Top 10 Book Recommendations For Summer

It’s summer! For some of us that means many trips to the pool, the beach, the zoo and to theme parks. It means no homework, a little more free time and extra time with the family – whether in town or on vacation. To me, it also means an opportunity to jump into books that are a quick read. I look at summer as that time of year where I want to read a good book, but one that won’t have me pondering the meanings and definitions for days on end. Those are for winter. Here is a list of my top 10 book recommendations for summer:

1. The Fault in Our Stars – This was a great film, but an even better book. What you probably know about this is that it’s a story about teens with cancer, but what you don’t know is that cancer is the least interesting thing about this book. Hazel and Gus are characters that will stay with you, just as they stay with each other.
2. The Hunger Games – Because, come ON. The film could never do the book justice, and that’s not a knock at the filmmakers. This book creates a world that you could never envision on screen the way you can in your own mind. The characters are tough and raw and wise and amazing in ways that will have you devouring the book in a just a few days.
3. Catching Fire – The second book in The Hunger Game series is even better than the first. You now know the characters and the politics, but get a whole new insight into the games, The Capitol and the manipulations of the world that they live in.
4. The Da Vinci Code – You’ve never seen “The Last Supper” in the way that you will after you read this book! This is a fun mystery that will keep you guessing from beginning until end. Along the way, you’ll be introduces to conspiracy theories galore!
5. Paper Towns – By the same author as “The Fault In Our Stars,” this book is about teens in a small town. It begins with an adventure and continues with a mystery. Did she run away? Is she alright? Did she create this mystery herself? Where is Margo Roth Spiegelman and… why?
6. Gone Girl – Wait, WHAT?? This is what you’ll be saying to yourself throughout the book. As soon as you think you know what’s going on, you find out that you don’t. And that is what makes this read the most fun!
7. The Host: A Novel – I ask you now to forget that you’ve ever heard mention of a film called “The Host.” This book is a genius that again, can’t be replicated on film. It is slow to start, but hang in there! This internal battle between a peaceful alien life form and her female human host is fascinating and addictive. Experience this world in a way that only someone who’s never been here can.
8. And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie’s classic (also known as Ten Little Indians) is just as good now as it was when it was first published in 1939. Guest are invited to an island only to be told that they will now pay for the crimes that they have committed in their past. It’s a fabulous “Whodunnit?”
9. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic – This book (that has now become a Tony Award Winning Musical – woot!!) is a completely different experience. This is a graphic memoir of a daughter dealing with the complex relationship (including sexuality, suicide, dysfunction and more) that she has with her father. The book is written in comic strip form and you can read it in it’s entirety in only a few days. (And just to make your day brighter, watch this performance from the Tony’s. It doesn’t get a whole lot better than this!)
10. Bossypants – this hilarious Tina Fey book is just a fun read. Be very careful not to read this on a plane or in a library because you WILL laugh out loud and embarrass yourself. That’s just part of the fun of it.  😉

If we’re being completely honest, I’ve read most of these multiple times (okay, five of these books I’ve read three times each), but that’s why I buy the paperback. I know that some people prefer Kindle, but I enjoy the archaic, visceral feeling of holding a book in my hands and flipping the pages. That’s just me, but do what’s best for you! Happy reading!!