SMS: It's Summer Reading Season!

We all remember the days of summer reading lists. Requirements from grade school and high school days past. I am happy to say that those required reading days are gone with the wind (one of many on my required reading lists at school :D). These days, summer reading is a lot more fun, flirty, mysterious and inspiring compared to the long days reading Kate Chopin or Lord of the Flies.

Without further adieu, let’s get into my summer reading with my 12 picks for Summer 2024 that I cannot wait to read. Maybe you will find a book or two that you will read too!

My summer reading taste has always leaned on the side of romance with a bit of historical flair and a hint of mystery and whimsy. This summer is no different (contrary to one of the titles in my summer reading list). And here are the categories my reading taste has fallen into in 2024!

For me, summer is not complete with out many, many, MANY summer romances. There are a few authors that I have gravitated toward for the past four summers since the pandemic — Ali Hazelwood, Annabel Monaghan and Carley Fortune. And ONE new one that is hitting hot and heavy with me in terms of content, vibes and wholeheartedness — Abby Jimenez.

I cannot wait to see Ali here in STL next week to talk about her newest STEMinist Romance, NOT in Love. I also just came off loving her recent romance that dove into a werewolf/vampire romance…and seriously if you have not read it please go get it and fall into nostalgia based on the Twilight days of our teenage past :D

I plan to read Carley and Abby’s latest novels (This Summer Will Be Different & Just for the Summer) on a cabin trip in a few days which seem pretty picture perfect if you ask me considering they both are set in woodsy, lake/water towns. Annabel’s book, Summer Romance, I need to pick up still but count on me reading that before the Fourth of July!

There are two that slide into this category — a debut called Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter (of Bad on Paper Podcast!) and a book recommended by the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide called The God of the Woods by Liz Moore.

SABI, as the author calls it, is a psychological thriller about a child star/social media influencer who grows up and goes missing….oooh the drama. The God of the Woods is a family story set at a summer camp and yes another missing person’s tale. I guess the theme for this section is truly the bold, mysterious and the missing?! We love it!

Oh my heart with these two novels. I read The Guncle earlier this year, and it was adorable, absolutely hilarious and quirky SO when I saw the sequel coming out The Guncle Abroad…I preordered it on Libby immediately.

Stephen Rowley writes a story set around one guncle (gay uncle) and his two “wards” — his niece and nephew. In book one, he takes them in for a summer as they grapple with the loss of their mom and GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) swoops in to help them with their grief. In book two, he guides them through their father’s remarriage with his guncle love languages. It’s truly so fun and funny.

The Lost Story is a book by an author I LOVED last year with her debut novel The Wishing Game. This new book is loosely connected to the Chronicles of Narnia and C.S. Lewis’s quote, "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." My heart literally burst reading that on Goodreads, so I am 100% here for all the feels and magic this book with give me this summer.

One of these, The Women by Kristin Hannah, has been on my TBR for awhile so this summer is the time to read it. Set in Vietnam War era and tells the story of the women who worked as nursed and medical professionals abroad.

Lisa Barr’s The Goddess of Warsaw has been on my radar since I read and LOVED her book Woman on Fire last year. It came out recently so now is the perfect time to add it to my summer list, especially since I always read at least one WWI or WWII novel each summer.

Last in the category, a book I saw from fellow bookstagrammer and podcaster, Kayla (@kayreadwhat on IG) about the Queen of England and her CORGIs. I literally could not add that to my list faster since I did not have a royal family historical fiction on my summer reading list.

I have been reading the Throne of Glass series for a few months now, albeit SLOWLY because this is the last of Sarah J Maas’s books I have read until I am caught up! I am currently almost done with Queen of Shadows, which will then lead me into my TANDEM journey with Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn. Ending with the culmination of the series — Kingdom of Ash.

After I finish this series, I am planning a reread of A Court of Thorns and Roses since it has been almost three years since I picked up book 1…I cannot believe that! But for now, I will be soaking up all that our main girl in Throne of Glass has to offer and surprise me with.

St. Louis is a great place to be in the summer (minus the obscene humidity and vocal cicadas). I plan to bask in the glory of my patio, lounge on my couch and read in as many STL places as possible this summer. If you are looking for ideas, here is a snippet of some of the things we readers in St. Louis love to do!

Happy Reading this Summer and remember — read what you want and soak up all the summer sun!