10 Books To Read This Summer
Oh, How I love Summer! I especially get excited to read during summer vacation, when the days are longer and time stretches on. And I am entering a sweet spot as a parent that when we hit the beach, I can usually bring a book along because we are out of the eating sand phase of beach days. But I also love taking a book to the backyard while the kids run through the sprinkler, or reading at the pool so…if you’re feeling uninspired here’s some of my most recent favorite books to kick off your summer 2021 reading list!
People We Meet On Vacation
I absolutely adore Emily Henry and her newest book came out just in time to kick off summer reading! I devoured this book in one weekend and my only regret is that it’s over. I love Emily’s characters. I laugh out loud and just love sinking in these characters. They feel so real, and she breathed new life into the friends turned lovers theme of romance.
Fable
I listened to this book on audio and absolutely loved it. A beautiful, adventurous, and intriguing story about pirates, and the intriguing life on the sea. I was hooked, literally. This would be a perfect Summer read. I am especially excited that there is a sequel and I can’t wait to put my hands on it.
Big Summer
I will be honest. When I started this book I didn’t realize I was getting into a chick-lit book mixed with some mystery but the intrigue held my attention which was fun. What I loved most about the book was the body acceptance theme and the anti-diet culture/ disordered eating awareness that the main character portrays in such a raw way. I feel like the author did a great job bringing to light some of the social issues found with social media and influencers and making them seem very real, and sometimes very scary. In addition to the title, this is a great summer book!
When We Left Cuba
A sequel to one of my all-time favorite books Next Year In Havana the author follows another one of the Perez sisters. And even though it held intrigue and adventure I didn’t love it quite as much as the first. BUT I don’t regret reading it and excited for the next. And Chanel Cleeton always feels like summer to me.
Daisy Jones and The Six
I will never not recommend this book. Trigger warnings would be drugs. I would also highly recommend listening to the book versus reading it as the characters’ voices are all read by different narrators and they just really come to life. The story felt SO real I actually googled if it was true. (Spoiler alert: it is not. BUT there is going to be a movie, so that’s exciting!)
The Guest List
Our book club went bananas over this book. We all couldn’t wait to discuss. And even though it may be weird to include a mystery novel in with our summer book list I am still talking about this book and feel like it would be unfair to not include it here. Lucy Foley is the queen of intrigue, suspense, and multiple storylines coming together in alarming ways.
You Have a Match
I loved listening to this book. It is the perfect light, summer-type read. It is also a YA and explores high school relationships, friendships, and self-discovery. It unearths secrets and explores a world outside of high school graduation that is full of possibilities. It effortlessly includes LGBTQ romances which I felt was tastefully done and very inclusive.
The Storied Life of AJ Fickry
I am still swooning over this story. And recommending it to everyone who cares. I thought it was an absolutely beautiful story of nontraditional families and love after loss. It was funny, heartbreaking, and extremely clever. I think if you read it you will fall in love with AJ and his quirky book store owner ways like I did. The perfect uplifting book to read this summer.
Frontier Follies
I had to include this one non-fiction because, well. It’s Ree. And I just love her. After I read Frontier Follies I feel like we are Best Friends, and I would be willing to bet others feel that way too. I really hope Ree never breaks my heart because she is absolutely my favorite cook show host, IG personality, and celebrity mom. If you want to laugh so hard your sides hurt, read this book this summer.
Evvie Drake Starts Over
It’s hard to find Chick lit to read that’s not too “racy”, and also has substance. I LOVED the dialogue and felt like the story was incredibly sharp. The author uses a lot of lovely similes that I found charming, and you will absolutely love how she color codes her emoji hearts. It’s a little better than your average Rom-Com. I promise.
Happy Summer Reading Mamas!
If you want to see last year’s book list click here.
