Summer has finally arrived, and it’s the perfect time to catch up on some books to read this summer! No matter where vacation takes you, this list will keep you entertained with stories of fiction, mythology, brilliant people, plagiarism, foreign lands, and intrigue. Take a look and make your selections.
The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman – Women’s Fiction
The Clover Girls tells a story about friendship and forgiveness using a dual timeline between the summer of 1985 and the summer of 2021. Four very different girls become best friends at summer camp until life, death, adulthood, and betrayal tears them apart. The loss of their dear friend inspires the girls to reevaluate their lives and give one last chance to fix what broke between them… and what they broke inside themselves.
The Plot by Jean Korelitz – Fiction
A jaded writing professor finds a second shot at success in this psychological thriller that asks the question: Whose stories are we allowed to tell? This professor has stolen a book’s plot from a deceased student. It keeps you guessing and wondering about ambition, fame, and the nature of intellectual property. “The Plot is one of the best novels I’ve ever read about writers and writing. It’s also insanely readable and the suspense quotient is through the roof. It’s remarkable.” -Stephen King
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave – Mystery
A gripping mystery about a woman who thinks she’s found the love of her life – until he disappears. All calls to her husband go unanswered as she realizes her husband is not who he said he was. The Last Thing He Told Me is a thoughtful, intimate exploration of love and family as the foundation of a beautifully constructed mystery filled with twists and turns. It is a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves and but then reassures.
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint – Greek Mythology/Fiction
Ariadne forges a new epic outside the traditional heroism and glory of Greek Mythology. Ariadne, a Princess of Crete, falls in love with Theseus, the Prince of Athens. She betrays her family and country for love when she helps Theseus kill the Minotaur monster and escapes with him to Naxos. In Greek Mythology, Theseus abandons Ariadne since she betrayed her family. In the modern retelling, Dionysus, God of Wine, falls in love with Ariadne, and they marry.
Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind by Barbara Becker – Biography/Nonfiction
Heartwood inspires readers to learn more about love and loss, life and death. The name “Heartwood” comes from the central part of a tree that is no longer alive but supports the newer growth – the dead part becomes a source of enduring strength to the living. This insightful, quietly moving book is not just for the grieving or for those who comfort. We can live our lives more fully knowing that someday we will die.
The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – Fiction
Best friends from college take a wonderful week of vacation together every summer for ten years. They live far apart for most of the year – she’s in New York, and he’s in their small hometown in Ohio. The clever observations and comical laugh-out-loud dialogue make this a must-read for the summer. Are these two bumbling, entertaining characters just friends, or could this be true love?
A Theater for Dreamers by Polly Samson – Historical Fiction
This sun-saturated novel set on the Greek Island of Hydra is just the escapism you need right now! It’s 1960 in a Bohemian commune of poets, painters, and musicians who revel in their heat-induced dreams. These brilliant people: Leonard Cohen, a Canadian poet/ musician; Axel Jensen, a Norwegian writer; George Johnston and Charmian, both Australian writers, are all living in this beautiful Greek setting. It adds up to seductive time travel with an edge.
If you are an Amazon Prime member you get a free Prime Read each month. Right now our favorite is Mixed Tape. Plus, Amazon Prime Day is this month you can get two additional Kindle books for free.
Lazy summer days are here, and there are few things better than kicking back in a lounge chair with a good book. So pick out your best fiction or mystery, grab a cold drink, and lose yourself in a new adventure. Hopefully, our list of books to read this summer has given you some inspiration!
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