I’ve read many books this year, and I certainly haven’t slacked up this summer. As a look back over the books I’ve read, I’ve definitely had some favorites. I decided that it only made sense to put together a summer reading list. There are some that stuck with me for various reasons. Some of them just scream beach read and others are simply a really good read.
Let’s start with All The Lonely People. Part of the story in this book talked about the epidemic of loneliness in the country. The book is based in the UK. As I was reading the book, I randomly came across an article that talked about the loneliness epidemic. I thought, “Wow, they weren’t just making this up.” The story follows Jamaican immigrant Hurbert. He’s a widower who unwillingly meets a young neighbor and her toddler daughter. She pushes him to step outside of his loneliness to realize the life he’s been missing out on. He’s also forced to come to terms with the fake life he’s created to pacify his daughter. There were turns in this book I didn’t expect at all. I was surprised so many times as the true story of Hurbert’s life started unraveling.
Then there was Symphony of Secrets. This one is a page-turner! Professor Bern Hendricks uncovers a shocking secret about the most famous composer in America. The professor is the biggest fan of the work of the composer and is largely considered the authority on him. He’s hired to do one final project and uncovers a web of lies, theft, and murder. This was another jaw-dropper!
When I say beach read, Summer on the Bluffs comes to mind. It follows girls brought together each summer by a childless couple who become their godparents. The couple has a home in Oak Bluffs, an exclusive black beach community. The couple exposes the girls to a life they couldn’t imagine and show them what’s possible for them. They come back as young women for a life-changing summer where their godmother will be giving them a home in the community. The women are holding on to secrets that they hope won’t keep them from getting a home. They don’t know that their godparents hold secrets of their own that could change everything.
Gathering Blossoms Under Fire made me want to actively keep a journal and document my life. This one took me a little bit to get into but once I did, I was all in! Her life is fascinating! It’s also cool to see in real-time how the masterpiece of The Color Purple came to be. We read about the beginnings of her writing the book all the way through it becoming a movie and a Broadway play. She shares her thoughts about the shortcomings of each along the way. Reading Alice’s journals made me wish I was doing more to document my own life.
Never Saw Me Coming caught me all off guard. I’m reading and being introduced to Chloe. She’s this star student on her way to her freshman year of college. She’s got plans for her collegiate life. The one plan that surprised me was murder. She’s planning to kill Will, a guy from her childhood who violated her horribly. The other thing, she’s a full-on psychopath. She’s legit enrolled in a program that gives her a full scholarship as long as she submits to check-ins regarding being a psychopath. I LOVED this book. It was a definite page-turner.
These books are all very different. I tend to just hear about a book or literally see a cover and decide to read the book. I don’t read the summary to know what I’m getting into. That being said, I’m always surprised by everything I read. I think that’s why the things I read can span several different genres and be vastly different. Hopefully, you see something here you want to add to your summer reading list.
Have you read any of these? Do you have any suggestions that I should check out this summer?
