For many students, Summer is the opportunity to finally take a step back and relax after a difficult semester. With all this new free time, check out this list of the new and upcoming books people are talking about this summer. Everything from rom-coms that can be read on the beach, to mind-bending sci-fi and heart wrenching thrillers; hopefully there’s something every booklover will enjoy.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
This fun summer novel is a breezy romance that readers are calling hilarious and unforgettable. It follows the main character Olive, as she is unexpectedly given a free trip to Hawaii after everyone at her sister’s wedding falls ill. The only caveat is her sworn enemy Ethan will be the one going with her, and just when she thinks she can’t get any unluckier, everything starts to change. This novel is a fun and expectation bending- read, that explores themes of family, love, and choosing your own destiny.
The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward
This thriller dives into the lives of three suburban mothers who have grown close while raising their sons together in a sheltered, Austin, neighborhood. They have worked fiercely to protect their children from the outside world, but when the boys uncover a chilling secret, their perfect suburban haven will never be the same. Readers won’t be able to put this novel down as it asks; how far are we willing to go to protect those we love?
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Author Emily Mandel creates a universe beyond anything we have ever imagined in this much anticipated Sci-fi novel. This novel explores separate lives connecting and intertwining over the expanse of time and space, analyzing the interconnectedness of humanity and the reality of our current moment. This novel is sure to make you think and challenge the way you see the world and your role in it.
The Last Resort: A Chronicle of Paradise, Profit, and Peril at the Beach by Sarah Stodola
This bold and evocative novel is the perfect pick for non-fiction lovers this summer. It is an exploration of beach resort culture and its role in the economy today. As well as digging deeper into the history of beach resorts, their often-destructive effects and their future as we descend deeper into the climate crisis. This novel is educational, well written and researched, and is sure to change your perspective on the classic vacation getaway.
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
In this riveting historical fiction novel, three women all struggling with very different issues find themselves in Key West, Florida in 1935. One is fleeing the hardships of the great depression, another coming to terms with the arranged marriage she has just been forced into , and the third feels trapped in her own life in Key West. Their paths cross in unexpected ways and as the conflict in their lives is growing, so is the threat of one of the most devastating hurricanes in history.
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
In this moving novel, set in the summer of 1995, the main character, 10-year-old Joan, begins to explore and understand her troubling family history. The novel traces three generations of this southern black family, and one daughter’s journey to change her family’s legacy. Her resilience will inspire readers and have everyone examining the importance of what we pass down to future generations. It will force readers to ask themselves; do we want this country’s legacy to be one of violence?
Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour
Lastly, this beautiful new novel follows the lives of two young women in Los Angeles as they run from their pasts and unexpectedly cross paths with each other. They first meet at the restaurant Yerba Buena, and as their lives continue, they keep finding each other over and over again. Eventually, they must decide if their love is bigger than the pasts that haunt them. Both inspiring and heartbreaking, this is a book you won’t want to put down this summer.
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]