As the cold weather starts to ease up for a warmer season, so does my reading list. I can handle a heavier story (a gripping WWII historical fiction, for example) in colder months, all snuggled up under a blanket with a fire and a cozy glass of red wine. But summer months call for al fresco reading in the sunshine with a lovely little glass of rose, which seems to pair oh so well with a light summer romance novel, memoir or a relaxed mystery. I already kicked off my summer reading list this year with Beatriz Williams’ novel A Hundred Summers, and it put me perfectly in the mood for summer! So whether you are reading by the beach, pool, sprinkler or hammock, here are some of my favorite summer authors:
Elin Hilderbrand
Can you imagine a more picturesque setting for a summer book than Nantucket? While a trip there remains on my summer bucket list, I can escape there anytime I want via one of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels. All of her books are fictional stories about friendship, sisters and summer love affairs on Nantucket (with the exception of a trilogy that aptly has the word “Winter” in them). So far not a single one of her books has disappointed me. Friendly heads up that the library runs out of her books FAST, so grab a few now before the kids get out of school!
Liane Moriarty
This author sets all of her books in Australia and adds in a flair of mystery to the love affair, which really keeps the pages turning. I have been late to many things because I got sucked into the story. I had to learn what was going to happen next! My favorite by far was What Alice Forgot, but Big Little Lies was a really good story and a fun Book Club discussion.
Beatriz Williams
This author is a recent obsession of mine, as well as my Book Club’s. While her books are perfect for all seasons, the passionate love affairs contained in her stories make for excellent summer reading. Hey, just because I’m Stable Mable happily raising my kids and pet fish doesn’t mean I don’t want to read about someone else following her lover across the Nazi-controlled German border in 1938! The author’s ability weave together characters and stories from two different time periods is a surprising twist and really pulls the reader into the story.
My favorite by far was A Hundred Summers….there’s a good chance that I will read that one again later this summer. But a really close tie for second is The Secret Life of Violet Grant. Honestly, it is such a fantastic story. It left me breathless and completely overtired because I stayed up far too late to keep reading it several nights in a row. Fun fact: She is local to Fairfield County! But I have yet to track her down for a one-on-one session, HA!
Nancy Thayer
Her name frequently tops all the lists of summer reading. She is also a Nantucket based author…there must be something fresh in the air up there to turn out so many fantastic authors and novels. I just grabbed The Island House off my local library shelf because I knew the person behind me would take it if I didn’t! I can’t wait to snuggle up in the sun with it this weekend.
Extra Suggestions
Overall, this is a super short list, limited to my current favorites for summer reading. Be sure to check out your local library for suggestions as well; the New Canaan librarians have had their “Summer Reads” display out since mid-May. Never underestimate the suggestion of the people who check books in and out all day long!
Always worth checking out is the New York Times suggestions for summer reading, which was just published last week. Coastal Living recently put out their list of 50 books for summer 2017. Also, Real Simple Magazine recently asked popular authors to name their favorite summer book…the list turns out to be an interesting mix of current titles as well as some old favorites that you may have forgotten about.
If you are like me, you aren’t going to the library alone…so here are some summer suggestions for the little chicklets as well:
Association for Library Service to Children
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
