Shelbi Hoover
Shelbi Hoover is a Library and Digital Communications Assistant in the Reference and Local History Department of the Crawfordsville District Public Library.
Scroll through our blog right now and you’ll notice one topic dominating our thoughts here at the library right now—fun summer reading! Now that our structured summer program is finished, it’s time to switch reading gears towards stories that just feel like hot days and no worries. We’re always on the hunt for breezy reads that capture our attention and imagination and this is the season to dig in and enjoy those discoveries.
So, what makes a book feel like summer to you? A warm and humid atmosphere that seems to seep from the pages? A beach setting and some relationship drama tied up with a happy ending? Maybe just any book that you can speed through on a summer day? We’ve rounded up examples of these and more for your summer reading pleasure and have Summery Reads on display on the second floor until the middle of August.
Historical fiction is one genre that’s full of stories that evoke the long days and heightened emotions of summertime, and while this isn’t normally a genre I’m much interested in, several of these story summaries are tempting me to give it a try. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 bestselling novel Daisy Jones and the Six (FIC Rei) is one of those enticing titles that has been popping up on favorites lists since it came out and it’s no surprise that this story is already being adapted for screen; framed entirely as a recorded oral history of a fictional ‘70s band, The Six, and its lead singer, Daisy Jones, this tale will likely have you wishing that you could actually rock out to the music of this band and feeling like it’s summer in the ‘70s while reading! Other historical titles on our list include Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (FIC Wal), which follows an almost-romance from the Italian coast of the 1960s to modern day Hollywood, and The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams (LP FIC Wil), a WWI and WWII story spanning across generations and following two women whose stories eventually converge.
If you’d prefer a straight up Beach Read, your choices in 2021 are essentially endless! Big favorites of this type this year include The Vacationers by Emma Straub (FIC Str and LP FIC Str), The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (FIC Lau), People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (FIC Hen), The Guncle by Steven Rowley (FIC Row and LP FIC Row), and Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (FIC Rei). Each of these titles shares themes of travelling or being in vacation locations while their characters make personal discoveries about themselves and their relationships with others–so, absolutely classic reading fare for a relaxed day at the beach or pool!
Other intriguing books that focus less on the destination setting but still ooze summer vibes include Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane (FIC Kan), A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette (FIC Col), and You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (FIC Dar). Personally, I have my sights trained on A Deadly Inside Scoop which kicks off a cozy murder mystery series set in an Ohio ice cream parlor (its sequel is worth noting for the title alone–A Game of Cones).
These aren’t the only summery ‘sub-genres’ on display, so don’t be afraid to drop by to browse the full range of our recommendations. For our autumn-lovers out there, hang on just a bit longer for cool temps and cozy tales and keep an eye out for ‘Autumny reads’ in just a couple months! Cheers!
Can’t get enough of summer reading suggestions? Check out our other posts:
