If you are anything like me, summer vacation gives me more time for my favorite thing: reading! During the school year, chaotic schedules and homework can leave little time for relaxing or enjoying some of your favorite activities. The number of books I need to read on my checklist is endless and as a proud TikTok follower of ‘BookTok’ and member of a Book of the Month club, I encourage everyone to spend a little bit of free time reading.
The following is a list of books from various genres that I have read and believe should be on everyone’s summer reading list:
People We Meet on Vacation (fiction, romance)
The perfect summer read, People We Meet on Vacation, follows the complicated lives of New York City travel influencer Poppy and her cautious, best friend from college, Alex. Written by the author of Beach Read, Emily Henry, this novel takes place over 12 summers and perfectly encapsulates the best parts of a slow-burn romance. For any fans of the Nora Ephron classic, When Harry Met Sally, this witty and creative book is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Rodham (historical fiction)
What if Hillary Rodham didn’t marry Bill Clinton? Loosely based on the life of Hillary Clinton, Rodham, New York Times best-selling author Curtis Sittenfield creatively re-imagines the lives of two of America’s most prominent political figures. The story starts at Clinton’s Wellesley graduation, and from there follows her complicated professional and political career, after turning down Bill Clinton’s proposal. Through an intertwining of fiction and real historical events, this book offers a detailed, feminist twist into what could have been in the lives of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
What’s Mine and Yours (contemporary fiction)
Through a span of decades, What’s Mine and Yours, written by Naima Coster, follows the lives of two families, living on opposing sides of a small North Carolina town divided by race. The plot follows a high school integration debate that sparks a series of dramatic events, tying these two families together in the most unexpected of ways. A ‘Read with Jenna’ Book Club pick, this story of love and loss investigates the complicated themes of legacy, identity, race, and the American family.
Normal People (fiction)
Normal People follows the heartbreaking love story of two Irish teens whose lack of communication creates a complicated storyline. The writer’s, Sally Rooney, brilliant prose makes their on-again-off-again relationship inventively painful for both the characters and the reader. Now an original series on Hulu, this New York Times bestseller explores the dynamic intricacies of class, love, and friendship.
Emma (classic)
Easily one of Jane Austen’s best tales, Emma includes some of her most vivid characters and witty storylines in a classic British setting. This novel follows the life of the elite Woodhouse family, and their failed attempts at 19th-century matchmaking in a small, countryside town. Emma has all the classic elements of Austen’s prose, and the latest screen adaptation of the book leaves just as much of an impression. But, make sure to read the book first, because it makes the movie that much better!