thinking: you just finished an entire semester of school, and you want to read some more? But I assure you, reading for pleasure is vastly different than reading for school, and I have some amazing books that I cannot wait to dive into.
- “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear
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I will admit, in the past I would often roll my eyes at the thought of reading self-help books, thinking that they were only for people having a midlife crisis. However, since beginning my time in college, I have come to realize the importance that our mindset and everyday habits have on our success in all areas of life. I am sure that I can speak for most of us when I talk about having multiple habits I would like to change. After all, doesn’t nearly everyone make a New Year’s Resolution (and if you are anything like me, forget about it two weeks later)? This novel hones in on small, digestible ways in which we can reprogram our routines to implement new habits into our lives. I am so excited to figure out the many ways that biology, psychology and neuroscience concepts can be implemented into my own life to help me make lasting habits.
- “People We Meet On Vacation” by Emily Henry
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I am always a sucker for a friends-to-lovers romance novel, and I have high hopes that this novel will meet all of my expectations. While this type of trope is very common, I am excited for the spin on the premise: a pair of friends that are polar opposites, and because they are separated geographically, only get to reconcile one time a year on a week-long vacation. While I have not met any lovers on vacation, I have certainly met lifelong friends, so I look forward to seeing how the author navigates the relationship between the main characters Poppy and Alex. And, the icing on the cake is that this book centers around vacation, making it the perfect read for sitting on the beach (or tanning in your backyard).
- “Circe” by Madeline Miller
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I definitely went through a Greek mythology phase when I was younger, and I have always enjoyed modern-day retellings and adaptations of the stories. I initially was recommended this book because of my love for the Percy Jackson series as a child, and I must say, this read might be the one I am looking forward to the most. For those not familiar with the original story of Circe, she is a goddess and sorceress in Greek mythology who is probably most famous for her encounter with the hero Odysseus, in which she turned his fellow group into pigs. Circe has long been painted as evil (and let’s be honest, I wouldn’t expect much different from the Greek portrayal of women), so I cannot wait to begin this feminist retelling of her story as the protagonist.
While this list is not comprehensive, these are the three main books that I am the most ready to get my hands on once finals week is over. If you are looking for your next summer read, search no further, as I believe that these three novels provide a bit of everything for everyone. Come fall semester, I am so excited to share with you all my thoughts on my summer reads, and which one ended up being my favorite.