16 Amazing Summer Books To Read Before You Switch To Textbooks
Awaken the inner bibliophile within before the summer ends
Let's face it, we are all in a state of denial when it comes to admitting that the start of school is approaching. That means early morning commutes, twice the amount of coffee one would normally consume and a shit load of tears to simply mourn the loss of summer sixteen.
Not everyone may be totally on board with cracking open another overpriced textbook, but it may come to a surprise that there are some books out there that aren't 100% evil... in fact you might even like them.
Here are 16 books to check out before the rest of the summer ends that'll hopefully ease the anxiety of what is to come...
1. You'll Grow Out Of It by Jessi Klein
'Hilarious', 'insightful', 'relatable'-- these are just a few words many have described this coming of age collection of real life stories about comedian Jessi Klein's experiences growing up as a late bloomer tomboy and the transition of who she became throughout her womanhood.
If you're a feminist and are looking something that'll make you say, "oh shit!" in both an entertaining and thought-provoking way... look no further.
2. Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur
For a deeper read for all you poets and sombre souls, Toronto based artist and writer, Rupi Kaur composes a collection of prose and poems about the things that hurt too much to talk about-- love, abuse, violence, loss & femininity. Although this book might seem tiny, the feels that you get are anything but. Its brutal beauty captures the hearts of readers instantly and can uplift anyone to believe that life has both its bitter and sweet moments that are essential to grow up. Trust me when I say that if you want to feel ten times smarter than you actually are, the words written in this book will make you feel more in touch with your feelings than Drake himself.
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3. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
For a lighter chick lit, Sophie Kinsella is definitely an author you have to check out. Known for her Confessions of a Shopaholic book series, Kinsella's range of quirky chick lits are cute, insightful and sooo fvcking funny.
I love all of Kinsella's books but to end off your summer with never ending laughter, Twenties Girl takes that cake with its hilarious story line, intense drama and some cute af romance. If you're a hopeless romantic with a quirky sense of humour, this is a read that'll have you laughing your ass off into the start of the school year.
4. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
If you've seen even one episode of Mindy Kaling's hit TV series The Mindy Project, then I've said enough. Said through Mindy Kaling's own words of wisdom, she shares her journey to finding contentment with the adult life when it comes to love, friendship and the struggle to lose that extra 20 pounds holding you back. Her humour shines through her writing and you'll almost forget you're even reading a book as you can almost literally hear her high pitched voice complaining why she's always the awkward af person that nobody wants to be friends with.
And with the start of school coming up, trust me when I say that this could not be any more relevant until now.
5. The Girls by Emma Cline
Transport yourself from the first world problems of 2016 to life in the 1960's through Cline's book of the summer. It tells the story of a teen in the sixties with her parents going through a messy divorce, and comes across a group of girls in the park that take her in and don't leave the best influence on her decisions that are made throughout the book. Cline's words take you to 1969 and make you question your own life decisions you may or may not have been so proud of (let's just take it back to the last time we decided to take one too many shots of vodka, ahem ahem). So if you're looking for a blast from the past, this one's for you!
6. One More Thing: Stories of Other Stories by BJ Novak
Written by actor, writer and comedian from the hit TV show The Office, this hilarious read revolves around the story of a boy who wins a million dollars from the label of a cereal box only to discover that claiming his prize might be the undoing to his family. It sounds hella dramatic, I know. But told through Novak's hilarious perspective mixed in with some deep insight on love and family, it's definitely worth checking out and rewarding yourself with an Office TV marathon right after.
7. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amaruso
Read about Amarusso's story from 0 to 100 as she tells her story about a sassy and restless teenager who decided to ditch the books to pursue a life of hitchhiking, dumpster diving and life without a plan. Now at 29, not only is she a CEO & founder of Nasty Gal, but she also preaches to the choir about how women are able to make it to the top and with ambitious hard work comes the success you deserve.
YAAS girl, couldn't have said it better myself.
Disclaimer: this is not a subliminal message to say 'fvck school'
8. Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
You've seen it everywhere, and it's probably no surprise. If you liked Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, prepare to be absolutely mindfvcked once again with this psychological thriller. If you're into really dark fiction that leaves you on the edge of your seat, this is definitely a book you must pick up.
The plot of the story revolves around Rachel, a woman who takes the same commuter train everyday and involuntarily sees something disturbing that when she reports what she's seen to the authorities, she gets even more tangled in this mess.
Read it now before it hits the big screen this September.
9. The DUFF by Kodi Keplinger
No matter how old you are and which school you attend, the start of school will always bring you back to your glory days in high school. And let's just say... we were all really big messes at one point throughout those four years. Keplinger's book revolves around your typical teenage mess who is always the dud in comparison to her super hot friends. That being said she develops a FWB fling with the school bad boy which ends up turning into something more.
It's cheesy and totally high school but we can all agree when we say that we can all relate to feeling like shit and wanting that especially taboo escape.
10. Love, Rosie (Where Rainbows End) by Cecillia Ahern
Let me be the first to say that the friend zone fvcking sucks. We've all been there and at some point have put someone in it (#sorrynotsorry). If you're worried about getting stuck in the friend zone this school year, this really cute chick-lit is sure to enlighten you and let you know that there is always light at the end of a very long tunnel when it comes to love no matter how many times you miss each other.
Written through letters, this book tells the story of two childhood best friends that obviously have it in for each other but never seem to be on the same page whether it be because of an unwanted pregnancy, an overseas life change and yeah... even marriage itself. Nonetheless, this really cute story keeps you flipping more pages than you ever did with that 20 lb. textbook.
11. After You by Jojo Moyes
We all cried and whether we watched the feature flick recently on the big screen or legitimately took the time to flip through the pages of Moyes' book, we all finished Me Before You with the question: "wtf do I do with my life now?". Rest assured devoted bibliophiles because Moyes' sequel to the success novel continues the story of Louisa basically trying to get her shit together after losing the love of her life.
It answers all the questions you've been asking after the prequel and, in my opinion, finishes the story so well that I can finally sleep at night wondering what actually happened to Louisa's future.
12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K Rowling
Don't kill me when I say that I did not grow up being a Potterhead. I grew up wanting to stay realistic and ignored the hype when it came to the wonderful wizardry world... dear god was I completely wrong. I recently finished the first book to the Harry Potter book & movie series and it completely takes you to another world where magic is solely everything to one's ability to tolerate the real world. I mean, where was my acceptance letter to Hogwarts?
This book will totally make you forget that the spell to wingardium leviosa will not be on your next final. Don't be a muggle, and start getting into the wonderful wizardly world of Harry Potter now!
13. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K Rowling
Just when you think that J.K Rowling has finished her reign as bibliophile queen, she's back at it again with a new 8th book to the Harry Potter book series. I appreciate that. Please be prepared to hear that in this 8th addition to the series, Harry is an overworked father working at the Ministry of Magic and collides with basically has to deal with his past that he just can't seem to let go of.
OMG! If you live under a rock or are like me and haven't completely caught up, hurry your ass up and get started on this miraculous gift J.K Rowling herself has blessed upon us.
14. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
For all you techies out there, constantly swiping left and right to find love-- this one is for you. Before you walk around campus trying to find the perfect match for yourself, take a read on Aziz Ansari's trek to see what's so exciting about this new world of love and dating. It'll make you question whether the answer to love is really in the palm of your fingers or really just one turn of your head to the left.
15. The Light Between Oceans by M.L Stedman
This tearjerker involving a couple struggling to conceive a child and miraculously finding an abandoned child only to have to give him back years later when its birth mother comes finding is sure have you distracted from the books... that being said, it's a perfect way to segue into the school seeing as you're already crying anyway.
This Goodreads Choice winner is also being turned into a feature film this September, so it's yet another reason to get ahead of the bandwagon be prepared to reach for the tissues!
16. First Star I See Tonight by Suzan Elizabeth Phillips
Love, sports, mystery and sex-- all components to this contemporary romance that make it a must read. The story revolves around Piper Dove, a woman whose dream has always been to be the best detective in Chicago. Her first assignment is to trail football quarterback Cooper Graham. Only hitch is... he's spotted her. Next thing that happens is now the very subject she's assigned to follow has now hired her as his own security detail. As the story of this book takes its course, both Piper & Cooper and its readers start to fall in love despite a bunch of shit that end up happening throughout the story.
Sole purpose for why it's on this list? We can all dream, can't we? I've never dated a quarterback football player in high school and I probably never will. That being said, I'll just live my life vicariously through the protagonists of these books and just accept that sometimes life looks a hell of a lot better through the pages of these books. Sigh.
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