The Ultimate Summer Reading Guide
Written by Jenna McConnell
Thumbnail & Banner Photo by Link Hoang on Unsplash
Summertime has finally arrived! The weather is gorgeously sunny, and the biting cold has finally left for good. With all the beauty and opportunity that summer brings, one is left to wonder what to do with it all. My personal favourite summer pastime by far is reading. Relaxing with a novel is always a surefire way to calm me down, and I love jumping into the new worlds that stories offer. The hardest part, however, is choosing what to read. If you’re anything like me, you have a pile of books waiting on the shelf to be opened. Or perhaps you have the opposite problem and have nothing new, and no idea where to go next. Below is a summer reading list for all different types of literature, appealing to many types of readers. It will hopefully provide some inspiration and maybe even introduce you to a new favourite!
Romance
One of my absolute favourite genres, romance is a light and laughter-filled category full of gripping drama, adorably sweet moments, and some relatable and well-developed characters. Everyone can enjoy these prolific works of art, offering hours of flirty fun!
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Emily Henry is one of my personal favourite romance authors, and I doubt I am alone in saying this. She is an American author and has been writing since 2016 in both young adult (YA) and adult fiction. Her work is funny and engaging, focusing on love and romance. She also touches greatly on topics of grief and relationships of all kinds, having lots of her characters process a loss of some kind in their lives. Her newest addition, Funny Story, fits right in with this description. It stars Daphne, a children’s librarian who has just been dumped by her fiancé. After becoming roommates with the most unlikely of people, a roller-coaster summer begins. It definitely sounds like a hilarious page-turner which would be hard to put down at the best of times!
More of Emily Henry’s work:
People We Meet On Vacation (2021)
Daydream by Hannah Grace
Hannah Grace is an English author who has been writing for two years now. Her books are spicy, full of themes that are difficult yet important to talk about, and insanely popular on “BookTok” (the bookish side of TikTok) and other online spaces. Her newest publication, Daydream, will be the third installment of the Maple Hills, after fan favourites Icebreaker and Wildfire. In this book, university students Henry and Halle navigate the trials and tribulations of college, juggling jobs, classes, and hobbies. When they accidentally bump into each other and end up becoming friends, Halle offers to become Henry’s tutor. Will a romance bloom? Guess we’ll have to read it in August and find out!
More of Hannah Grace’s work:
Fantasy
Time for an adventure! Fantasy novels are sure to sweep you away into a world of magic and wonder. Whether you’re into the traditional dragons and wizards kind of fantasy, the more mythical side, or even the dark and sinister corners, this genre has something for everyone.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Tahereh Mafi is an Iranian-American author who has been writing for over ten years. A series that combines romance with fantasy, the Shatter Me universe includes six full-length books and five novellas. The series began way back in 2011, continuing for almost a decade until its conclusion in 2020. It focuses on a young girl named Juliette, who has the power to kill anyone she touches. This is the perfect fit for anyone who loves dystopian literature, as it features elements of rebellion, adventure, and corrupt governments that are all too common in the genre. While it is a large commitment to make to such a long series, it seems totally worth the risk.
More of Tahereh Mafi’s work:
A Very Large Expanse of Sea (2018)
An Emotion of Great Delight (2021)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Pierce Brown is an American author. Red Rising is his first novel, published in 2014. It is one of the older recommendations on this list, but still just as enticing. In a future set on Mars, people are divided into classes based on colours. We see Darrow, one of the lowly Reds, attempt to break out of this system. Will he be successful? Time will tell. This series is just right for those who liked The Hunger Games and dystopian fantasy; you will find familiar themes.
More of Pierce Brown’s work:
Golden Son (2015) (#2 in the series)
Morning Star (2016) (#3 in the series)
Thrillers/Horror
Thrillers are a unique and fascinating genre that tackle world issues in a terrifying way. Whether it be with classic monsters and ghouls, psychological scariness to make you think, or full of gore and blood, horror and thrillers have grown an almost cult-like following since their inception.
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
Riley Sager (real name Todd Ritter, also writes under Alan Finn) is an American author writing since 2010. Very popular in the world of thrillers, he has published about a dozen novels under his various names. His newest, Middle of the Night, talks of childhood friends disappearing…or have they? A ten-year old boy named Ethan spends the night in his friend’s backyard, only to wake up with his friend missing, and is never seen again. The aura of suspense surrounding this novel is palpable as, 30 years later, Ethan tries to uncover the decades-old mystery, making it a must-read for all horror lovers.
More of Riley Sager’s work:
The House Across the Lake (2022)
You Like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King
The true king (pun intended) of the horror industry has done it again! Actively writing since the late 1960’s, Stephen King has written countless creepy classics. His latest, You Like It Darker, is a collection of 12 short stories. With titles such as “The Answer Man,” “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” and “Rattlesnakes,” each will undoubtedly be spookier than the last. These would be absolutely perfect for reading aloud and scaring your friends around a campfire this summer, or curling up under the covers with a flashlight and seeing how long you last.
More of Stephen King’s recent work:
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden is an American author who has been writing since 2013. Her psychological thriller series The Housemaid began in 2022, and She has since published two sequels. They focus on an unnamed woman working for the Winchesters, a snooty upper-class family. The woman is seemingly very envious of this family’s wealth, and wonders what it would be like if she were in the wife, Nina’s, place. This eerily real tale sounds absolutely riveting, and I am definitely adding it to my list!
More of Freida McFadden’s work:
Photo by Valentin Antonini on Unsplash
Non-Fiction
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Want something scientific, historical, and fun all rolled into one? This book has you covered! Published back in 2016, Dr. Harari’s book goes in depth about the history of humans as a species, and how we developed over thousands of years to become what we are today. He discusses findings from a variety of disciplines like biology and economics, to give readers an insightful and well-rounded look into our ancestry. It is a perfect read for those who want to keep learning and absorbing information during their free time. Who knows, it might be interesting to see how things have changed even since this book came out!
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry
Whether you grew up loving him, or discovered his work as an adult, I don’t think I’ve met a single person who disliked the late Matthew Perry. An icon of tv and film in the 90’s and early 2000’s, his biographical novel is sure to be a fast hit. Detailing his childhood and young adult years (both the good, the bad, and the ugly), Perry gives a unique peek into what his life was like, from his time as Chandler Bing on Friends to his struggles with addiction and growing up with divorced parents. It is sure to be a heartbreaking and intense read, but also heartwarming for both fans and casual readers alike.
Check Out All the Free Resources!
If you aren’t interested in spending a ton of money buying new books from a store, there are lots of free alternatives! Visiting a public library is a great start, and can prove to be a fun and calming experience. There are many different branches of the Halifax Public Libraries around the city, and the Patrick Power Library is available to us right on campus! Libraries offer a safe space for everyone to come and read, play, relax, or even study! They always have mountains of books to choose from, so you’re sure to find something that piques your interest. It costs absolutely nothing to be there or to borrow a book; all you need is a library card!
Hoopla
Want the experience of ebooks, but don’t want to spend a fortune on an ereader and ebooks? Try Hoopla! This free website/app is a great way of accessing library resources from the comfort of your own home. Simply link your library card number into the app, and you can download tons of great titles to your devices, completely free! It offers books, audiobooks, manga, music, and more. You can read to your heart’s content for up to 3 weeks at a time, and it is available on apple, android, and online.
Libby
A very similar service, Libby offers access to a variety of ebooks and magazines, but mainly focuses on audiobooks. Simply link your library card, and voila! This is a great option for if you’re frequently on the go and don’t have time to read, or just don’t like sitting down and reading a physical book.
Reading is a beautiful way to unwind, while still exercising and engaging your mind. Books can offer unique insights into different issues that you may not have been exposed to before, allowing you to both learn and relax. There are different genres for all different occasions and moods, making it quite the versatile pastime. You can find yourself laughing, crying and falling in love right alongside the characters. Reading creates a comfort that not much else does, helping us through tough times and teaching us important lessons. Hopefully, this list has helped you on the way to finding a new adventure; happy reading!