// summer reads //

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Several of you voted for this post; I didn't know these were so popular, but I ain't mad about it! 😜  Let's crack open some summery books. 

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The Light Between Oceans
by M.L. Stedman

I know you've probably already heard of this one, and I know that if you have, you've probably also heard about the Soul-Crushing Emotional Potency of the plot.  So . . . I get it if you don't actually want to read it, lol.  But if you do feel like getting your heart twisted around a bit, this one's got you covered.

(okay in all honesty "Soul-Crushing Emotional Potency" is a bit of an exaggeration and I don't want to overhype the book but it does get under your skin and stay there)  

The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys

To be honest, Sepetys's latest didn't wow me like some of her others.  However, I think a lot of that is due to personal preference, and either way, the aesthetic is immersive and perfect for summer.  
by Ann Rinaldi

I've loved this book for several years.  I love the characters, and I love Rinaldi's writing style.   

Our new possible house has tons of trees in the backyard like our first house...perhaps a hammock may be in order again!

The Tower at Stony Wood
by Patricia A. McKillip

McKillip has fast become a new favorite author.  She gets me, as a writer.  I utterly adore the worlds she creates, and the way she's able to establish an amazing aesthetic without piling on unnecessary descriptions. 

The Marquise and Her Cat
by Shari L. Tapscott

This has been one of my favorite new-to-me reads of 2020.  Basically, I've realized that I love fairytale retellings of most all kinds:  complex or simple, deep or shallow.  They're just fun, and they make me happy.  

This one retells Puss in Boots, and it's always doubly enjoyable when someone picks a more obscure fairytale to explore.

Since You've Been Gone
by Morgan Matson

I had mixed feelings on this one, but I've held onto it because it has a fun atmosphere and I've always thought I might reread it a couple more times.  Give it a try!

Small Damages
by Beth Kephart

This book tackles unplanned teen pregnancy and it is beautiful.  It's set in Spain, and it has a gorgeous aesthetic of crackling sunlight and dusty streets and glistening oranges.  (Also, found family fans?  Look no further.)


Dawn's Early Light
by Elswyth Thane

I love almost everything about this book.  (One of the romantic relationships — between a pair of secondary characters — isn't absolutely ideal, but it wasn't enough to make me dislike the book.)  Thane's writing is some of the best his-fic I've read, stylistically speaking.  I read the sequel first, but I love the characters we follow in this one much more.

A word of caution:  the main romance has a significant age difference conflict to consider, so if age gaps in romance freak you out, you might want to steer clear of this one.  

Dread Nation
by Justina Ireland

As I said on Goodreads, I certainly didn't start this year thinking I would even be trying a book that involves zombies, much less loving it.  Buuuuut . . . I did.  (This is a historical fantasy, by the way.  It's an exploration of what might have happened if a zombie pandemic broke out at the end of the Civil War, told from the POV of a Black girl training to be a zombie killer.  It's pretty cool.)

Spindle
by E.K. Johnston

It's been a couple of years since I read this, so I can't vouch for its quality with 100% certainty, but I do remember what I thought of it at the time.  I didn't fall hopelessly in love with it; but, like I said earlier, I pretty much always enjoy fairytale retellings, and this one was no exception.  Also, it's been one of those that has lingered in my mind, and I'm looking forward to rereading it. 

To the Lighthouse
by Virginia Woolf

Again, it's been several years since I read this, but I remember the summery aesthetic of it.  I remember the impression of hot, dry, white-sand beaches (see:  lighthouse).  I also remember loving it.

Now, to disclaim, I don't think I would have liked it as much as I did had I not read it in the context of a literature class, with a professor who did an excellent job extrapolating the hidden meaning in Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style.  So, if stream-of-consciousness isn't your jam, you probably won't like this one.

The Horse and His Boy
by C.S. Lewis

I mean we gotta include Lewis somewhere on the list. 😉  Several of the Chronicles are set in summer, but the desert scenes in this one give it an extra kick. 😜

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pinterest: insatiiable

What books do you like to read in the summer?

Comments

  1. Abigail McKennaJuly 16, 2020 at 1:09 PM

    I've been wanting to read Dread Nation, and knowing you loved it makes me want to read it even more xD I think the only one on this list I've read is Horse and His Boy, lol! I've got some reading to do, I think, haha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OliviaJuly 19, 2020 at 3:52 PM

      I think you'd like Dread Nation! Historical fantasy always makes me think of you now, so. ;)

      Haha, at least you've read one of the best!! :D

      Delete
  2. Katie HannaJuly 16, 2020 at 6:34 PM

    In My Father's House is just ... *heart eyes* One of the few books I've read about the Civil War which really and concretely deals with the responsibility and guilt of those taking part in the slaveholding system.

    Dread Nation sounds really really good! I am Intrigued!

    I've been rereading The Raven Cycle, it's got a delightfully, delicate, summery vibe, in an angry, rebellious, Goth Punk sort of way xD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OliviaJuly 19, 2020 at 3:54 PM

      Yaaaaaasss. *joins you w/ heart eyes* IMFH is just a solid book.

      Okay but real talk I thought of you when I read it? There are a couple things that give me pause, in terms of predicting whether you'll like it, but we should absolutely talk about it. :D I'll hit you up on Pinterest!

      YESSSS. TRC sounds like a perfect summer read, too.

      Delete
  3. Livia RachelleJuly 16, 2020 at 6:49 PM

    I love book posts!

    I have a Mckillip book from the library, not that one I don't think, but if I like this, I might try the one you mentioned. Also fairytale retellings? Sign me up. I've been going through fairy tale centrals lists to see if I can access any of those about the library.

    I've tried to start dividing my books by seasons, at least the rereads. I'm rereading Anne of Green Gables series at the moment.

    Dawn Treader is one of the summeriest books there is, but I read that back in the Winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OliviaJuly 19, 2020 at 3:59 PM

      Me, too!

      Nice! Which McKillip book do you have? The first one I read (and still my favorite so far) was The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Fairytale retellings are the best! I hadn't even thought of looking for recs on Fairy Tale Central, but that's a great idea.

      That sounds like a good plan. I'm in this weird place right now where I keep wanting to reread old favorites, but I can't seem to get into them. The Anne books are perfect for summer! (And for fall and winter and spring, ha.)

      It definitely is. A lot of the Chronicles give me summer vibes!

      Delete
    2. Livia RachelleJuly 20, 2020 at 7:20 PM

      Dealing with Dragons. I dnf-ed I believe this very book years ago, but I thought I'd try again. I'm really missing the ease of the city library (most locked down), the more local libraries have slim pickings, so this may have been the only McKillip there, but I'll have to see.

      Delete
    3. OliviaAugust 8, 2020 at 2:41 PM

      Ah, gotcha. I haven't looked into that one yet.

      Delete
  4. Gabby A.July 18, 2020 at 5:38 AM

    Oh I've read Since You've Been Gone!! It was very different to a lot of books I've read and I didn't love EVERYTHING, but it definitely had some fun, summer vibes! I would possibly read it again. It was fun. :)

    Goooolly! You read a book on Zombies!?! Wow! Haha, would not have picked that! Cool. I don't know if I ever would read it but cool all the same. ;)

    Just out of curiousity, (regarding Dawn's Early Light) what to you is a significant age difference, roughly? I'm curious. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OliviaJuly 19, 2020 at 4:06 PM

      That was pretty much my reaction to Since You've Been Gone, too.

      I'm as surprised as you are! ;D

      Ah, Dawn's Early Light. Well, here's the thing: In years (about 10-12), it's not the biggest I've ever encountered / accepted. What makes it a bigger deal is that the younger party is a very young child when they meet (like, 9, I think?); so that of course introduces a different angle / different things that need to be addressed. ;)

      Delete
  5. IrishAGJuly 18, 2020 at 1:41 PM

    Oooh, have you read Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip? I read it a few months back and loved it and thought of you. :)
    <3 ,
    IrishAG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OliviaJuly 19, 2020 at 4:07 PM

      I haven't, but I'm definitely wanting McKillip recommendations, so I'll look into it! I'm honored that you thought of me when you read it. :D <3

      Delete
    2. IrishAGJuly 20, 2020 at 9:58 PM

      :) It's definitely not a really summer book... I guess you could tell that from the title. It is super atmospheric, though, and that made my INFJ heart happy. :)
      <3 ,
      IrishAG

      Delete
    3. OliviaAugust 8, 2020 at 2:41 PM

      YESSS. Honestly, I'll take the winter aesthetic over the summer aesthetic any day, so I don't mind. ;D

      Delete
  6. Chloe the MovieCriticJuly 22, 2020 at 8:39 PM

    Oooo. *adds all of these to my to-read list* Ah, The Horse and His Boy is SUCH a summery book. <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OliviaAugust 8, 2020 at 2:41 PM

      Yes! Mission accomplished. ;) Isn't it?? I love it so much.

      Delete

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