Cassie is a freelance writer who enjoys topics that combine technology and literature. Whenever the weather is warm, she takes her favorite e-reader and books with her to the beach.
I would like to thank NerdLush for publishing this article. The site provides in-depth recaps and analysis of comic book based shows, anime and conventions. Check out their FanGirl Squee section for recaps and reviews.
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What better way to relax at the beach or pool than with a good book? A lot of people still consider summer books as throwaway novels, but that doesn’t mean those are the only types of books you can read during the warm months.
In fact, there are plenty of options from romance to thrillers to keep you interested. The best thing about great books is they’re just as perfect for rainy days as they are sunny ones. So grab these books at your local bookstore or download them on your e-reader now.
Rich and Pretty
Follow two longtime friends in New York City, Sarah and Lauren, as they grow up and grow apart. While they might have been inseparable as children, their different paths in life create a growing distance.
Alam’s portrait of two childhood friends transitioning into adulthood is riveting and nuanced. He tells the story from the point of view of both women, which provides insight into their thoughts and memories. The book manages to highlight the changing nature of friendships through the years with warmth and humor.
The Girls
Loosely based on the Manson Family Cult, The Girls follows teenager Evie Boyd. By all accounts a normal teenager, Evie soon gets drawn into the dark world of a soon-to-be infamous cult through her obsession with an older girl named Suzanne. As she starts spending more time with the group and away from her family, Evie unknowingly inches closer to performing an unthinkable deed.
Packed full of rich imagery and evocative language, this psychological thriller will keep you turning the pages even when you know what’s coming. Cline does an amazing job portraying Evie as a multi-faceted character who yearns for attention and purpose. Despite the suspense, at its core, The Girls is a coming-of-age story.
The Bees
Once you finish reading this book you won’t look at bees the same way. In The Bees, you follow Flora 717, a lowly sanitation bee who is born with unique features and abilities that allow her to move between the bee’s rigid caste system. Due to her mobility, she witnesses all the beauty and brutality that the bees show to keep the hive productive. Although the higher order bees tolerate Flora’s curiosity, once she realizes she can produce offspring, she must turn against the queen and follow her own path.
Despite being set in only a few square feet of space, Paull manages to create a complex society full of rules, purpose and fanatical religion centered on the queen. While Flora might be the heroine, she does make mistakes and highly questionable decisions. It’s these actions. However, that fleshed her our as a character and provided depth to the world and story.
Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet
Kitty and her mother decide to go to Coney Island to fulfill the wish of her late brother. Although the vacation starts off on a high note, midway through Kitty’s mother grows ill and vanishes, leaving Kitty alone and bewildered. The only ones who help her are a cast of characters from Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet. As they dig deeper into the mystery, a plague falls upon Coney Island inciting panic and political unrest.
Despite the large cast, Wood manages to make each one come to life through her prose. As dark as the tone can get, Wood sprinkles in plenty of humor and manages to tell a story of friendship and determination despite all odds.
Radio Girls
Maisie Musgrave can’t believe her luck at landing a secretary position at the upstart British Broadcasting Channel. Despite being young, the company’s use of radio has captivated the nation. Soon, Maisie gains confidence in her abilities as she arranges interviews with the most famous scientists, writers and politicians. But when she discovers a conspiracy, it’s up to her and Hilda Matheson—the director of Talks programming—to spread the word both on and off air.
The story centers on the courage and resilience of the women at BBC during the time between WWI and WWII. Stratford manages to weave historical facts with fiction beautifully. While Maisie is fictional, Hilda Matheson is a historical figure and often considered one of Britain’s most influential women. It’s more than just a history book, though. Radio Girls is a humorous and captivating story full of enough twists and heart to keep your eyes glued to the pages.
All of these books are available to in hardcopy form, but if you want to save bag space, you can also download these as e-books. If you’re traveling and you can’t access these books due to geo-restriction, you can still download them by using a VPN service such as ExpressVPN service. This allows you to route your IP through a server in a different country so you can download these books even while traveling.
Did one of your favorite summer reads not make the list? Tell us in the comments below!
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