Summer Reading List for Incoming Freshman 2019
Summer reading means something a fleck different to anybody. Some of y'all like to put their brains completely on holiday with fun, easy reads. Some of you like an activeness-packed page turner. Some of you want something with a bit more substance. And some of you might like to head off the browbeaten path.
Personally, I like books y'all can fly through, books y'all don't have to work also hard on, and books y'all tin can go easily immersed in. I avert books that demand to be read in perfect peace and tranquility (last fourth dimension I checked, the embankment and puddle more often than not accept screaming kids around!).
I've read every book that appears on this list and, as always, will continue to add new selections throughout the summer . And, check outMy Nearly Anticipated Books of Summer 2019 (i.e. books that will be published afterward this summer, many of which I haven't read withal).
Stay tuned tomorrow for Episode 20 of the Sarah'due south Book Shelves Live Podcast…where Susie from Novel Visits and I count down our Top x All-Time Favorite Summer Reads!
A couple elements are returning from last twelvemonth:
- Printable Cheatsheet – the Summer Reading Guide in quick recommendations in PDF format for easy printing (great for taking to the bookstore or library!). Download for free below!
- #i Picks for Each Category – I highlighted my very favorite volume in each category in the Guide (Something Fun, Something Intense / Fast-Paced, Something With A Bit More than Substance, and Something Different). Stay tuned because these picks could modify equally I add more than books to the listing throughout the summer!
Bank check your email for the cheatsheet (and make sure to cheque your spam folder)!
Previous Summer Reading Lists: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
This mail contains chapter links (plus: here's your Amazon Smile-specific affiliate link
2019 Summer Reading Listing
Latest Additions(July 12, 2019)
City of Girls 
Fiction – Literary (Release Appointment: Jun 4, 2019)
480 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary:Vivian Morris looks back on her unconventional life in New York City…beginning in the 1940's when she was sent to live her with Aunt Peg above a small theater (the Lily Playhouse), kicking off a free-spirited life of pleasure, love, and friendship.
My Thoughts: I well-nigh didn't read this novel because I'thousand non much into historical fiction or the NYC theater scene…but, this is non your average historical fiction and I'm so glad I have it a shot because it was a 5 star read! I immediately loved the vox…information technology's funny, readable, and reminded me a bit of a cross betweenLillian Boxfish Takes a Walk 
Girls Like Us 
Fiction – Mystery / Thriller (Release Date: July 2, 2019)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Publisher (Putnam)
Plot Summary:When FBI agent Nell Flynn goes domicile to Long Island to shut out her father's estate, she's pulled into a possible series murder instance that her father seems to have been heavily involved in.
My Thoughts:I loved Alger's 2018 mysteryThe Banker's Wife (my review) and I love that she writes mysteries with stiff female protagonists, bucking the recent thriller trend of the women being victims. And, while I didn't loveGirls Like United states quite as much every bitThe Broker'south Married woman, information technology'due south withal a stellar mystery in an interesting setting.Girls Like Us is more police procedural than thriller and the ending isn't outlandish at all, only did have some twists I wasn't expecting. Full Review.
We Came Here to Forget
Fiction – Literary (Release Date: July 2, 2019)
320 Pages
Chapter Link: Purchase from Amazon
Source: Publisher (Atria Books)
Plot Summary:Afterwards devoting her life to her elite skiing career (including training with childhood best friends Luke and Blair Duncan), Katie Cleary escapes to Buenos Aires later a shocking incident involving her sister (Penny).
My Thoughts: I love a expert novel featuring a female athlete protagonist and they're fairly hard to find (ex:You Will Know Me,The Unraveling of Mercy Louis)…and so, I'm thrilled I can add Nosotros Came Here to Forget to the list! The story is told in dual timelines: Katie'southward childhood / the lead-up to the incident with her sister and her time hanging out with an eccentric expat group in Buenos Aires while trying to figure out what to practise with her life (nowadays mean solar day). Total Review.
Something Lite
My #one Pick
The Female parent-in-Police force past Sally Hepworth
Fiction – Brain Candy (Released April 23, 2019)
352 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary:When Diana, Lucy's achieved, but distant mother-in-police force is establish dead in suspicious circumstances, Lucy and her family are forced to confront their feelings most Diana and each other.
My Thoughts: The Mother-in-law opens with Diana's mysterious decease, but that's not actually what this story is about. Told in alternate perspectives (Diana'south and Lucy's) and timelines that shift betwixt the past and the present, this is a family drama focusing on the relationships between Lucy and Diana, Lucy and her hubby Ollie, and Lucy's sister-in-constabulary (Nettie) and Diana. For a family unit drama involving death, it's surprisingly centre-warming and thought-provoking about the complicated female parent-in-police force / daughter-in-police dynamic, which isn't covered as much in literature as the mother/daughter relationship. And, it was a pleasant surprise for me given I DNF'd Hepworth'south concluding book (The Family Side by side Door).
Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagan
Fiction – Brain Candy (Released February 7, 2017)
284 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: James Hernandez falls in dearest with Lou at first sight…except she's his best friend Rob'due south fiance.
My Thoughts: This i was the perfect read for my holiday…I read it in 2 days. It's the story of an epic honey triangle and doesn't get in the management y'all recall it volition! It has incredible depth, but is written in a lite way and actually fabricated me weep. I call back this is Camille Pagan's best piece of work and then far!
Otherwise Engaged
Fiction – Brain Candy (Release Date: Feb 26, 2019)
304 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:When Gabe publishes a novel that's very closely based on his steamy, volatile relationship with his ex-girlfriend (Talia…or the fictional "Dahlia"), his relationship with his new fiancee (Molly) hits some speed bumps.
My Thoughts:Y'all know I'thou non normally big on the rom-com manner encephalon processed books…they can easily venture into cheesy for me, but I really likedOtherwise Engaged! The premise is totally intriguing and Palmer takes all this upheaval in Gabe and Molly's human relationship to levels I'd never considered, but that were certainly interesting to ponder (i.eastward. in full general, how practice the family unit and friends of any author experience when details from their actual lives announced in their family member's / friend'south book?). Great pick if yous're looking for something low-cal, easy, and happy!Full Review.
Southern Lady Lawmaking past Helen Ellis
Nonfiction – Memoir / Essays (Released April 16, 2019)
224 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary:Ellis (an Alabama native living in New York Metropolis) shares her outrageous accept on Southern etiquette and eccentricities.
My Thoughts:Ellis has an inappropriate, outrageous sense of humor (my favorite!). And, pairing it with her spot-on social commentary on the S can exist magic. She covers marriage, thank-yous notes, general etiquette (courtesy of her mother), and crazy stories from her childhood a la Jenny Lawson (I loved these). Some of these essays are outrageously funny, while some are nevertheless fairly outrageous (simply less so for Ellis), just as well poignant.Total Review.
Talk to Me
Fiction – Brain Processed (Release Appointment: January 15, 2019)
320 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary:When star news anchor Ted Grayson gets caught on video berating a female make-up artist, the media (including his own announcer daughter) attacks and Ted is forced to re-evaluate his unabridged life.
My Thoughts: Talk to Me is a snarky story that'south ultimately virtually regret…taking place in today's media world. Kenney's commentary on today's make of journalism is spot-on and pokes fun at pretty much all parties involved. But, buried under all the snark is some actual heart. If you lot're interested in stories about falls from grace, today's media climate, and life regret,Talk to Me is for you.Total Review.
Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering
Fiction – Encephalon Processed (Released June 12, 2018)
352 Pages
Chapter Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:When Lucy Albright arrives for her freshman year at Baird College in California, she falls into a toxic love affair with Stephen DeMarco, a Junior at Baird.
My Thoughts: Tell Me Lies explores sociopathic behavior and the girls that get mixed up in information technology from Lucy's and Stephen's alternating perspectives.Information technology was a somewhat uncomfortable read, still I was absolutely riveted. Role of me thinks this is the kind of book every high school girl should read as a cautionary tale, just it might as well completely destroy her capacity to trust. And, I'one thousand sure the many women who have experienced this type of relationship at some point in their lives will identify with Lucy (merely also be totally frustrated with her).
The Editor
Fiction – Brain Candy (Released Apr 2, 2019)
320 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:When debut novelist James Smale sells his semi-autobiographical novel to Doubleday (his editor turns out to be Jacqueline Onassis), he is forced to accost his frayed relationship with his mother.
My Thoughts: The Editor is a marriage of a dysfunctional family novel and a publishing world / literary life novel…with some fun glory allure sprinkled on acme. The premise of having Jackie O be Smale'south fictional book editor could have been preposterous and silly. But, Rowley didn't accept Jackie overtake the story…he worked in just the right amount of Kennedy anecdotes in a fashion that didn't experience forced. The Editor is a delightful (but, not annoyingly and so) book if you're looking for a fun, low-cal read. Full Review.
This Will Only Hurt a Fiddling
Nonfiction – Memoir (Released Oct 16, 2018)
321 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary: Phillips, best known for her roles onFreaks and Geeks,Dawson'due south Creek, andCougartown (and as Michelle Williams' BFF) shares her experience growing up in Arizona and breaking into the acting business.
My Thoughts: She's raw, honest, down-to-earth, hilarious, and unafraid to share some experiences from her babyhood that many people would feel uncomfortable talking about. She'southward besides willing to tell information technology like information technology is virtually Hollywood and other actors she'due south worked with, non in a "who's sleeping with who" kind of way, simply more than in a "that guy is a pompous prick and treated me badly" kind of manner. A lite, fun, juicy listen and one of the most engaging celebrity memoirs I've read / listened to! Total Review.
Something Intense / Fast-Paced
My #1 Pick
Miracle Creek
Fiction – Mystery / Thriller (Release Date:April xvi, 2019)
368 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:When at that place is an explosion at Korean immigrant Immature and Pak Yoo's "Miracle Submarine" culling autism treatment facility, resulting in ii deaths, everyone at the facility that mean solar day becomes targets of the investigation.
My Thoughts: Miracle Creek is a courtroom drama, but it'due south so much more than that. It's highly literary and tackles multiple serious issues, still doesn't forego the fast-moving plot of a traditional courtroom drama. In add-on to the "who caused the explosion and why" angle to the story,Phenomenon Creek addresses children with astringent disabilities (including autism) and what life is like for those who care for them. Full Review.
An Anonymous Girl
Fiction – Mystery / Thriller (Release Date: January 8, 2019)
375 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:Jessica Farris signs up for a supposedly bearding report only to find that Dr. Shields (the psychiatrist conducting the report) seems to exist able to go into her head in a much deeper way than she imagined.
My Thoughts:Psychological thrillers that are heavier on the psychological and lighter on the thriller tend to piece of work for me…andAn Bearding Girl fits this neb. It's less reliant on action and outlandish plot twists…the suspenseful question is not what will happen, but who can you trust? The beginning of the story sucked me in in a creepy, unsettling style. This book is a giant mindf*ck!Full Review.
Recursion
Sci-Fi / Thriller (Release Appointment: June 11, 2019)
336 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary: While a new disease called False Memory Syndrome (which gives people memories of things that never happened and whole lives they never lived) is spreading throughout the country, Barry Sutton investigates the decease of a adult female maybe affected with this illness, which leads him to a neuroscientist (Helena) developing a technology involving memory that could have sinister consequences.
My Thoughts: I don't read much Sci-Fi, merely Blake Crouch is the exception (I loved his final book, Dark Matter). He writes incredibly human takes on Sci-Fi that brand you consider a large life question. In Recursion's case, the question is "what is memory?" There's a LOT going on in this novel (I had no idea what was going on at first)…it's somewhat of a mind-angle and made my encephalon hurt at times, but in a proficient way. Total Review.
The Improve Sister
Mystery / Thriller (Release Date: April 16, 2019)
336 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:When uber-successful Chloe Taylor's lawyer husband (Adam) is murdered in their East Hampton dwelling house, her sister Nicky (who is Adam's ex-wife) re-enters the picture to assistance Chloe navigate the investigation and support Adam and Nicky'south son (Ethan).
My Thoughts: The Better Sister is my 2d Alafair Shush thriller (my first wasThe Wife) and she'south becoming a go-to mystery / thriller writer for me. She'southward a quondam prosecutor and it shows in her thrillers. The Better Sister is really more courtroom drama than psychological thriller, but it'due south besides a dysfunctional family story. It'due south about marriage, divorce, keeping up appearances, sisters, and teenage angst. Full Review.
The Silent Patient past Alex Michaelides
Mystery / Thriller (Released Feb v, 2019)
323 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:After artist Alicia Berenson is plant standing next to her love hubby (Gabriel) in their habitation after he'd been shot 5 times in the face, she never speaks once again.
My Thoughts:This mystery / thriller is a deadening burn for most of the book until all the pieces come together in the end. It's every bit much most Theo, Alicia'due south psychotherapist, and his past, equally it is almost Alicia and how her hubby ended upwardly dead. Theo gives off a creepy vibe, which fits in with the overall creepy story. The ending rode the line betwixt perhaps brilliant and maybe ridiculous, as it did rely on a somewhat important coincidence, simply the pieces did come together kind of brilliantly.
Something With A Bit More Substance
My #1 Choice
Daisy Jones & the 6 by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Fiction – Literary (Released March 5, 2019)
368 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: Daisy Jones & the Six, a hot 1970's stone n' roll band, mysteriously broke up afterwards a Chicago concert. This is the story of their rise and autumn, told in an oral history format.
My Thoughts: I nearly didn't readDaisy Jones & the Six because I'm not that interested in music, but I couldn't put it downwardly and it'south my #1 book of 2019 then far. The oral history format made the story seem incredibly fast-paced. And, it clearly illuminated how multiple people can have completely different interpretations of the same events. I thought I knew where this story was headed. In that location was an like shooting fish in a barrel and obvious reason for the ring to break up, but Reid takes the more complicated path, making for a far richer story. And, the chemistry between these fictional is so raw that you forget you're reading fiction. If you liked the movie A Star is Born, this is the book for you. Full Review.
Enquire Again, Yes
Literary Fiction (Release Appointment: May 28, 2019)
400 Pages
Chapter Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:Two NYPD cops, Brian Stanhope and Francis Gleeson move their families next door to each other in a suburb of New York City…setting the stage for a friendship between their two children (Kate and Peter) and a tragic event that causes ripple effects years downward the road.
My Thoughts:Ask Again, Yes has been slowly gaining steam over on #bookstagram and I'one thousand thrilled to say it's worth the hype (five stars for me)! It's a graphic symbol-driven novel that I couldn't put down…and these particular people struck a chord with me. It's a coming of historic period story and an unconventional beloved story. The beginning reminded me a bit of My Sunshine Away (the neighborhood kids hijinks), while overall, it reminded me ofThe Female person Persuasion (my review) without the feminism angle. This ane will definitely be 1 of my favorite books of 2019! Total Review.
Normal People
Fiction (Release Date: Apr 16, 2019)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary:Irish teenagers Connell and Marianne are first drawn to each other in high school when Connell'due south mother works as Marianne's parents' housekeeper…and, their human relationship becomes confusing every bit they navigate the social dynamics of both high school and higher.
My Thoughts:Normal People (which has been long-listed for the 2018 Man Booker Prize) is the kind of relationship book that is utterly riveting, but too made me feel a niggling uncomfortable in the best mode possible (likeWhite Fur 
Silver Sparrow
Fiction – Literary (ReleasedJanuary i, 2011)
352 Pages
Chapter Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary: Ready in 1980'due south Atlanta, the story of James Witherspoon and his two families, his "legitimate" ane and his hush-hush one, and his two daughters of the aforementioned age, born to different mothers.
My Thoughts: Y'all know how much I loved Jones' An American Union and I think I loved Silver Sparrow merely as much! It has a very like feel to An American Marriage and also takes place in Atlanta. The dynamic between Witherspoon's 2 daughters (initially, one is aware of the other, but not vice versa) is fascinating and poignant. I ended upwards feeling for both of his families…much like Jones made me empathize with all three main characters in An American Matrimony.
The Age of Light
Fiction – Historical (Release Engagement: February 5, 2019)
384 Pages
Chapter Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:Set in 1930's Paris and inspired past the real-life love affair between former Faddy model and lensman Lee Miller and the artist Man Ray.
My Thoughts:I don't usually love historical fiction or love stories (andThe Historic period of Light is both), only I loved Scharer's take on information technology…mainly because it's besides a "badass lady volume." It's the story of a woman who is defined by the human in her life trying to break out on her own…to exist known for her own work. Scharer immediately immerses you lot in 1930's Paris and I was engrossed in the story correct from the beginning. Full Review. 
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
Fiction – Literary (Release Date: Jan 15, 2019)
320 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary:A "sleeping sickness" (i.e. people fall asleep for long periods of time and have vivid dreams) befalls one floor of a college dorm in a small town in the California mountains (Santa Lora), but and then begins to spread to the town, putting everyone on loftier alert.
My Thoughts: The Dreamers is like a more than literary version of Megan Abbott's The Fever (which I loved).The Dreamers is not a thriller by whatever means, but it still had me on the edge of my seat with incredible tension and suspense. This is a novel about fear, hysteria, isolation, and human beliefs in the face of those things. The Dreamers has been compared toStation Eleven (my review) and I'd say the epidemic portion of the book is somewhat similar, merely overallThe Dreamers shines on its ain. Full Review. 
The Last Romantics
Fiction – Literary (Release Engagement: Feb 5, 2019)
368 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:The story of the Skinner family – the four Skinner children, their begetter's unexpectedly passing in his thirties, their female parent's years long depression (which the children call "the Pause"), and how their lives unfold into adulthood.
My Thoughts: This family drama similar to Ann Patchett'sRepublic (my review) with shades of My Sunshine Away (my review) was my first 5 star book of the year!The Last Romantics' dysfunction is normal enough to be relatable…the type of dysfunction yous come across in real life all the time. It's a novel of sibling dynamics and how parenting decisions/style impacts children in later life. It's one of those graphic symbol-driven novels I couldn't put down! Total Review.
Something Unlike
My #one Selection
I Miss You When I Blink
Nonfiction – Memoir / Essays (Released Apr 2, 2019)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary:Mary Laura Philpott had an enviable life by conventional standards (i.eastward. happy marriage, children, career, house, etc), yet she still felt unsettled and unsatisfied. These essays are well-nigh her feel trying to navigate that.
My Thoughts:I've been on a kick with "women who get women" memoirs over the past few years and Mary Laura Philpott is an excellent addition to my club of go-to authors (also including Anna Quindlen and Kelly Corrigan). Philpott writes near this unsettling stage of life with openness, humor, and relatability. If you enjoy "maintaining your identity through marriage and motherhood" books,I Miss Y'all When I Blink should be adjacent on your list!Full Review.
How to Be Married 
Memoir (Released August xviii, 2017)
284 Pages
Affiliate Link: Purchase from Amazon
Plot Summary: Piazza chronicles her ain hard outset year of union as she travels to five continents learning about views on union in different cultures.
My Thoughts: This memoir is really part memoir and part travelogue. I've been fatigued to books about marriage over the last few years…specially those that go on it real. And, Piazza definitely keeps it real, focusing on both the good parts and tough parts of a yr of huge adjustment that oftentimes gets papered over with "newlywed bliss" expectations. Piazza comes across every bit independent, yet relatable. Great option for fans of Kelly Corrigan and too great on sound! Total Review.
Inheritance
Memoir (Released Jan fifteen, 2019)
252 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: Shapiro'due south memoir virtually her experience discovering her father was not her biological father through an online Deoxyribonucleic acid exam.
My Thoughts: This memoir was emotional and an interesting look into a new phenomenon brought on by the simple and cheap online Dna test. It went places I wasn't expecting (good!), only did go over the top with theological and philosophical theory at times. Nevertheless, it'south four stars and reads easily plenty for the beach.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Fiction (Released November 20, 2018)
226 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:Korede, the "good" sister, does everything right and always cleans upwards after Ayoola, the beautiful sis, who sails through life without a care in the globe…yet kills her boyfriends and manages to exist their mother's favorite.
My Thoughts:The premise of this book is ridiculous in a campy way and specific parts are preposterous, but it works! It'south a story of sibling dynamics…obviously taken to the extreme…and, information technology'due south weirdly funny…even though people keep dying. Despite the murderous championship, this one is a fun, light read and would make a perfect palate cleanser!Total review.
Out East
Nonfiction – Memoir (Release Date: May 14, 2019)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:Amid an feet-filled time in his life, Glynn joins a Montauk share firm for the summer and finds friendship and dearest for a man.
My Thoughts:Y'all might expect a memoir about a Hamptons share to be 100% debauchery (think Bravo'sSummer House) andOut East certainly contained a lot of that, merely it'due south 1 of the most heartfelt and emotional memoirs I've e'er read nearly friendship and love. Glynn perfectly captures that unsettled feeling yous tin arrive your mid-twenties when your friends are at very dissimilar stages of life. Past the end of the book, I was aimlessly turning the pages belatedly into the night dying to find out what would happen with John and the man he fell in love with. Full Review.
The Torso in Question
Fiction – Literary (Release Date: June 11, 2019)
192 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: A courtroom drama fix in Cardinal Florida that's focused on the jury (which is sequestered in a nearby Econolodge) for the trial of a rich, white teenage girl (who is too a twin) who is accused of murdering her toddler age brother.
My Thoughts: This slim novel is described past the publisher as a courtroom drama and it kind of is, but information technology's non what y'all recall of when you think of courtroom dramas. It's about what goes on inside a jury…personally and related to the trial and how those two pieces intersect. It's a slightly weird book, but I was riveted the entire fourth dimension and it went to places I never expected. PS – I think the publisher's clarification gives away likewise much…go into this one blind! Full Review.
Happy Summer Reading!
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