Our BFFs Chose 5 Books You Need To Read Before Summer
The first day of spring just happened, but my mind is already looking ahead to SUMMER! My mouth waters for backyard BBQ's while my body aches for the cool pool water. When I was younger, the concept of summer reading nauseated me. Why would I read when I could be running around outside?! At that age, it never even occurred to me that one could read while enjoying the fresh air. Today, however, summer reading sounds as enticing as long days tanning at the beach. I love to get my hands on some fresh books to jumpstart my summer vacation. With that in mind, I reached out to a few friends asking for book recommendations. Below are adapted versions of their answers. If you hate the books, blame them, not me!
Cathy says: Everybody's always talking about Mindy Kaling's books, and don't get me wrong, she's great. But B.J. Novak, who played Ryan on The Office, is an incredibly hilarious writer as well. His book, One More Thing, has me in stitches every time I read it, and that has been about 6 times at this point. You WILL laugh, and, he'll make you think about your own life in this modern, digital age.
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Marcus says: Summer means trashy novels, but I'm always pleasantly surprised by the occasional novel that transforms what could be trash into smart prose and complex story arc. Christine Sneed's Little Known Facts gives us everything we'd want in a sordid tale of Hollywood royalty, but her clever perspective elevates this book far beyond what other writers of a similar genre produce. It's a story of what fame can do to a family: the good, the bad, and the ugly. You feel as if you're reading a book by a more intelligent Kardashian, if such a human existed.
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Marissa says: I'm a bit behind the times, but I just finished Angels and Demons while beaching it up in Thailand (Marissa's clearly doing quite well post-college), and seriously, it changed my life. I know I'm dramatic, but this book was the highlight of my vacation...in Thailand! I'd read The Da Vinci Code, but this book is about 4 times the book that was. Robert Langdon rushes through the Vatican against a ticking time bomb. The truth that comes out in the end made me drop my book. If you haven't read it yet, stop reading my crazy e-mail and get reading buddy!
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Jun says: I'm still having nightmares from reading it, but Summer of Night was totally insane, in the good way. It's actually a perfect summer read as it reminds you what it's like to be a kid and play outside with friends during the long summer days. My childhood was basically the same as theirs, minus the creepy haunted school with evil spirits that terrorized the town. Other than that, totally the same.
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I say: My plan for this summer is to revisit some of my favorite childhood novels with friends. We're each picking our favorite book from elementary/middle school, and then we're going to read all of them. It's a great way to start a little bookclub and keep in touch with your squad during the summer holiday. Some stories I'm totally stoked for: The Phantom Tollbooth, The Giver, and The Wind in the Willows (this one fits nicely into the spring/summer timeframe given it starts with spring cleaning).
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Happy summer reading y'all!
