It’s basically summer in my opinion because the days are long and it’s no longer snowing (I haven’t forgotten about you, last year’s late spring snowstorm). My eyes itch from the pollen count, the sweet smell of sunscreen is in the air, and it rains every day now in Denver at 5pm. It’s time for summer reading.
I wish I could hold you all accountable with a summer reading log and get your reports at the end of the summer, but I am not your teacher and you don’t have to listen to me anyway. You might not have even opened this email! There’s no way for me to tell! (There’s a way for me to tell).
Me, I’m planning on reading my way through some juicy fiction while sitting in the shade, listening to provocative memoir while walking along the beach, and maybe even getting into YA fantasy. Who knows.
These are all wonderful books I’ve read in the past few months I’ve been *~silent. You all knew I’d never be consistent with these anyway, right? Real ones remember funandcoolicecream and how long that lasted.
Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny
This book of short stories feels like different scenes of summer. Bite-sized snacks eaten on a hot afternoon after hours in saltwater or a pool. All about women and, I love to use this word, their hijinks, each one is distinct but fits nicely among the rest.
The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses
A novel about professional basketball and K-drama is not something you might expect, but this book is one you’re going to want to sink your teeth into. Written with a fast-paced, short-sentence style, I ripped through it while learning a lot about the world of K-drama (fascinating) and honestly learned a lot about the NBA too.
American Mermaid by Julia Langbein
I…you need to read this one. About a woman who’s just written a surprise bestseller about a mermaid who fights an evil corporation trying to bring about climate change early, it switches between the story of the woman and the story of the book she’s written (super meta right), and as the woman slowly begins to think that the mermaid has come to life and is sabotaging the process of adapting the book into an action movie.
If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook
Shoutout to Sims and her friend Cat Shook!! This one is heartwarming and for all my Southern girlies, or for anyone who like down-home, big dysfunctional family vibes.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
A fun and fast-paced book about rich people in Brooklyn Heights and all of their little troubles. And they have many!
Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst
The story follows a Black beauty writer who tweets a manifesto against the racist magazine and institution that fired her for no reason and the repercussions of being a whistleblower.
Couplets by Maggie Millner
A memoir written in rhyming couplets!!! It’s about a woman and her failing relationship with a man as she starts a blossoming, all-consuming one with a woman. The structure seemed too cute for me but it was an absolute delight to read.
Undercooked by Dan Ahdoot
Dan Ahdoot is a comedian you might not have heard of, but his memoir is hilarious and insightful, and a must for anyone who likes food and restaurants. Because who hasn’t been to the number one restaurant in the world and sent the risotto back?
Deep Creek by Pam Houston
The book that revolutionized me….if I have one day moved to a ranch in the middle of the Rocky Mountains with just my dogs and some goats, she’s why.
"Summer beach reads" mean different things to different people. My ideal summer beach read is a book set in the northeast, think Martha's Vineyard, Block Island, etc. or in the low country of Savannah or Charleston. I want to be transported to the location and feel like I'm pat of the story.