As much as I refuse to believe that summer is almost over, August is right around the corner and school is kicking back into full swing. This summer was such a whirlwind, and my reading was a bit feast or famine — I’d go a week without reading, then finish three books the next. But amid all of the chaos that is summer, I managed to read some really good books. Some of the best all year.
Below (in order of when I read them) are my best reads of Summer 2021! They span literary fiction to fantasy to YA to romance to nonfiction… there’s something on this list for everyone!
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Lazlo Strange was a foundling, living in an orphanage run by monks. Through various circumstances, he ends up in a library, and then on his way to the greatest adventure he could imagine — traveling to the lost city of Weep.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This book was one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Coming from someone who doesn’t read a lot of fantasy, this book completely transported me to a new world, and totally had me falling into the story of Lazlo and Sarai and everything they were dealing with. I fell in love with them, and the ending of the novel just wrecked me.
I’m not usually big on dream sequences in novels or in real life, but the dreams in this book were so vivid and beautifully told that I didn’t mind dipping into them over and over again. The mystery behind the children of the gods and the world they live on was intriguing, but this book won me over with its characters and descriptions. Even the side characters felt fully hashed out, and I’m a sucker for a sweet sidekick. I just really enjoyed this book a lot.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who enjoys fantasy and magical books. Anyone looking for a beautifully written book. Anyone who enjoyed The Night Circus.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Best friends Alex and Poppy met as college freshman and have taken a vacation together every year for the last 11 years. But they haven’t spoken in two years, since that last trip to Croatia.
Rating: 4 Stars
Emily Henry’s books are just a delight, and this one was no exception. She has a way of making you feel the spark between two characters, even if you don’t know how they could possibly end up together. Alex and Poppy’s chemistry was there from the first few pages, and I was sucked right in to their story.
This story is a love story, and it is one that I was rooting for from the beginning, even if I wasn’t quite sure how these two would make it work. Aside from their friendship, though, was the excellent traveling chapters. The chapter about New Orleans actually made me nostalgic for Bourbon Street, and it takes A LOT to make me want to go on Bourbon Street. Anyway, I highly recommend this book for anyone needing a bit of heartwarming and travel… it’s the perfect beach read!
Who Should Read It: Anyone who has wanderlust. Anyone wishing they were on vacation. Anyone looking for a good love story.
The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe
When his mom goes to jail, Michael moves to North Shore with his aunt — right next door to Bunny Lampert. Bunny is the daughter of a real estate mogul and is a prodigal volleyball player… until things go wrong and her life gets turned upside down.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I’ll be the first to say that this book is NOT for everyone. The subject matter is bleak and boldly described, unflinching in its analysis of the depravities of life. That being said, it was not a sad book, or a depressing one… in fact, there were points that I laughed out loud at the casual snarkiness of the author. It’s a dry sense of humor, full of wit and daring, and the observations that the main character makes sometimes took my breath away.
Like I said, this book is not for everyone. It doesn’t have great reviews, and I think my expectations were pretty low going in. But dang, I was pleasantly surprised from the very beginning with the writing and the surprise outlandishness of what happens in this book. If you like subtle, snarky humor and satire, this could be a book for you.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes books by Jeffrey Eugenides. Anyone looking for an understated book. Anyone who likes humor and philosophical ideas mixed together.
Love Lives Here by Amanda Jette Knox
Amanda Jette Knox opens up about her unique family in this memoir. When her child and partner both came out as transgender, Amanda had to adjust to the changes in her family life and decide how life would look for them.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This is the first nonfiction book I’ve read about transgender lifestyles, but it won’t be the last. Amanda has a unique perspective as wife and mother, and as someone who is not transgender herself but someone who loves a few people who are transgender. This point of view helped me see what it means to accept trans people into your life, fully and wholeheartedly. It was so eye-opening to me, and it presented such a hopeful story of love and acceptance for people who struggled to be themselves.
The memoir audiobook was read by the author, and I always think that adds a level of emotionality to the story. No exception here, although I do wish the author had talked more at length about herself and the journey she had to take. She was honest with what she did show, letting us know what she struggled with, but it did feel like a “and then I was fine with it!” type ending, so I wish she was a bit more vulnerable there. But that’s nitpicking… this book was really just so good.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who doesn’t regularly read about trans people. Anyone wanting to learn more about the trans community. Anyone looking for a great nonfiction book for Pride Month.
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
How do you describe The Great Gatsby, but from Jordan Baker’s point of view?
Rating: 5 Stars
Let me preface this with saying that I loved The Great Gatsby (in that love/hate way), and I’ve taught it so I know the story pretty intricately. This novel did a fantastic job of staying true to the feel of Gatsby, staying true to the story of Gatsby, and also adding a whole layer of intrigue and perspective to the story that just enhanced it tenfold. I may love Gatsby (the story, not the person) more now than I did before I read this novel.
That being said, this novel stands on its own right, and it was just exquisite. The feel of the book was sexy and sultry and like a beautiful fever dream. The added layer of magical realism kicked the surrealism up a notch and made this book just unputdownable. The queer POV and the minority POV gave the story more depth, but the characters never felt forced or different from how I remembered them from the original book. I don’t know if I would have loved this book so much if I didn’t already know Gatsby’s story, but there’s nothing you need to know from Gatsby’s story that you can’t learn in this book.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves Gatsby. Anyone who is looking for a quick, magical read. Anyone who likes queer retellings.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Riva siblings are known for being Mick Riva’s children, but they refuse to be defined by their absent father. Every year, they throw a party, and as the children have gotten more fame, the party has gotten more out of control… but who started the fire?
Rating: 5 Stars
I finished this book in 24 hours. Granted, I was also stuck in an airport and on a plane for most of those hours, but this book was captivating from the very first page and I’m so glad it was the book I was stuck in the airport with. I was a bit worried about this book because I wasn’t a huge fan of Daisy Jones and the Six, but this one felt more like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in style and substance, and I absolutely adored it.
If you’re looking for good storytelling, this is it. This book was so expertly woven, with each of the characters feeling so well-developed, even though there were essentially six main characters. I connected to each of the siblings and their struggles, and I ached for June and hated Mick. I loved loved loved the ending, and I felt so connected to Nina throughout the entire novel. There was romance and mystery and a whole lot of finding yourself, all the while hearing an expertly told story. This book felt light and airy but still had some meat and seriousness to the plot. Seriously, this is a contender for best book of the year for me.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for a book with a good ensemble cast. Anyone who enjoys books set in 24 hours. Anyone who likes to see really good character development.
When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
Beatriz Perez and her family fled to Palm Beach after her twin brother was found murdered, presumably on Castro’s orders. She wants revenge for her brother’s death, so when she’s approached by the CIA, she jumps at the chance to take on Castro.
Rating: 4 Stars
Chanel Cleeton is so good at writing the perfect beach reads — a mix of love and heartbreak with a serious dose of history in there. I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed the narration. The writing and storytelling is so rich and captivating in this novel.. it just sucked me in and made me feel like I were on the beach somewhere. I also enjoyed the connection to Cleeton’s previous books (not that you needed to read the previous ones to get this one, but it’s a cool connection to pick up on).
I couldn’t fathom anything Beatriz was dealing with, nor could I imagine handling it the way she did. I felt like I couldn’t predict what would come next in her story, and I enjoyed the ride of trying to figure out what she would decide. She certainly had more guts than I could ever have, and I admired her bravery and the longevity of her story. I do wish the ending was a bit tidier, but I really enjoyed where this story took me.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who wants to learn more about the Cold War and Cuba. Anyone who is looking for a good historical love story.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
August moved to New York City to escape her mother’s incessant search for her uncle. But when August runs into a cute girl on the Q Train, and she keeps seeing her on every commute, she uses those investigative skills to figure out who this girl is and what is keeping her on the train.
Rating: 4 Stars
This was one of my most anticipated rom-com novels of the year, and I’m glad my hold for the audio at the library only lasted 6 weeks instead of the expected 36! This book was the delight I expected, from quirky side characters to an only-moderately-steamy romance to a well-rounded and dynamic protagonist. I found myself reaching for this audiobook at times when I should have been doing literally anything else, but I’m glad I did because my hold nearly ran out and I would have missed out on the delightful ending to this novel.
I’ll be honest with you though… I did not understand the science of it. It’s ok. I don’t really care much about understanding the science in a sci-fi book. But I do wish there was less trying to explain it (who cares about electricity?) and more just letting it be more magical instead of science-y. I get that August’s love made June feel more real… let’s leave it at that rather than trying to figure out why. There were moments in the book that I was like “how the heck will this go on for another 6 hours?!” but I did enjoy the narrator and the characters so I wasn’t too concerned about the meandering pace of the book.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes rom coms. Anyone who enjoys quirky characters and coming-of-age stories.
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
The Golden Hotel in the Catskills has a long and illustrious history, but contemporary times have caused some hardships. When the owners and their families get an offer to see the hotel to a casino, they have to come together for one week to decide the hotel’s fate.
Rating: 4 Stars
This book was such a good, fun summer read. I’ve never vacationed at a place like the Golden Hotel, but the author’s descriptions of the place and the atmosphere she created in the novel made me feel like I was there with the characters. I feel like the hotel was its own character in the novel, which I normally don’t really like, but I enjoyed it here. I also really enjoyed all of the perspectives, although there were a lot of them and, by the end, I gave up trying to remember who was who and just let them reveal it to me in the chapters.
That being said, I really enjoyed all of the various story lines. There’s so much going on in this book, but it never felt muddled or confusing (aside from me having trouble keeping the family trees straight). It was fun to see the characters develop, and I cringed and celebrated and laughed with all of the family members as things unfolded. I was also surprised by the way the ending went, which is always (ok, usually) a nice surprise.
Who Should Read It: Anyone wanting a vacation. Anyone who enjoys funny family drama. Anyone looking for a light and easy read.
