Summertime reading is my favorite. I distinctly remember one summer being at the beach visiting my grandparents, reading my Sweet Valley Twins books on the porch and just basking in the slow days of summer. I’d play in the water or go to the pool with my friends too, but something about having long stretches of time to just relax with a book? Nothing better. Also, I was a very indoorsy kid :)
Summers now mean a lot of hours being a swim mom but in the two weeks we’ve been off we’ve managed to sign up for multiple summer reading programs and weekly library trips. When you’re a librarian’s kids, this part of summer is drilled into you I guess!
Feel free to add in the comments what is on your summer reading list and make sure to add some of the new YA releases this month!
Book Buzz
Seasick by Kristin Cast and Pintip Dunn (June 11). “There’s a killer on board a luxury yacht, and two former friends must team up to figure out which of their privileged classmates has a penchant for murder…”. Sounds like a fun read!
All Roads Lead to Rome (June 18) by Sabrina Fedel. A romance novel about “..the daughter of a diplomat [who] fake dates a Scottish celebrity in Italy…” and mentions of Roman Holiday? Seems like the perfect escapist beach read!
A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman (July 2). A mix of The Secret History (a favorite of mine) and The Honeys, but featuring “…queer teen from Mississippi who finds himself swept into a world of old money, privilege, and the secret society at the heart of it all.”
Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro (July 9). “Two young artists have a chance meeting on the last night of summer arts camp in this YA novel in verse”.
A Greater Goal: The Epic Battle for Equal Pay in Women’s Soccer-And Beyond by Elizabeth Rusch (July 9). A narrative non-fiction book on the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team fight for equal pay.
The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (July 30). A new series featuring the characters of The Inheritance Game series, which was one of my all time favorite YA series.
From the Librarian’s Desk
My summer reading, so far:
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke. Weaving individual stewardess stories into the wider context of airline travel in the 1960’s through the 1980’s, this book is fascinating. I was expecting a look at the glamour of the early stewardess days but a large part of the book focused on the history of these flights into Vietnam, which I did not know much about. There is the glamour and jet setting but there is also real depth into what these women experienced going into a war zone. Loved it, highly recommend.
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. Another book I highly recommend, this follows friends Ellie and Homa from their childhood in Tehran to their adulthood, post-Iranian Revolution. It’s a beautiful story of friendship against the political turmoil of their country and how it impacts their lives.
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean. Ellie Black suddenly reappears after two years missing, but cannot fully explain what has happened to her or who took her. This mystery was really compelling but I did not love the twist. I think it’s an interesting take on the missing girl trope but it didn’t quite pay off for me.
Beyond the Pages
Anyone else see the Harold and the Purple Crayon movie trailer when they saw Inside Out 2? At first I thought it was going to be too young for my kids, but the trailer sold me. I have a very creative 8 year old who I think this will really resonate with.
Pippi Post has some of the cutest t-shirts. I love this “Bookcation” one and “Bookish Summer Essentials”. And this punctuation tee is adorable but also necessary for teachers. Even us high school ones sometimes!
A “Beach Read” boat tote seems necessary for vacation.
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