As the smell of summer comes in on the warm air and my allergies confirm that the warmer weather is definitely on its way, you might be thinking of holidays and long relaxing days on the beach. If that’s the plan then you’ll need some reading material and so today we’ve put together a list of reads guaranteed to get you in the summer vibe!
There’s a selection of reads, across various genres but they all have one thing in common, they are guaranteed to make you feel summery! From old favourites to new releases we hope you’ll find something to read from this list!
Beautiful Ruins – Jess Walter
Beautiful Ruins is the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the Italian coast in 1962…and is rekindled in Hollywood fifty years later. It’s the perfect way to visit Italy this summer without leaving your deckchair and is guaranteed to give you that summer vibe!
A Hundred Summers – Beatriz Williams
Set in 1938, this historical fiction follows the story of Lily Dane who has returned to Seaview, Rhode Island where her family has summered for generations to escape New York’s busy social scene and the heartbreak that still haunts her. Here she finds comfort in the familiar rituals of summer, as will you if you pop this fantastic little novel in your beach bag!
The Girls – Emma Cline
Historical fiction based around the infamous cult that followed Charles Manson around before being drawn into inexplicable violence. It’s moody, thrilling and dark, but it’s also set around a long Californian summer and is bound to give you travel vibes!
Paper Towns – John Green
We promised a range of genres and here we have some spectacular YA fiction. Romance, suspense, and a good old mystery, and what’s more, plenty of summer vibes in its Orlando setting.
The Last Summer of Us – Maggie Harcourt
Three best friends crammed into a clapped-out rust bucket of a car on a whirlwind road trip to forget their troubles and see out the end of the summer. This touching summer story might rip your heart right out, but it’s the perfect hammock read this summer.
The Salt House – Lisa Duffy
A searing debut novel that explores family, grief, marriage and friendship, all set to the backdrop of a hazy Maine summer, guaranteed to churn up your emotions, while maintaining that summer feel.
The Gypsy Moth Summer – Julia Fierro
Set during the gypsy moth invasion on Avalon Island in 1992, this is an intergenerational story about love, family, and the struggle to connect between generations. Set in a hot and hazy summer, this is definitely one for the beach bag this summer.
Call Me By Your Name – Andre Aciman
Described as one of the greatest love stories of our time, Call Me By Your Name is a tale about an attraction between an adolescent boy and a visitor to his parents’ cliffside mansion on the Italian Rivera. This LGBT love story will take you all the way to an Italian summer without having to leave your sun lounger.
Lagos Noir – Chris Abani
Is it even summer if you haven’t dipped into at least one book set in Africa? This anthology more than covers that requirement, a collection of short stories all set in Lagos promises to transport you directly to the heat of Nigeria with some noir fiction.
Fly Me – Daniel Riley
Set in the summer of 1972 in Los Angeles, this thrilling novel is the story of a dark discovery set in the debauchery of 1970s Los Angeles and is guaranteed to give you summer vibes!
We hope you find some good suggestions there and we’ll be back with more recommendations lists soon. If you want to ensure you never miss any of these, subscribe now.
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Hi Kath
As a new author, I don’t know whether I am allowed to mention my own book. But in case I am, ‘Mayhem In The Archipelago’ is a light hearted thriller set in the Stockholm summer. If your readers enjoy scenes set in sun-kissed islands, delicious baking, plenty of humour and an exciting story, then they should find plenty to make them happy.
Nick