Sunglasses on books ()
It’s the time of year to either find a grassy spot under a big tree or stay indoors with the fan blowing while reading your latest find. This month we are reading all about summer.
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens (Mystery) (Fiction) (2018)
In the summer of 1969, Chase Adams is found dead and Kya Clark, the local recluse, is immediately suspected. Delve into Clark’s isolated life and solve the mystery of Adams’ death before the last page.
“28 Summers” by Elin Hilderbrand (Fiction) (2020)
Mallory and Jake spend 28 years having an annual Labor Day weekend-long affair. They meet at the same place every year despite marriages, kids and more. Mallory learns she is dying, and Jake’s wife is the front-runner for President. How will this new information forever impact their lives?
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Classic) (Fiction) (1925)
Celebrate the decadence of summer in 1922 with mysterious riches, lost and unrequited loves, people randomly switching cars and drivers, and resisting the urge to start calling people “old sport.”
“The Lost Summers of Newport” by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (Historical Fiction) (Mystery) (2022)
The story begins in a mansion with the modern-day filming of a reality television show about restoring old houses. You then time-hop between 1899, 1958 and the modern day as the secrets of the mansion and the people residing inside are uncovered.
“Loveboat, Taipei” by Abigail Hing Wen (Young Adult) (Fiction) (2020)
18-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her to Thailand for the summer to learn Mandarin, but instead she finds herself surrounded by overachievers who use the summer to unwind with clubbing and drinking sake. Ever learns about who she is when she isn’t under the watch of her strict parents.
“Meddling Kids” by Edgar Cantero (Fiction) (Fantasy) (Paranormal) (2017)
This novel is inspired by classics such as Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and, most apparently, “Scooby Doo.” In 1977, the Blyton Summer Detective Club solved their final case as a group and parted ways until 1990. The smart girl is a failed college student-turned-bartender, the horror-nerd has spent most of that time in and out of mental institutions, and their fearless leader took his own life and is now seen only by the horror-nerd. They get together once more to find that sometimes monsters are not always men in a mask.
“Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising that Changed America” by Martin Duberman (LGTBQIA+) (History) (Non-Fiction) (1993/updated 2019)
June 1969 set off what some argue is the beginning of the modern civil rights movement for LGBT rights. This book follows the lives of six influential LGBT people who were there to experience it all.
“Beach Read” by Emily Henry (2020) (Fiction)
I couldn’t have a list of summer reads without including the beach. Authors Augustus Everett and January Andrews couldn’t be more different when it comes to writing styles. They spend the summer at neighboring beach houses challenging each other to write outside of their comfort zone.
“The Summer Nick Taught His Cats To Read” by Curtis Manley and Kate Merube (Children’s Book) (2016)
Nick loves to read, and he wants to share that love with his two cats. He tries everything from flash cards to field trips to the library, but the cats just don’t share the love. Can he achieve his goal of teaching his cats to read?
“Park Avenue Summer” by Renée Rosen (Fiction) (2019)
It’s been dubbed “‘Mad Men’ meets ‘The Devil Wears Prada,” and tells the story of Alice Weiss who leaves her small Midwestern town to work for the first female Editor-in-Chief of the “then-failing” “Cosmopolitan Magazine” in 1965.
Since you’ll be reading one (or more) of these amazing books this summer, why not earn something for your efforts? DoD MWR Libraries are hosting Summer Reading Challenges all summer long for kids and adults.
You can find a complete list of DoD libraries at https://www.beanstack.com/dod
