2016 Summer Reading List
School’s officially out for summer break, I’m off work for almost 2 whole months, my beach vacation is a little over a month away and that means lots of great reading! I can’t think of much I’d rather do than spend the day laying out by the pool or beach with a good book. For my 2016 Summer Reading List, I’ve included something for everyone. Comprised are thrillers, romance, suspense and novels that make you think of friendship, family and love. You’ll find books to make you laugh, cry and have you on the edge of your beach towel. Enjoy!
Honestly, for me, this is my summer listening list. With the kiddos, a cutie-patootie grandson and this here blog to run, I just don’t have the time to curl up with a book very often. But I’m always driving the kids from here to there and listening to great stories makes the drive time go by super fast. I also enjoy listening while taking a shower and putting on my makeup in the morning, doing dishes or even when I’m walking Max around the neighborhood. Yes, I’m the queen of multitasking!
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I’m a member of Audible.com. They have a HUGE selection of audible books that can easily be purchased through Amazon. Simply download the Audible app and you can listen straight from your phone… or via bluetooth speaker (the one I have) or headphones. I’ve also purchased a cable that I can plug into my car speakers for a more enjoyable listening experience. I do the same thing with podcasts and such.
Something else great about Audible.com– if you’re not enjoying the book for whatever reason, you can easily return it online with no questions asked and try a different book. I’ve done this multiple times.
There are a couple of different price plans. The gold level is 14.95 per month and gives you 1 free book per month with 30% off all other books. I started out with this price plan, but currently I’m enrolled in the platinum plan where I pay 22.95 per month and enjoy 2 free books per month with the 30% off all other purchases. Any unused credits are rolled over to the next month. If you have some interest in listening instead of reading, they always offer a free 30-day trial to try out one book with no obligation to stay enrolled in the program.
And on to my picks! Happy reading… or listening!
The Children | by Ann Leary
Ann Leary is the author of The Good House. I really enjoyed that story and this one sounds pretty interesting. The Children, is the story of a wealthy, if not unconventional, New England family. When the youngest (and favorite) of the children, Spin, comes home with his fiancée, the family is intrigued and welcomes her with open arms. But as the wedding gets closer, secrets in this blended family are revealed, leading to shocking consequences. A fast-paced, darkly funny novel.
When Breath Becomes Air | by Paul Kalanithi
While I am a little worried this story might be really sad, I’ve heard so many great things about it, I just must give it a go. This inspiring, exquisitely observed memoir finds hope and beauty in the face of insurmountable odds as an idealistic young neurosurgeon attempts to answer the question What makes a life worth living?
A Hundred Summers | by Beatriz Williams
I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but just on spec this looks like the perfect beach read! A Hundred Summers unfolds in 1930s Seaview, RI, a wealthy summer community preparing for disaster. As a massive hurricane churns northward, Lily Dane must try to reconcile the emotional storm that is her own life — complicated further by the arrival of Budgie and Nick Greenwald, her former best friend and former fiancé. Lily’s story soon becomes one of love, betrayal, fun in the summer sun, and plenty of scandal, making A Hundred Summers a great and engrossing beach read.
Sweetbitter | by Stephanie Danler
Tess comes to Manhattan full of hope and soon finds herself working as a “backwaiter” in a famous downtown restaurant. She gets an education in fine dining, even finer wines, and she gets drawn into a seductive love triangle: drugs, friendship, loyalty, lust, and love. Sweetbitter is a lush, un-put-down-able novel that will seduce you and draw you completely into its world. Not to be missed.
Nightingale | by Kristin Hannah
This novel is set in WWII in Nazi occupied France, following two sisters in their separate struggles for survival, love, and freedom. To be honest, I haven’t had great luck with Kristin Hannah books, but I’ve heard so many great things about this one, I’m willing to give it a go.
First Comes Love | by Emily Giffin (coming June 28)
I’ve read all of Emily Giffin’s novels and absolutely loved them, but her last novel, The One and Only just didn’t do it for me. First Comes Love sounds like it might actually be a winner, though. A pair of sisters find themselves at a crossroads the anniversary of their tragedy looms, and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover that they need each other more than they knew—and that in the search for true happiness, love always comes first.
From the author of The Vacationers comes another made-for-Summer read, Modern Lovers. I’ve seen this novel pop up on quite a few summer read roundups and it sounds like a fun read. College friends and former bandmates Elizabeth, Andrew, and Zoe all live in the same gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood where they have bought houses, opened businesses, and started families. Now, with their own kids getting ready to go to college, they must confront truths about themselves, their kids, and the famous fourth band member who went on to massive fame without them. A smart, thoughtful novel about growing up and getting older.
After You | by Jojo Moyes
I’ve read almost all of Moyes’ books and adored them all, especially Me Before You. I haven’t seen the movie, yet, but maybe this weekend. After You is the sequel to Me Before You and focuses on moving on after losing the person you love and how to build a life worth living. Can’t wait to follow Louisa Clark on her journey.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette | by Maria Semple
A comedy novel, revolves around an agoraphobic architect and mother named Bernadette Fox, who goes missing prior to a family trip to Antarctica. It sounds really cute and I’ve been meaning to read listen to this for awhile, so on the list it goes.
Elin Hilderbrand is pretty much the queen of summer novels. And now, she brings us the story of a celebrity chef Deacon Thorpe, whose death brings together three very different women from his life, all bitter rivals. As they gather in Deacon’s ramshackle Nantucket Summer cottage, good times are remembered, secrets are revealed, and bonds are formed as this unlikely family says goodbye to the man they all loved. This one will definitely be in my beach bag!
What She knew | by Gilly Macmillan
In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother’s search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One. The Girl on the Train was greatness, so I’m sure I would enjoy this suspenseful read too.
When lonely teenager Evie Boyd sees a group of girls in the park, she’s immediately taken by their charms — their sense of freedom, their sense of abandon. She catches the attention of one of the older girls and soon finds herself drawn into a cult and the lure of its seductive leader. The Girls is a thrilling debut novel about the power and danger of girlhood.
The Nest | by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
A warm, funny and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of the shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and their lives.
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty (coming July 26)
A new Liane Moriarty? Sign me up! Will this eagerly anticipated novel be worth the hype? I sure hope so. I really loved Big Little Lies by Moriarty. The characters so real you’d swear you knew them, juicy secrets that are revealed bit by bit, and one huge, giant reveal that the book revolves around. Here, you’ll be clamoring to know what happened at that fateful barbecue, and how did it impact the friendship of Clementine and Erika? And you’ll be thinking about this book long after finishing it.
Lilac Girls | by Martha Hall Kelly
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France. I’ve heard this is a great read and I love a good historical fiction.
What’s on your 2016 Summer Reading List? Have you tried Audible, yet?
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This post is not sponsored, however it does contain affiliate links. As always all opinions are my own. I’ve been using Audible.com for years.
It looks like we have a lot of the same taste when it comes to books! I listened to When Breath Becomes Air on Audible and loved it. A lot of these others are on my list to read! Thanks for sharing.
That’s awesome to hear because it’s next up on my list!
Many of these are on my list or I’ve just read them, too. We have a lot of the same books in mind! I’m in the middle of Sweetbitter right now and it’s good. A bit graphic in some parts, but incredibly well written and a fun inside look at the NYC restaurant industry!
Thanks for sharing your summer reading list! “What She Knew” sounds great!! I wanted to recommend a really thought provoking political thriller I just finished called “Not Black and White” by author G.A. Beller. I love thrillers and anything that involves scandal and this book definitely delivered. I really got invested in the characters and I’ve always been fascinated by the dark side of politics. I love any stories that stick with me after I finish and this one will stay with me forever. It really makes you think about how our political system works and exactly how much of it is “on the level”. Definitely add this one to your summer reading: http://www.gabeller.com
Would love to hear your opinion!
Thanks so much, Karen! That sounds great… I’ll definitely add it to my reading list. I love suspenseful thrillers too!