8 Books To Read This Summer

This is by no means an all encompassing summer reading list, but it's a decent start! I wanted to share with you some of the books I'm looking forward to reading in hopes it will give you some good ideas, so here they are...

8) All That Is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon

A historical novel and love story set at the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union, with the Chernobyl power plant meltdown at the focus. All That Is Solid Melts into Air blends the stories of various characters who are either directly impacted by the Chernobyl disaster or are struggling with life somewhere in Soviet Russia. There is Grigory, a surgeon who is called to the nuclear power plant to provide medical help, but when he questions the impact of the radiation the government is ignoring, there are dire consequences. There is Artyom and his family, who are sent to a relocation camp after the evacuation of their town and search desperately for their missing father. There is Yevgeni, a young boy who is a genius at playing the piano, but facing horrible bullying at school.

7)The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

Lucy grew up in mysterious circumstances: her darkly beautiful mother was only around for a short time, enough to marry and give birth to her, but she disappeared again when Lucy was only a small child. Many years later, her best friend Cheri disappears and is murdered... Despite growing up in the small town, because of her mysterious mother, Lucy never really fits in. Lucy cannot stop thinking about the two women she has lost, so she decides to find out what happened to Cheri with the help of a local, Daniel. Soon she finds out a secret that is greater and more horrifying than she can imagine.

6) Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

In this one, the words and the illustrations are equally important. Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box to explain why they are breaking up. Inside you will see how relationships can be dissected by the little pieces you keep.

5) The Dinner by Herman Koch

This novel takes place during the course of one dinner. Two couples come together at an acclaimed restaurant with something that desperately needs to be discussed. At first, it is only awkward small talk that rises to the surface, avoiding the true reason why they are there. As the story comes to a climax, the two families begin to talk about their children. Both families are brought together by the fact that their boys have committed an act of horrific proportions that has got the police involved and will change their lives forever. The Dinner shows what families will do to protect the ones they love.

4) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

This description is enough said, I want to keep this one as suspenseful and mysterious as possible- don't want to ruin it for myself!
"A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.The truth."
-From Amazon

3) The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Short Stories by Marina Keegan

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

A collection of essays by the late Marina Keegan, who shone brightly before her early death at the age of 22 in a car accident. During her short time here she graduated from Yale, produced a play that was going to be in the Fringe festival and was headed for a career at the esteemed New Yorker... These are the writings she left behind.

2) The Bear by Claire Cameron

After a black bear attacks their family, six year old Anna and her younger brother, Stick, are left to take care of themselves, all alone...

1) Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

The powerful story of a young woman who is on the rise in her life: dating seriously, a bright/hopeful future as a journalist at a New York Newspaper, when she is overcome by health issues, specifically, madness that causes her to lose memories and become violent and psychotic... this is the story of her enduring spirit, her loving family, her perilous diagnosis and recovery...

Hope this gets you thinking about your reading plans this summer!

Keep reading!