Books
8 Books For Your Book Club This Summer
The first things that pop into your mind when you hear the word "summer" are things like beach days, bonfires, sunny rays, and a whole lot of reading to catch up on. OK, maybe that last one only works for book lovers and book club members, but if that's you, then you know what I'm talking about. On top of books you've been excited to read for months now to books that your book club members have been proposing for months, it's safe to say you're headed for a fun and exciting book-filled summer.
Choosing the perfect book club book can come with a lot of unwanted pressure. You want to appease everyone, or at least try to, and have fun at the same time. You also want to choose a book that most, if not everyone, hasn't read already. Whether your book club likes to have individuals pick a book or you choose as a group, there's no doubt you have an insane number of ones to choose from.
This summer, consider picking a relatively new (or brand new) book to read with your fellow book lovers. Dive into a fictional romance, a YA adventure, or a memoir that'll open up great conversation. Here are eight perfect books to read during your sunny book club days:
1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
If your book club hasn't already indulged in this tear-jerker, I'd recommend making it the first book you read this season. It's about a quirky girl, Lou Clark, who can't seem to find her path in life, and Will Traynor, an adventurous, confident man who becomes paralyzed after an accident. When the two fall into each others' lives, sparks fly. The movie hits theaters at the beginning of June, so you can plan a book club field trip after you're finished reading.
2. Some Possible Solutions by Helen Phillips (May 31, Henry Holt and Co.)
Available on May 31st, Phillips new collection of stories poses the question of: What if? What if you could suddenly see through people, into their organs? What if you knew the exact date of your death? What if the energy crisis was solved? All of these odd questions are posed and answered through Some Possible Solutions. It's a fun, strange, and unique addition to your list of books to read this summer — one that will be even more entertaining to read with a group of people.
3. A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry
Isabel, a cursed girl with green skin and grass for hair, can grant wishes or kill with a touch — or so the myth says. Seventeen-year-old Lucas has grown up hearing about Isabel's magic. When his girlfriend disappears and letters from Isabel begin appearing in his room, he turns to the cursed girl for help and falls into her complicated, magical, poisonous world. It's a thrilling book you and your book club will love.
4. Modern Lovers by Emma Straub (May 31, Riverhead Books)
Chances are, you and your book club already read (or want to read) Straub's Vacationers . Her newest novel, Modern Lovers, is another great way to spend your summer; you'll dive straight into her gorgeous writing and entertaining characters. Set in Brooklyn, this story is all about first love and adult marriage. A group of friends — who were once in a band together — now live side-by-side and watch as their offspring begin to grow together, love together, and even sleep together. Past secrets begin to unravel one after another. You'll want to dissect each and every moment with your club members.
5. Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw
Challenge yourself and your book club members to take on a new world — one that is very, very real. Fifteen Lanes is the story of two girls. Noor, born into a brothel and living in Mumbai’s red light district, is desperately searching for a way of escape, and Grace, the daughter of the CEO of one of India's largest international banks, lives a life of complete loneliness. When the two girls cross paths, something beautiful happens. In the midst of hardship and heartbreaking realities, these girls find a friendship that may save them both. This book is excellent for a book club looking to explore new cultures and talk about major issues that face millions of teenage girls around the world.
6. The Museum of You by Carys Bray (June 16, Hutchinson)
Clover Quinn was a major surprise to her parents, and tragically, her mother died shortly after her birth. Now 12-years-old and on the brink of adolescence, Clover wonders if she'll ever learn who her mother was. Her father refuses to talk about his long lost partner, so Clover begins unpacking boxes of mother's possessions. Read along as Clover surprises her father with a museum of his past.
7. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
If your book club is all about prize winners, why not read the Pulitzer prize winning novel, The Sympathizer , this summer? This complex novel about a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist sleeper agent in America is one that'll be enjoyed in a book club where you can discuss the narrators motives, plans, and complicated ideas.
8. Days of Awe by Lauren Fox
A year ago, Isabel Moore was married, a role model to her 10-year-old daughter, and the best friend to a person she thought she knew completely. Now, her husband is moving out, her daughter is moody and wants nothing to do with her, and her best friend is dead after a tragic car accident. Read as Isabel begins to understand how life can change in an instant — and how to embrace the change.
