Summer Reads 2021
Written by Sally Anne Groomes
Coming off more than a year in pandemic mode I feel like we are all deserving of a fantastic tropical vacation. However, regardless of your summer plans, hopefully you will find time to dive into a good book, whether it be next to a beach, a pool, or a toddler sprinkler! With that in mind, I have compiled a list of a few of my favorite fiction and nonfiction picks to help you mentally recharge, restore, and relax.
If you want a page-turning mystery:
The Last Thing He Told Me
By Laura Dave
This gripping narrative will keep you invested in the plot twists and turns without making you wake up with nightmares. I love a good mystery but don’t want to be terrified when reading and Laura Dave’s 2021 release fits the bill. The plot centers on a husband gone missing, a wife, Hannah Hall, left with sole guardianship of his moody step-daughter and a pile of cash. The characters are interesting and the family dynamics involved add an extra layer of intrigue.
For some light fiction:
The Garden of Small Things
By Abbi Waxman
Much like the plants and flowers discussed, this book demonstrates that many of the best things in life start from humble and unexpected beginnings. Lilian Girvan and her two daughters are welcomed into a whole new world of friends and experiences when they begin volunteering at the neighborhood garden. This is a heartwarming book filled with many interesting and lovable characters as well as truly fascinating gardening tidbits!
If you want a beachy, summer fiction:
The Nantucket Inn
By Pamela Kelley
Sit back on your beach chair and dive into this quick island read! There is something about the Nantucket setting that I find so dreamy. This book has the perfect set up as protagonist Lisa Hodges finds herself opening a picturesque B&B in order to escape a financial bind her deceased husband left her in. Meanwhile, her four adult children each have their own drama be it personal or professional—all of which is highly diverting!
If you want a fun, celebrity-scandal inspired fiction:
Admission: A Novel
By Julie Buxbaum
Confession: I love a vacation that includes paging through US Weekly and People magazines and finding out all the silly celebrity gossip. This book is a great pick for anyone else that shares this interest. Admission is a completely fictional story inspired by the college admission scandal that had both Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman in hot water over their illegal efforts to get their children into college. Told from the viewpoint of the unwitting teenage daughter, Chloe, it is a fascinating yet cautionary tale of privilege, entitlement, and the consequences of blind ambition that prove the adage correct—the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
For a fascinating nonfiction read:
Think Again
By Adam Grant
While some readers prefer only fiction for summer reading, I enjoy throwing in a few thought-provoking nonfiction reads for a change of pace. In this book, Grant explores the amazing power that comes from rethinking and pivoting after failure/mistakes. He provides an excellent synthesis of research and case studies demonstrating the importance of being able to recognize when and how we may be wrong and the value and importance of making alterations in both thinking and behavior instead of doubling down.
A book that will inspire many great car trip conversations:
Share Your Stuff, I’ll go First
By Laura Tremaine
This book was made for a summer vacation! Laura Tremaine structures the book around 10 overarching questions meant to encourage you to dig deeper into both knowing yourself and others. I brought it on an epic family road trip and used it as discussion points for the drive and it made the time fly. This would also be great for dinner time questions, date night questions, or beach/pool conversations with friends and family.
I hope that something on the list strikes your interest and provides you with a few hours of a good book vacation. Or if you have found an excellent beach read, shout it out in the comments as I’d love to add it to my list. Happy reading, y’all!
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Sally Anne Groomes
Washington D.C.
Sally Anne is a former literature professor who still cannot be caught without a book close at hand. Currently, she is raising her two kids, running many miles, and adventuring around the world one duty station at a time with her husband (a Navy doctor). She loves Jesus with all her heart and is learning daily how to count it all JOY.
Learn more about Sally Anne here and find her on Instagram at @sagroomes21
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Coming off more than a year in pandemic mode I feel like we are all deserving of a fantastic tropical vacation. However, regardless of your summer plans, hopefully you will find time to dive into a good book, whether it be next to a beach, a pool or a toddler sprinkler! With that in mind, I have compiled a list of a few of my favorite fiction and nonfiction picks to help you mentally recharge, restore, and relax.