I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: summer reading is some of the best reading.
This year, I read over 100 books in June, July, and August. It was a wonderful summer of reading for me and I’m happy to share my top recommendations for what you might want to add to your own to-read pile:
- Weyward by Emilia Hart – This was a wonderfully atmospheric book about a crumbling house and the woman who runs away to hide in it. It tells the story of three different women in three different time periods and, ultimately, how they are all connected through the house. I listened on audio and really enjoyed this – it would be a great fall read.
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – This book has been getting a lot of hype, but deservedly so. It’s the story of three friends who develop a popular video game together when they are in college and how their relationships shift over time. I’ve recommended this to a couple of folks already who also loved it, so I feel extra affirmed in this recommendation.
- The Deluge by Stephen Markley – I’m glad that I had this one on audio because it clocks in around 900 pages. However, I think it’s totally worth it. This epic read is about climate change and includes a broad cast of characters who are impacted by climate events happening across the United States. I’ve described this book as incredibly bleak, but I loved it all the same.
- Falling by T.J. Newman – I read this book in an evening. The audio is fantastic for this fast-paced thriller about a plane that is hijacked.
- Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon – This book is a charming enemies to lovers story. It also had Can’t Hardly Wait vibes for me since it’s about two high school students who are spending time together in a final senior event and learning how much they like each other.
- The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh – I love books set in academia for obvious reasons. This is a story about a woman researcher who is trying to expand her life experiences by experimenting with a list from a magazine about how to be happier. I loved the premise and the results.
- The Fine Print by Lauren Asher – This summer I stumbled on a sub-genre of romance novels about billionaires. Admittedly, they are a bit hilarious, but this one was one of my favorites. The male main character is the grandson of a theme-park billionaire and he falls for a woman who works at the park.
- Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young – A favorite author of mine, Bonam-Young did not disappoint in her most recent book about a woman who becomes pregnant after a one-night stand and then develops a relationship with her baby’s father. This is a very sweet and somewhat nerdy story that I highly recommend.
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – I had never read Leigh Bardugo, but I gulped down this book and its sequel in a long weekend. I love a good heist story and Bardugo does not disappoint. I also found the world building easy to follow, which is always much appreciated.
- From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout – Are you looking for a vampire-themed romance? I wasn’t sure what I would think of this book, but it was so highly recommended that I decided to pick it up. I’m now two books into the series and have found it so entertaining. The vampire piece is kind of in the background in the beginning, but gets stronger as the series continues.
- Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – This retelling of Price and Prejudice as a mystery novel was so fun! I loved how the characters kept their core elements even as the author played with plot and how all the characters related to each other. There are two other books in this series that I will definitely pick up.
- The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – In this book, a high-school-aged girl becomes an heiress overnight for mysterious reasons. The book is full of puzzles and twists and I found it to be such a fun read. I can absolutely recommend this one for fall reading as well.
- The Eight by Katherine Neville – This was one of the last books I read in the summer and it was such a wonderful surprise. I picked up this book because of the interesting premise: nuns trying to protect a magical chess set. The book goes back and forth in time from the 1790s to the 1970s and I found it to be such an interesting and compelling story. This is another long one, so listening on audio might be helpful.
What are some of your favorite reads from the last few months?