I think it’s time for a little SRH summer reads book club moment! Because (I know for me) when life gets crazy or unpredictable, that escaping for a short walk with my earbuds playing an audiobook, or reading a few pages from an actual book before bed can help me unwind and let go of it all, just for a little while.
Let’s be real: life has been moving FAST lately. Moving into our new home, doing a super-quick renovation of that same new home, setting up the nursery (at least some of it), squeezing in a last-minute little babymoon and shower (thrown together by some of the sweetest friends) and coming to the end of what’s been a crazy pregnancy….. not to mention running a business full-time and keeping up with a toddler whose usual speed is 100 MPH.
Whewwww. It’s a lot…. and time seems to be flying by these days. But, I also recognize that these are some of the most precious days before our baby girl arrives and our sweet fam of 3 turns to 4, and I’m trying to find little delights in the time as it goes along.
And one thing I’ve been delighting in is a goooood book. Most nights for even just 5-10 minutes before bed, for a little nighttime decompression, so I fall right asleep.
I find that even reading for small pieces of time can be so transportive, and transforming. It takes me somewhere else for a little while, brings in some fresh perspective, lights up my own creativity and lets me unplug and escape for a hot second.
So, I pulled a few of my favorite summer reads lately, AND polled my amazing team to see what they’ve been reading and loving this summer so you get the best of all worlds:
Team SRH summer reads book club
If you’ve been craving a good book to get into this year (or pack for your next getaway), these are some solid ideas to get you started! And there’s a little bit of everything: personal growth, thriller, beach reads, biography, mystery & more. Enjoy!
TEAM PICKS:
- MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid: All the girls on my team (and I agree) swear by this author (that all of her books are fun + interesting reads). This is her newest— it just came out this summer!— about four famous siblings who throw a Malibu house party in the ‘80s that ends in a tragedy. Juicy, suspenseful & such a page turner.
- EAST COAST GIRLS by Kerry Kletter: A story about four childhood friends who go through something terrible that sends them on their separate ways until they meet up again 12 years later. It’s a good suspense story AND friendship story (I live for both).
- PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry: Our team’s community support gal Susannah said she LOVED this book— and she may be the biggest reader I know. It’s about two best friends who are TOTAL opposites (he wears khakis, she’s a party girl) but still love each other’s company and take a vacation together every year….. until one year something goes wrong and they have to figure out where to go from there.
- THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND by Colleen Oakley: This one is quirky and cute, and *just* weird enough to keep you wondering. A wife has a pretty picture-perfect life, except her husband died in a boating accident that she refuses to acknowledge. Like, she just keeps living her life like he’s there with her. Aaaand the whole town goes along with it too?! Like I said, quirky.
- ONLY WHEN IT’S US by Chloe Liese: This is a lighter, steamier read (which I think we can all get behind every once in a while 😉 ) and a first in a series that some of the girls on my team swear by. If a romantic comedy could be a book, this would be it.
- THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab: This is suchhhh an interesting, heart-wrenching (and warming) read. It follows a French girl who is cursed to live forever and be forgotten by anyone she meets, until one day after 200+ years of loneliness…. a boy in a bookstore remembers who she is.
- THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES by Grady Hendrix: This one is dark, heartwarming, funny & gory. The untypical heroes are Southern housewives & the author weaves in both challenging and sad parts of society. One moment you’re mad and the next you are hysterically laughing!
- SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid: The storyline and the development of the characters in this one is super fascinating…. even though they were all infuriating at times! It’s a light and breezy writing style, but the author also walks through race and privilege in a way much different than I have witnessed lately.
- THE BOY FROM THE WOODS by Harlan Coben: This book was definitely a slow burner, but the character development was amazing. This was such a refreshing take on the “thriller” genre with way more depth and intention.
- THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah: Our partnerships manager Jordyn is currently halfway through Nightingale but says she already knows it is going to break her heart at the end. It’s a historical fiction exploring the story of two sisters on their own journey toward love and freedom in a German-occupied France during World War II. Kristin Hannah books always celebrate the resilience of women and this is no exception! (But be prepared to sob at the end of every single book she writes…. seriously.)
- SOULMATE EQUATION by Christina Lauren: This is the perfect easy read for a vacation, and super lighthearted, all about a DNA dating app that matches you with your perfect pair. It’s a sweet story and a light read.
Sarah’s Picks (aka, the last 5 books on my Kindle this Summer):
1) The Good Sister : I loved this book about 2 twin sisters, who are very different. It has a little Elenor Oliphant is Completely Fine vibe to it and I cruised through it quickly.
2) Good Company: I’m not sure I loved the ending but the whole book was entertaining. About marriage, motherhood and friendship over the years, with a twist.
3) Seven Days in June: Another great, fun lighter read, about a mom and her daughter, motherhood and adolescence, dating and being a single mom….with a very interesting career. Very romance novel-esque.
4) The Last Thing He Told Me: a hello sunshine book recc (reece witherspoon’s book club, which I love!), and a slight thriller. I loved this one and couldn’t put it down! The perfect balance of all things for a summer read, IMHO
5)The Four Winds: This one starts off slow but I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t love the ending, but I would still recc it because the rest of the book was so fascinating. Kristin Hannah wins again, in my book. I can’t wait to read the Nightingale next like Jordyn is!
I hope this gives you some fun, interesting reads to add to your library this summer. Happy reading to you!
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Thank you so much! I put a bunch of these on hold at the library 🙂