The leaves are changing; the wind is meandering about, caressing the glinting fruits that carefully dangle from the trees; fleecy, snow-coloured clouds cover the sky and the sun shines like the Titan's fury above our heads; summer is here. And with it, summer brings a thousand opportunities for you to lose yourself in the perfect novel: sunbathing on your terrace, floating in the pool or during long flights that take you towards your next summer vacation.
So, before you get lost in the hundreds of books that will be blowing up on Tik Tok, or Instagram readers giving you lists of the next best ever-written, I have compiled a list of 8 books ranging from genres of mystery to drama, an ideal mix of books that have already blown up the Internet and books you may have never heard of before. Either way, they have to be a part of your summer TBR.
if you want a good 'who-done-it'
1. Where the Crawdads Sing: Set against the backdrop of a mesmerizing marsh replete with lakes, greenery, and butterflies and birds for all days, Where the Crawdads Sing navigates the life of Kya Clark and the trials she has to face because of her tainted, filthy 'marsh-girl' reputation.
Although the main focus of the book is the solving of a murder that conveniently points to Kya as the culprit, it acts as a coming-of-age novel too, that explores crucial themes of justice, jealousy and betrayal, and what it means to be discriminated against just because you're poor. This book will make you feel all things at once: the feeling of falling in love for the first time, the importance of family and the exhilaration of finding your own passions, all while keeping you guessing until the very last page about who did it.
Source of photo: Goodreads
2. I Killed Zoe Spanos: An electrifying, psychological thriller about two girls who've never known each other before, but whose lives are so inevitably connected, twisted together by a disappearance, a murder, and a confession of manslaughter.
Anna Ciconi arrived at the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills, with beautiful coral landscapes, for a seemingly simple summer job of babysitting. Instead, she finds herself in town on the edge because of the disappearance of local-girl Zoe Spanos, who bears a seemingly eerie resemblance to Anna. What takes place in the coming months is a chase for the truth riddled with inaccuracies and loopholes and a murder podcast that brings it all together.
Source of photo: Goodreads
In case you need something to help you reflect
3. Looking for Alaska: Miles loves to collect last words, and it was the last words of poet Francois Rabelais that prompted Miles to leave his life in Florida and go to attend a private breading school in Alabama instead.
At Culver Creek, Miles's life changes as he collides with Alaska, the sum of everything that fascinates and scares Miles to an equal degree. But what must be understood about Looking for Alaska is that it is not a love story, but rather a story about love.
More than that, it is a beautifully narrated account of the lives of confused and troubled teenagers, each of whom grapples with tremendous loss, betrayal and the reality of death. Looking for Alaska forces the reader to confront their own truths, all the while focusing on one central question: How do we get out of the labyrinth of suffering?
Source of photo: Amazon
4. Tuesdays with Morrie: A non-fiction account of Author Mitch Albom's college days and present life, Tuesdays with Morrie recounts critical and life-building discussions that Albom had with his college professor, Morrie Schwartz, in his lifetime.
Covering topics from love, relationships and family to loss, hatred and sadness, the novella includes every Tuesday Mitch spent with Morrie and every lesson he learnt from the man thus far. Tuesdays with Morrie is a perfect representation of what it means to have a mentor in life, someone you can ask any of your questions, and let their experiences and wisdom guide you safely, to home.
Source of photo: Goodreads
Classics to catch up on
5. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Written with Shakespeare's renowned stylistic abilities to make even the saddest of tragedies seem ironic, perplexing and just hilarious, A Midsummer Night's Dream is a tale of Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius who reside in Athens.
Betrayals and lies lead the four of them to the forest, away from the conformity and rules of palaces and royalty, where fairies, elves, magical flowers and love potions change the relationships of the entire narrative, leaving the four of them confused beyond measure and certainly in love with the wrong people. One of Shakespeare’s earliest and most popular romantic comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream perfectly blends humour and mirth with reality and romance.
Source of photo: Amazon
6. Wuthering Heights: In this epic story of love, envy, betrayal, and revenge, Heathcliff and Catherine come together in a romance that destroys them and those around them.
Set in the lonely and bleak Yorkshire moors, this classic tale of thwarted passion narrates raw wildness. Wildness seeps into everything around the characters, and even within them. Untamed personalities, who love wildly, who behave wildly, unsocially, acting like a force of nature, whenever the mood takes them.
It is a book on the wildness of nature, and the wildness of human nature. One of the most renowned love stories ever written, Wuthering Heights will transport you into the perfect melodramatic landscape bound by intense romance and the untamable power of soulmates.
Source of photo: Amazon
Reading through these books will allow you to spend your summer in a thoroughly hooked and fascinated manner! They are sure to remove any opportunity for monotony from your routines.
