In just a couple shorts weeks, classes will be over, exams will be over, and there will be no more reading for school or assigned textbooks. If you enjoy reading like I do, you’ll most likely be hunting for some fun books to read over the summer that you don’t have to analyze for class or skim through minutes before a test. Since literature is one of my greatest passions, I’ve compiled a list of ten books that are perfect for reading over the summer before classes start again in the fall.
1. The Rum Diary
This was one of the first realistic fiction books I read once I started getting into the genre, and let me tell you, it’s a life-changing book. It was later made into a movie with Johnny Depp in the starring role, but the book is about a journalist named Paul Kemp who moves to Puerto Rico for a change in scenery. It chronicles his obsession with a woman who’s engaged to another man with a shady work life and Kemp’s experience with moving to a new place with a culture entirely different from ones he’s experienced before.
2. The Mermaid Chair
This is another book about someone who leaves their old life behind for a new one and it’s written by the famous author Sue Monk Kidd. The novel is about a woman named Jessie Sullivan who moves to a small island to take care of her mother who’s been showing signs of mental illness and cutting off her own fingers for reasons the townspeople can’t figure out. The islanders have formed a tight-knit community and Jessie is eagerly accepted into it, having realized that she’s unhappy with her life back on the mainland with her husband. She starts an affair with a monk on the island and learns some important lessons about family and the ability to find her own happiness. This book made me laugh and cry and everything in between; it’s existential enough to keep me interested while not being slow or boring. Definitely worth a read.
3. The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Written by Thornton Wilder, this novel published in 1927 is as exciting as it is poignant. It follows the life stories of five strangers in Peru who happen to cross a bridge as it collapses, killing all of them. A friar witnesses the tragedy and seeks to find meaning in the event and the deaths of the victims to reaffirm his belief that everything happens for a reason. This novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928 and for good reason; it really forces the reader to think about why things happen as they do and if anything (good or bad) holds cosmic significance.
4. The Planet of the Apes
Most people have seen the movie Planet of the Apes, or maybe some of the newer remakes like the one with James Franco and Tom Felton, but in my opinion, the original novel is way better than the movies that have been made. The extremity of a situation where apes take over human populations is terrifying and shown in a realistic light, and the novel challenges you morally to think about what is fair in the face of human mistreatment of animals. With lots of twists and turns, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat and I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down until the end!
5. The Time Traveler’s Wife
Another novel that was eventually made into a movie, this book tells the story of a man who grows up being able to time travel and how this ability affects his life and his marriage. Though it may sound like far-fetched sci-fi, it’s an extremely heartbreaking and realistic tale about a man who’s forced away from his family by a power he doesn’t want but can’t escape. The entire life of this man is captured in tiny snapshots as he time-travels to visit his future wife at different times in her life and how he eventually starts to realize that he can never stay with her long term because of it. This book is incredibly harrowing and not overly romantic or scientific, so it’s perfect for lovers of any book genre.
6. The Golden Compass
This one is a lighter novel aimed towards young adults but with a strong message and deep religiously ambiguous undertones that hold the attention of kids and adults alike. On the surface, it’s a book about a young girl who goes on a quest to save her friend Roger from a child-snatching gang, but on a deeper level, the book takes you on a journey of moral and religious discovery. It’s not aimed towards a specific religion, and you don’t even have to be religious to enjoy it, but it brings to attention the religious and spiritual themes of good versus evil, the well-being of all mankind versus the well-being of your own friends and family, and loyalty towards your family versus loyalty towards your moral duty. The Golden Compass is the first book in a trilogy but the books are seperate enough that you don’t have to read the second two to enjoy the first one; though you certainly can if you feel the urge! I’ve read all three books and the second two just continue the magic of the first. Whether you’re sixteen or sixty, you’re sure to love this book and its sequels, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
7. Atonement
This novel written by Ian McEwan tells the life story of Briony Tallis, a girl who, in 1935, mistakenly sends her older sister’s fiance to prison (and, by default, he is forced to join the army) after thinking that she sees a man with his resemblance raping her cousin. The novel goes through the time period of Briony’s childhood, her growing up, and her adult life as she tries to live with what she’s done and atone for the hurt she’s caused her family. As the novel progresses in her point of view, you are forced to decide what parts of her story are true and what is merely fiction she’s created to hide from the truth. This novel was also made into a film in 2007 starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, and it’s worth checking out (I think it’s on Netflix.) Whether you watch the movie or not, the book is definitely inspiring and thought-provoking.
8. She’s Come Undone
Most older adults have read this book because in 1996 it was chosen as an Oprah’s Book Club selection, but if you haven’t read it, you should! The novel follows the life (from childhood to adulthood) of Dolores Price who has to come to terms with her father leaving when she was a kid, a childhood rape by a neighbor she thought she could trust, the subsequent depression and anxiety that lead to her obesity, the journey of her own sexuality, and her judgmental mother and grandmother. Price goes through life with a certain amount of courage, wit, openness, acceptance, and sarcasm while also trying to get an education, find love, and finally be happy with her life and with herself.
9. Outlander
This fantasy novel is the first in a series written by Diana Gabaldon that was recently made into a TV show on the Starz network. Claire Randall, an army nurse living in 20th century England, goes on vacation with her husband and is accidentally transported back in time to 18th century Scotland. There she meets Jamie Fraser, who’s part of a Scottish royal clan, and together they must navigate the wild and dangerous lands of 18th century Scotland while being hunted by the English. While reading this book, I noticed that it shared a lot of similarities with the Game of Thrones book series, so if you like A Game of Thrones, you’re sure to also love Outlander.
10. The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story
This book came out almost twenty years before the most recent Ebola crisis, but it still held intense weight and with it being nonfiction, it just makes a story of the origins of the virus that much more terrifying. I usually don’t like nonfiction books but this is a must-read, especially if you like science and/or medicine. Written by Richard Preston, the novel is presented like a psychological thriller and reads that way too. If you don’t enjoy books involving science or medicine but you like horror, this book is also for you.
Whether you tend to read fantasy novels or historical fiction, I hope you find something on this list that interests you and that can help fill your summer days with pages and pages of wonder.
