Book Recommendations to Read This Summer
It is summertime which means new season, new you, am I right ladies? On my summer to do list: go to the zoo (duh), see a baseball game (for the lemonade and hot dogs), and kayak in a lake (I’m branching out!)
And of course, continue to read a ton. My TBR is approximately 300 miles long because I add new recommendations basically daily.
But what if you are new to reading and don’t know where to start? Maybe it has been a while since you read a book and need a beginner friendly list of recommendations.
I gotchu.
If you don’t quite know what genres you prefer or topics you enjoy, I included a wide range of recommendations so you can choose the ones that sound the most intriguing.
Here are 9 book recommendations from every genre to start reading this summer.
Yes, I am starting this list off coming in HOT with the heaviest recommendation.
DON’T BE SCARED OR DISSUADED hear me out.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. THE unhinged, femcel suspense thriller that put this type of plot on the map. Truly the beginning of the craze. You have heard of it (and the movie!) and for good reason–it is the one that all others in this genre take a page from, literally.
If you’re not sure what type of genres you are into, this is a great introduction and gold standard of a psychological crime thriller with twists and suspense and the whole nine yards.
Yes, some themes are dark (it’s a crime after all) and yes, it is intense (it’s a suspense thriller!) but I highly encourage you to try if only to see what all the hype is about.
Fun fact and personal aside (so skip ahead if you don’t care). I was an avid reader as a kid all throughout school until I hit junior year of high school. Then I started taking more demanding classes and between that and extra curriculars, I had no time or desire to read for pleasure. That continued into college where I had to read so much for class I didn’t want to read in my free time. This was the first book I read after that! It was quite literally my introduction back into reading and I highly recommend it to be yours as well.
Sticking with the psychological, suspense thriller theme for just one more recommendation because it's one of the best genres if I do say so myself.
As you read more books you will start to identify both specific and general plot devices that really tickle your pickle (strike your fancy? What is the correct phrase I’m trying to say here?)
Anyways, my ultimate favorite is Main Character with Amnesia. It makes the reading experience that much more mysterious because every single element is waiting to be discovered and you are on a constant journey to uncover the truth.
Guess what this book has?
MAIN CHARACTER HAS AMNESIA!
She has a rare type of amnesia where every night when she goes to sleep, she forgets everything from the previous day. Every day she has to wake up and read her own journal entries to get to the bottom of What the Heck is Going On and figure out what mysterious mystery happened to her in the past.
So suspenseful. So fast paced. So many twists and turns! I read this years ago and it is still one of my all-time favorites.
Switching gears, let me now introduce you to a genre that (IMHO) on paper sounds like it would be boring–historical fiction drama.
(I can’t explain why it sounds boring, but it does! But IT ISN’T!)
I could write a lengthy review about it but here is all you need to know:
1. It is in my top 5 books of all time (a pretty persuasive argument).
2. It is one of only a handful of books to ever make me cry (and by cry, I mean sob.) (It is set in WWII so what did you expect).
3. The narrator is the personification of Death (!!!!!) So innovative and original and gave it such an interesting flavor and perspective.
It is not set in concentration camps so if that’s not your thing, don’t worry. It was so incredibly well written, and the story instantly sucks you in. (And I’m also pretty sure I read this during the summertime!)
Ok, we have covered crime thriller, psychological suspense, drama. How about a little action, adventure dystopian, as a treat? I know that sounds like a combination of multiple intimidating genres but have no fear, it is YA!
It is once again in my top 5 books of all time. (Are you noticing a theme here? They are all my favorites… as if I would give you anything less 🙂)
This book has absolutely no business being this stellar. On the surface, it seems bland and generic– a post-apocalyptic adventure survival about a boy and his dog. But wow, is it so much more than that!
It has so many exciting elements. There is sci-fi–a virus kills all women and makes all men's thoughts audible to everyone else– there are aliens (my all-time favorite topic!), AND my all-time favorite plot device which is Main Character Has Absolutely Zero Clue What Is Going On Therefore The Reader Doesn't Have A Clue Either And You Just Have To Buckle In And Go On A Huge Discovery Journey To Unravel The Mystery.
Before I go any farther, this is a trilogy. HOWEVER, the others pick up right where the previous one left off– I’m talking literally mid-sentence–so they just feel like one big book. They are so captivating and suspenseful you will for sure NEED to start the next book immediately after.
Fun fact: I only read this book because I had seen the movie trailer and the main character was Tom Holland. I definitely imagined him in my mind as I was reading it and I invite you to do the same.
This book doesn't fit into genre categories. It is in a league of its own. The Goodreads app has it tagged #humor #adult fiction #dystopian #contemporary. Sure, I guess we can go with that but I’m telling you it is so much more than the sum of all those (generic, mediocre sounding) parts.
The synopsis: It is set in a fictionalized town where language is practically the religion. The town called Nollop is named after the guy who invented the phrase “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” and he is idolized and revered as basically God. In the center of town is a memorial statue to Nevil Nollop with a plaque of his famous pangram. One day, one of the letters falls off and the council deem it a sign from Nevil himself that the letter shall be banned from usage completely. And then another letter falls off… and then another…
The book is told through written correspondence between the main character, Ella Minnow Pea (get it? ha!) and her friends and family. As letters get banned from usage, they disappear from the book as well! It is humorous. It is delightful. It is oh so wonderfully clever.
So inventive and a joy to read. The ending was *chefs kiss*. It is a must-have addition to any reading list and my go-to recommendation if you want something fun.
Now, I know what you're thinking: where is the LGBTQ+ representation???
:) Right here!
If you like YA coming of age stories, this is the most coming of age YA to ever come of age. It’s touching, sweet, emotional, humorous, and above all, just plain good.
You’re following the main character as she begins college and embarks on a self-discovery journey as she struggles to come to terms and accept her asexual and aromantic identity.
The author is a mid-twenties aro/ace individual themself. This book is the perfect example of an author having a unique/not well-known experience/identity and expertly presenting it to a population that might not have any prior knowledge of said experience.
The characters' experiences were so well depicted they all felt like real people, not flat or hyper-stereotyped. And the writing was immaculate. I genuinely laughed out loud at one point. Alice Oseman really did that.
This is another book that feels unique to its genre and not quite like anything else. I have heard people describe it as “wholesome and uplifting”.
And one of the main characters? The spawn of Satan. Literally.
But how can a book with the son of the devil possibly be uplifting or wholesome? Well, that's the power of pine-sol baby!
It is set in an alternate-reality fantasy UK where magical creatures exist. Some people are trolls, or fairies, or winged bat-like creatures, or even the son of Satan.
You’re following a man who works at an agency in charge of auditing orphanages for magical creature children to make sure they are up to par. One day, he is sent to a particularly interesting, secluded orphanage with an important task–and you’ll have to read it to find out the rest!
It’s a story about finding love in unexpected places, not judging others for being different and gosh darn it, it really is wholesome and uplifting! If you are looking for a sweet, feel-good story then go for this.
I love to cast the characters as actors, like a movie in my mind, so if you want, you can imagine the two main characters as Jude Law and Eddie Redmayne. You’re welcome.
I am recommending this series because it is one of my favorite series of all time… and it is middle grade.
Not even YA, middle grade. (Harry Potter is also MG, so don’t let that deter you!)
It’s dystopian, it’s adventurous, it’s suspenseful. I read them when I was probably 12 and really enjoyed them. As I got older, I realized I had been too young to fully grasp and comprehend the deeper, symbolic themes so I decided to re-read them as an adult and guess what?
Still bangers.
They are set in a dystopian world where there is a strict two child policy and illegal “shadow children” have to live in hiding. There are themes of oppressive government, uprising, infiltration, sabotage, and ultimately, this is a story about finding the power to be the one to free yourself.
There are multiple POVs and side characters in earlier books become main characters in later ones. The best part is since they are MG, your big, huge adult brain can 1) for sure recognize and grasp all the deeper themes and 2) read the whole series in just a few days, probably.
I have always said these books could have Hunger Games movie level cultural influence if Hollywood executives weren’t cowards. That’s how strongly I feel about this series. Please read you won’t regret.
This is the last recommendation and TBH it is the ULTIMATE recommendation. This is the book that will appear on every single recommendation list and every single must-read list until the end of time. It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, what type of genres you prefer, EVERYBODY will like this book.
It has insane mass appeal.
It is the salt and pepper of books.
It is the chocolate chip cookie of books.
It is the OXYGEN and WATER of books!
I’m telling you, every single person on planet earth could read this book and enjoy it.
And the genre (drumroll please)…
…Science Fiction!
It is the most accessible sci-fi I have ever come across. It is written so incredibly well. The author is a master at explaining science concepts clearly so anyone can understand.
I don’t want to say much about the plot because I feel that part of the appeal is to just go on the journey yourself and discover the adventure along the say.
Remember earlier how I said my favorite plot device is Main Character Has Amnesia? Yeah, it has that :)
Remember when I said one of my favorite topics of all time is aliens? Yeah, it has that :)
There is mystery, adventure, suspense, twists, you name it. It is my second favorite book of all time and I’m confident it could be one of your favorites too!
Which one of these books are you going to read first? Are there any other books on your summer reading list? Let me know what I should add to mine in the comments below and happy reading!
