With summer comes the sweltering heat and extra time to get into some things you’ve been putting off on your to-do list. Especially that long list of books you’ve been meaning to crack open. There’s nothing like curling up on a couch with the blast of the air conditioner on your face and opening a brand new book, waiting to immerse yourself in the fictional (or nonfictional) lives of others.
Or, if you are feeling adventurous and ready for a vacation, you could take a book out to the beach and hopefully not obtain a sunburn from how long you stay out reading. From dying actresses to an eccentric group of friends to dealing with obesity to the Ole South to marriage, these are the top 10 books to check out this summer!
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
This story of intertwined characters takes you all over the map from a tiny, yet beautiful island in Italy to the dirty rock scene of Scotland back to modern-day Hollywood, where everything revolves around a young woman who was casted in Liz Taylor’s Cleopatra. Throughout her life, she meets several people who she impacted in the past and the present, and, with that, twists and turns arise as this beautiful actress makes the biggest decision of her life.
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
When Jules is invited to hang out with a group of friends at a summer camp for budding artists, her life and those around her are changed forever. Growing up together, the friends encounter troubles with each other and apart. This story shows how a group of friends develops over time with each other and how human nature will inevitably get in the way.
The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan
Spanning over 100 years, this intricate novel tells the story of four different couples who all have different views on marriage and the shiny thing that comes with it: a diamond ring.
Southern Cross the Dog by Bill Cheng
Set after the Great Flood of 1927, this is the story of Robert Chatham, whose life is wrecked by the flood, causing him to travel across ole Mississippi where he meets hustlers, hookers and dangerous fur trappers.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
After the critically acclaimed The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini comes back with this story about the hardships of family and how we must all love one another no matter what actions are made.
Big Brother by Lionel Shriver
From the author of We Need To Talk About Kevin, this novel explores obesity and its affect on families, specifically Pandora and her brother, who she picks up from the airport and barely recognizes after a year.
The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence
Alex Woods isn’t your ordinary kid, especially after he was hit by a meteorite at the age of 10. And his mother happens to be a fortune teller. Oh, and he’s bullied a lot. But his life is changed when he meets an old man named Mr. Peterson, who is obsessed with Kurt Vonnegut and teaches him about taking chances.
We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
This story follows the Cook family who just so happens to raise a chimpanzee. When Fern, the chimpanzee, disappears when the narrator, Rosemary, is 5, she spends her whole life trying to figure out what happened to her beloved primal family member.
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
In this serial-killer thriller, the main character Kirby is hunting down a man who tried to kill her in the past. But here’s the twist: he can time travel.
After his mother dies from a five-year battle with cancer, Danny must travel to Tokyo to sort out her estate, and, along the way, he finds out secrets about his mother that teach him about love and death.