8 Summer Books You Should Enjoy Now That You're Not Reading Textbooks

You’re parked beneath an umbrella on the beach, sipping from a drink with a little plastic sword in it. You’ve got a book in hand: what is it? This time of year, you will be out and about having the time of your life, but you should also set aside some time to get some non-required reading done. 2016 has seen the release of some really incredible books, and the summer months are no exception. Check out these amazing books that have just come out. They will have you relishing all of this time that you get to spend free of textbooks!

1. The Girls by Emma Cline

Set in the 1960s, this New York Times bestselling thriller explores the cult craze of the hippie area and combines it with a young woman's desire to be accepted.

2. Losing It by Emma Rathbone

This novel sounds like the female equivalent of The Forty Year Old Virgin. A 26 year old woman has yet to lose her virginity and quits her job to spend time with an elderly aunt who's in the same boat. 

3. Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

A charming fairy tale featuring wanderlust and family secrets, this tale is the story of a girl trying to reconnect with a dead parent in Italy. 

4. How to Ruin Everything by George Watsky 

These personal essays from musical artist Watsky range from comic to tragic and cover every emotion in between. 

5. Raymie Nightengale by Kate DiCamillo

A young woman enters a beauty competition in an attempt to bring her AWOL father back home and forms an unlikely friendship with her competitors.

6. The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

This collection of anecdotes form the life of the newly minted A-list actress and comedian is guaranteed to have you howling with laughter.  

7. How to Be a Person in the World by Heather Havrilesky

A collection of articles from famous advice column Ask Polly.  The answers to hundreds of questions that modern readers like you are craving the answers to. 

8. Swing Time by Zadie Smith

This historical fiction novel tells the story of bi-racial dancers in New York City in the 1990s.