summer reading

a little for you, a little for me

Hey! You’re here. Thank you.

The other day in the shop a customer came to the counter with a copy of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, and asked, “is this a good book to take on vacation?”

In this moment a few thoughts ran through my mind at warp speed. First, this women is about to be thoroughly emotionally wrecked by this novel. There is no way around it. Say what you want about A Little Life (I have a lot to say), but it is a book that will grab you and pull you under. DEEP UNDER. Yanagihara is a master manipulator if you ask me.

As I looked into this kind stranger’s eyes, though. I knew what she wanted to hear. As a bookseller (or probably any kind of customer service worker), you get good at telling when someone is genuinely asking your opinion or just seeking your validation of a choice they have already made. This was the latter.

“Oh yes, definitely” I said. “You will be fully immersed.”

I DID NOT LIE.

Some of you may (correctly) think I committed an act of pure cruelty here, but my point in sharing this is first, to get it off my chest so I can sleep at night and second, that vacation reading, summer reading, sunshine reading means something different to everyone.

Some of us want a frothy, bubbly reading experience as a nice little treat and some of us want to face our existential dread head on.

Different strokes for different folks!

With all this in mind I put together a little summer reading guide for you today. Below you will find five books I have read and can vouch for, and five books I am vowing to read unless I get distracted by tik toks of chihuahuas wearing tiny crocs.

This guide is deeply inspired by the masterful summer reading guide created by

Sara Hildreth

of Fiction Matters. Sara does an incredible job delving into the backlist and selecting a wide variety of titles to match any summer reading mood. She is also exceptionally good at describing books so that you know exactly what you are getting into and what kind of mood or vibe each book might fit. Her guide is the gold standard and you should absolutely go support her work.

FIVE BOOKS I THINK YOU SHOULD READ THIS SUMMER

Inspired by Sara, each of these titles are available in paperback (Loot comes out in paperback on June 18), so you can slip them in a bag, throw them in the back of the car, spill your margarita on them, flap them in the wind, and generally read with abandon. Paperback supremacy, always.

Loot by Tania James - This novel was longlisted for the National Book Award last year and I think it deserved even more buzz and attention. In the midst of a kind of clunky and heavy longlist, this historical fiction novel is light, agile, fast paced, and easy to love. Set in the eighteenth century, spanning decades and continents, this is a hero’s journey that contends with the bloody legacy of colonialism. This is the kind of unexpectedly propulsive and immersive story that I can just imagine diving into on a long summer day.

The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel - Okay I realize this is not a slim novel you can chuck in your tote, but this collection is a modern classic that I have re-read for the last few summers and it is a joy every time. These characters are my friends and when I read this book I am reminded of the joy of queerness (and dykeness specifically). It stands the test of time. It’s still relevant. It’s still hilarious. You should read it.

The Kings of B’More by R. Eric Thomas - If you’ve been following my book enthusiasm for a while you know I am a massive devotee of the work of R. Eric Thomas. I think he is one of the funniest, most skilled storytellers working today. This is his debut YA novel and I just don’t think people talk about it enough. The novel follows two young best friends as they attempt to have the perfect summer day. It is an ending and a beginning. It reminds me of what it felt like when I was younger and every summer felt so heavy with the weight of possibility and transformation. This book is for everyone and I will never stop recommending it.

World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - Sometimes in the summer, if we are lucky, we get a chance to slow down and look around. This book embodies, encourages, and celebrates this close, slow attention that summer sometimes makes possible. Nezhukumatathil is astonished by the world and her love is contagious. This one recently came out in a lovely new paperback edition. The short and sweet essays are perfect for low stakes summer reading.

Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel Moniz - I read this debut story collection when it came out a couple years ago and I still remember exactly how it made me feel. Do I remember every detail of every story? No, but I do remember the visceral, heavy, rich language Moniz uses to tell stories of girlhood and survival in the midst of deep summer in northern Florida. Moniz is a writer to watch and this collection is sublime summer reading.

Nobody asked, but here are five books I am pledging to read this summer. Scout’s honor. Hand to heart. I’m going to read these. Unless I get distracted in which case don’t come for me.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - I’ve never read the gay boy mythology modern retelling classic beloved by literary queers the world over and I’m sorry about it. For the Stacks Pack Mega Reading Challenge there is a prompt to read a book you have owned for 5+ years, but still have not read. Welp, here we go…..

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino - My book bestie

MJ

says this one made her cry and I have to read it. I will read it because I like to feel things and I do what Melissa tells me. She is always right. Also, if I don’t she will be mad at me. These are the terms of bookish friendship.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - I recently read a new biography of Carson McCullers and developed a new obsession/literary crush. The only embarrassing thing (because for the record there is nothing embarrassing about crushing on a lesbian icon from the 1940s) is that I haven’t read her fiction yet. I am going to fix that so I can continue to crush in peace!

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher - Another Mega Challenge prompt is to read a book by an author who shares your first or last name. I really want to read a book by another Rosamond and even though Rosamunde Pilcher spells our name incorrectly, I am intrigued by this 1980s bestseller. I imagine it will be about generations of British people walking around the beach with their trousers pulled up around their ankles. We shall see!

Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza - The Pulitzer Prize is dead to me because the fiction winner for this year is the only novel I have truly hated in the last five years. But, I am told by nonfiction readers I trust (aka

Traci Thomas

) that the non-fiction picks are some real bangers. I am excited to read this winner because I am drawn to stories of grief and sisterhood and inventive memoirs that push the limits of the genre. Perhaps I will trust the fancy Pulitzer people once more!

Okay, Yaya says that’s just about enough of my bs.

Time to go cuddle this sweetie and think about all the books I am (maybe) going to read.

Whatever you read this summer, I hope it fills you up. I hope your summer reads are everything you need.

And let’s all hope that woman who bought A Little Life likes crying on the beach because I may have just made a mortal enemy.

Love,

Rosamond