Books Perfect for Summer

All my favorite books that remind me of summertime. Perfect to read while the sun is high in the sky and the air is hot. A time of relaxation, letting go, recharging, healing, and being sweaty.

1. That’s One Big Deck by Mika Rayne (romantic thriller with smut)

5+ stars

My first romance ever that I didn’t DNF (did not finish). A woman in the Deep South of Louisiana is in a terrible abusive relationship. Horrifying. This book is gut wrenching and heart breaking and heart warming and just oh so wonderful. And the spice is top notch.

Buy Here

2. Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (fiction)

Inspired heavily by Fleetwood Mac. Follows a wild young woman and her finding this band in California. Their journey to stardom and all the darkness and hardships that entails.

Buy Here

3. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (literature)

5 stars

Beautiful. Finally a book that really connects with nature. Feels like running barefoot through the sandy muddy banks of a cypress knee filled swamp on a hot day with dragonflies and rare birds flitting about. A great depiction of the Deep South. Heart breaking. Heart warming. A must read.

Click Me

4. Robin and Her Misfits by Kelly Ann Jacobson (Young Adult)

5 stars

A sapphic YA modern day story tale retelling of Robin Hood. As with any Jacobson book I’ve read I start by reading a few pages by my bookshelf until it’s 3:00 AM and I finished the entire thing. A group of queer female identifying kids who’ve been outcasted by society find each other and through love, robbery, and bravery find a way to survive.

Buy Here

5. Dreaming in the Roots by Caleb Kraft (sci-fi)

A sci-fi, multi-dimensional, thriller. During a horrific storm with lightning that could only manifest in nightmares, a family crashes on a mountain road. Where the wake up is not where they originated. Imaginative. Open wilderness where everything isn’t quite right and there’s something outside at night.

Buy Here

6. The Ruins by Scott Smith (horror)

5 stars

A page turning nature horror. Follows a group of friends that go on vacation and find themselves out in the jungle in a foreign country trapped by the natives atop a hill. Sweaty. Desperation. Go into this book nearly blind. Trust me.

Buy Here

7. We are the Weather by Jonathon Safron Foer (nonfiction)

5 stars

I haven’t ate food the same since. Far far more than a diet book. Cultural significance. Weather and climate change. Written in a way that makes it a page turner.

Buy Here

8. The New Wilderness by Diane Cook (adventure thriller)

5+ stars

An experiment brings a small group of people to live in the last stretch of wilderness. Everyone else in the world is in a crowded city where doctors are illegal because the population is too high.

Buy Here

9. The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren (extreme horror)

5 stars

A group of kids vacation to Thailand where they attend a Full Moon Party where they find a boat while in a stupor. In the morning they’re adrift and find themselves on an abandoned island. A creature feature. Extreme. You’ve been warned. Cult. Giant spiders. Before humanity ancient. Will have your heart thumping. My partner was in the other room while I was reading and accidentally bumped something and I swear I jumped a foot in the air.

Buy Here

10. What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall (crime thriller)

Naomi and her friend’s testimony put away a serial killer that brutally attacked her. They used to roam the woods in the summer believing in magic participating in ceremony and rituals that constituted the Goddess Game. They held onto their secrets from that time and Name is determined to finally get answers. She returns to the woods no matter the cost.

Click Me

11. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (nonfiction philosophy)

5+ stars

Being in the now, being mindful. Eastern, mostly western philosophy. How do you forgive the unforgivable? How do you rid yourself of anxiety? How do you feel inner peace? For forgiveness it’s when you have peace within yourself and you have no animosity or wish any ill will even if you couldn’t ever morally agree and don’t want to be around the persons. We energize people’s positions by opposing them. Must lead through example. Stand up for what’s right, but also be aware of the outcome if you use your voice. Anything bad that happens in your life use it as a tool for enlightenment.

Buy Here

With all my book recommendations, please check any trigger warnings if you need to. Some of these books are extreme! Even the books that aren’t marked extreme can still contain material some readers wouldn’t want to experience. Thank you so much for reading my blog! If you enjoy my work please consider using one of the links on my website next time you make a purchase on Amazon as I make a tiny commission each time. Subscribe on the home page to be notified when I write new blogs.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.