My Favourite Books: Summer Edition
With summer just around the corner, it means more sunny days and more chances to delve into a new world through books. If you’re anything like me, books have this way of transporting you to new lives, experiences, and cities through the characters. In today’s post, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite books that are a mix of gripping, heartfelt and fun reads that will have you encapsulated by the writing.
The Mothers (Britt Bennett)
A story that follows the life of Nadia Turner as she navigates her way through the Southern California community where she grew up. As she mourns the death of her mother, an unplanned pregnancy and the pains of growing up, Brit Bennett pens an incredible novel that follows her to adulthood and has her always thinking, “what if she had chosen differently?” This story deals with community, love, and ambition (Read full synopsis). This story is one of my favourite books I’ve read so far this year as it is heartfelt and shows the pains of grief, young love, and growing up as you try to figure out your place in the world.
2. All Boys Aren't' Blue (George M. Johnson)
A series of personal essays by LGBTQIA+ activist and journalist, George M. Johnson, he tells his life story from childhood to adulthood. We get to hear the stories of his family, heartaches and upbringing. This YA novel is a combination of the trials and tribulations faced by Black queer boys (Read full synopsis). This book was so powerful and beautifully written. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of it as it feels even more personal being read by the author himself.
3. Daisy Jones and The Six (Taylor Jenkins Reid)
An intense and intriguing story about the famous 1980s rock band, their origins and their mysterious breakup. Following the lives of the band from the beginning, to the addition of Daisy Jones, the interview-style novel gives us a deep look into the band, their success, downfalls, and everything in between (Read full synopsis). This book had me hooked from the first chapter. Reading about this fictional band made me wish it was a true story as the vivid detail Taylor Jenkins Reid writes in is so amazing.
4. The Last Story of Mina Lee (Nancy Jooyoun Kim)
When Margot Lee discovers her mother has suspiciously died at her apartment in Koreatown, LA, she starts digging into her mother’s life to find the real reason behind her mother’s passing. We follow the events of Mina Lee’s life, an undocument immigrant from Korea who wanted to live the American Dream (Read full synopsis here). This story was gripping and heartbreaking at the same time as Nancy Jooyoun Kim explores the strained relationship between Mina and Margot and how she wishes she could’ve changed their past.
5. Beach Read (Emily Henry)
The classic foes to lovers situation, Beach Read follows Augustus Everett, acclaimed literary fiction author and January Edwards, a bestselling romance author. When they end up as neighbours at their beach houses for the summer, they set a deal to write the other’s genre in hopes to cure their writer’s block and maybe fall in love (Read full synopsis here). This was such a feel-good book, funny and perfect for your next beach day read.
Hope you can get some of these books on your reading list this summer and let us know if you check any of them out.
Happy Reading!
Article by: MEAGAN MABILANGAN