Best Summer Reads 2024
Summer is on its way, and could be better than relaxing in the sunshine with a good book?
Readers, I’ve got your back.
In this post I will take you through this summer’s hottest new releases, as well as the backlist titles that are worth picking up.
New releases
Only For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Romcom lovers, this recommendation is for you! Abby Jimenez writes fantastic romance novels, and this one is perfect for a lazy day by the pool.
Synopsis:
“Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other's out, and they'll both go on to find the love of their lives. It's a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected - including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?”
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Emily Henry is easily one of my all time favourite authors; her writing has become more excellent with each new book and Funny Story is no exception. This book has a unique storyline and a fun romance, but also looks deeply into found family and what it means to belong.
Synopsis:
“Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?”
Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad
Now out in paperback, this travel memoir details YouTuber Chris Broad’s tales of teaching English in Japan. A young adult thrust into the Japanese countryside with little knowledge of the language, his memoir is funny, inspiring, and will have you planning a trip to the country itself.
“When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan's history?
Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that came with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world's most complex cultures.
Spanning ten years and all forty-seven prefectures, Chris takes us from the lush rice fields of the countryside to the frenetic neon-lit streets of Tokyo. With blockbuster moments such as a terrifying North Korean missile incident, a mortifying experience at a love hotel and a week spent with Japan's biggest movie star, Abroad in Japan is an extraordinary and informative journey through the Land of the Rising Sun.”
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
I hadn’t read a thriller for a very long time before I picked up this book at an event, and I’m so glad that I did. Lucy Foley is a master at writing manipulative plot lines that will keep you guessing up until the last second.
“Midsummer, the Dorset coast. Guests gather for the opening of The Manor hotel, the new jewel on the Dorset coastline. The champagne is flowing, the guest list sparkling, the sun setting on an unforgettable summer solstice.
But under the cloak of celebration, something dark is stirring. The Manor has a secret history; built in the shadows of an ancient wood.
Now old friends and enemies are creeping out of the shadows. And they'll soon discover what other deadly secrets come out at night…”
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
Another title that’s new in paperback, Yellowface is a slightly absurd contemporary novel following a morally grey character that you will love to hate.
Synopsis:
“When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity… and takes it.
So what if it means stealing Athena’s final manuscript? So what if it means ‘borrowing’ her identity? And so what if the first lie is only the beginning…
Finally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her… What happens next is entirely everyone else's fault.”
Backlist
Here are the titles that have been out for a little while already, but are well worth adding to your summer tbr.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
This young adult thriller is an easy read that’s very difficult to put down. It’s also the beginning of a trilogy, which means that you’ll have plenty more to read once you’re finished. I loved the main character, Pip, and it was so fun watching her unravel this mystery.
Synopsis:
“The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.
But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the crime, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth…”
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Here’s a recommendation that has a little bit of spice. Following the romance between a figure skater and an ice hockey player, this book has heaps of sexual tension that will keep you glued to each page.
Synopsis:
“Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team. Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.
Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.
But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot. Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried… because she could never like a hockey player, right?”
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Arguably the most literary recommendation on this list, Normal People is a contemporary novel set in Ireland that explores the ugly truth of love and growing up as a teenager in today’s world.
Synopsis:
“Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life-changing begins.
Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can't.”
One Day by David Nicholls
A hugely popular contemporary read, One Day was recently made into a fantastic Netflix series which I loved. If you haven’t seen it yet then be warned - this one will break your heart!
Synopsis:
“Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. The multi-million copy bestseller that captures the experiences of a generation.
'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.' He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.'
15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows?”
Have you read any of the books on this list? Do you have a summer reading recommendation? Leave a comment and let me know!
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