It’s finallyyyy that time! I’m about to start singing “What Time Is It” from High School Musical right now. Summer break is officially here, and it’s time to find the perfect reads for plane rides, pool days, and sunning in the sand. I have curated a list of both the books I’d recommend reading this summer and the ones that are on my TBR!
Summer Recs
The summer I turned pretty trilogy by jenny han
Can you hear the theme music in your head right now? I already know you’ve seen the show, but have you read the books? I read them for the first time at 16. I was so immersed in these books; I felt like I could feel the salty breeze on my skin. I highly recommend reading them before season 3 releases in July, especially if you haven’t had the book’s ending spoiled yet! They are categorized as young adult, so they might read as kind of immature as an adult, but that’s the fun of it! They bring you back to being a confused teenager and all the fun and nostalgia (although I didn’t have to choose between two hot brothers with a huge beach house when I was in high school – no fair). They are very short and digestible, you could probably finish a whole book in one beach day. I love these characters, and their story, and I cannot wait for season three! Also, just to be clear – Team Conrad, all day, every day!!
better than the movies / nothing like the movies by lynn painter
Do you love romantic comedies and music? If so, I am begging you to read these two! I absolutely adore Liz and Wes, and these books are so hyped for a reason. It took me a little bit to get into the first one, just because there were a couple of silly things that kind of put me off, but after I got past that, I was hooked. The first was so cute and I flew through it, but the second book was the true star in my opinion. It is set two years after the first book, with our two main characters in college at UCLA. If you love a man pining and yearning for his girl, and witty banter between a couple, you will be obsessed! Wes Bennett if you’re out there, please call me…
call it what you want by Alissa DeRogatis
Did you have a situationship this semester? If you did and also got your heart crushed in the process, pick this one up! This book follows Sloane, a senior in college who is feeling a little lost, then she happens upon her neighbor, Ethan. They have an immediate, intense connection, but their relationship quickly becomes complicated. I can’t say too much without spoiling it, but if you have delt with uncertain relationships or heartache, this book will move you. It also captures the college experience so well, and I loved reading about Sloane’s tight-knit relationship with her roommates and their friend group. They also go to college in a beach town, so there is the perfect beachy vibe for summer.
My tbr:
This summer, I’m treating my to be read list like a job. Here are my most anticipated reads, and maybe you’ll pick one of these up with me!
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
She is the queen of emotional summer romance novels that tug on your heart strings, need I say more? Her other three books have not disappointed me, with This Summer Will Be Different being one of my all time favorites. Carley’s writing is so stunning and immersive, I feel like I am in the places she sets her books in while reading them. Her characters are also so well-rounded and fleshed out that they feel like real people to me. I can’t recommend her other books enough, so I can’t wait to dive into the magic of this new release!
great big beautiful life by emily henry
Emily Henry is easily in my top three favorite authors of all time. So many of her characters feel like she cracked open my brain and then wrote a character just like me so I would feel seen! The love stories are so beautiful, and this woman has the best quotes ever. I’ll never forget when Gus said to January: “When I watch you sleep, I feel overwhelmed that you exist” in Beach Read. Like, you’ve got to be kidding me, I’m sobbing again just thinking about it. Her characters are so raw and human, and that’s what I love about them! Right after I finished my last final, I ran to Barnes & Noble to reward myself and finally grab a copy of my most anticipated read of the year!
Atmosphere by taylor jenkins reid
TJR is also one of my favorite authors, like EVER. (Please, someone, tell me you got that Swift reference…) Reid writes such unique and beautiful stories, and I’d love to have a conversation with her just to ask how she comes up with her book’s plot lines. She is clearly a very intelligent person and it comes out in her writing, so a book about a female astronaut set in the 1980s? Of course you can count me in! Reid was truly born to be a storyteller, and it’s been three years since her last book release, so I guess you could say I’m over the MOON!
Hahhah. I hate myself, too.
Happy Summer and Happy Reading!!!!! Enjoy the sunshine and a good book, and think of me if you decide to pick one of these up ;)