From first grade through the summer before senior year, I participated in reading programs. In high school, it was required—you were tested on what you had read and you hoped that if you relied on SparkNotes that everything on the exam had been online—but even with that factored in, there was only really one book I read during the summer that I didn’t enjoy. (Then again, I like reading, so that could have something to do with it.) It’s been years since I was required to read over the summer, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still do it. Here are some books you should pick up when you’ve got time off.
1. “The Martian” (Andy Weir)
If you haven’t read “The Martian” yet, where have you been? It’s a really quick and relatively easy read, and it’s fast-paced enough to keep your heart pounding while you race through to find out what happens to protagonist Mark Watney. Plus, I guess Mars is kind of sandy like the beach.
2. “Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World” (Haruki Murakami)
Do you like detective stories? Do you like surrealism? “Hardboiled Wonderland” is good to read when you don’t have anything else to worry about, and its ending can be a little world-changing. To really get the “noir” feeling of the book, save it for a rainy day in July.
3. “The Goldfinch” (Donna Tartt)
This is on my “to-read” list; I’ve been told that it’s a novel about growing up, that it involves the creation and sale of fraudulent antiques, and crime. These things (and the fact that it’s by Donna Tartt, who I generally like) make it seem like an enjoyable adventure.
4. “On the Road” (Jack Kerouac)
Summer brings up the possibilities of road trips, of adventures, and possibly drinking—all present within “On the Road.” It’s one of the classic American novels at this point, so you might have already read it, but Kerouac’s prose feels like summer, and that’s as good a reason as any to bring it with you if you go driving to the Cape.
5. “Dandelion Wine” (Ray Bradbury)
Read this at the start of the summer. It’s a quick collection of short stories regarding the duration of a summer in Anywhere, USA. When you read it, you too will want to bottle up the feelings of the new season so you can experience them again when you need it.
6. “World War Z” (Max Brooks)
Some people relegate horror strictly to October, but I think it’s better in the summer. “World War Z” takes a long time to get through because it’s like reading interview transcripts (they honestly should have made the movie in the style of a mockumentary), but it’s worth it, especially if you’re going camping and like feeling paranoid at night.
7. “I Am the Messenger” (Markus Zusak)
So Christmas happens in this book, but since it takes place in Australia, it’s still technically summer time. The entire book has a warm feeling to it even as Ed Kennedy tries to unravel what the messenger is. (Also, unpopular opinion: I like this one more than “The Book Thief.”)
8. “The Golden Mean” (Annabel Lyon)
Ever want an alternative retelling of the story of Alexander the Great that's NOT a terrible movie starring Colin Farrell? Annabel Lyons presents it from the perspective of Aristotle. The prose is engaging and clean, and since it takes place in the Mediterranean, even when it's talking about events that occur during the winter, you can still imagine a place with sunny shores.
9. “Lord of the Flies” (William Golding)
Does anything say summer quite like school boys murdering each other while stuck on a deserted island waiting for someone to rescue them? I'd say not.
10. “Hard Evidence: The Collected Bawdy Writings” (Kevin Keck)
This collection of humorous short stories is not safe for work, or public, to be honest, unless you're under a private umbrella and nobody can see what's on the page in front of you. That said, Kevin Keck is hilarious and if there's one thing I like doing in the summer, it's laughing.
11. “Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead” (Ed. John Skipp)
I don't feel bad about ending this list with another book about zombies, because this contains one of my favorite short stories about zombies that I've ever read, and again, summer reminds me more of horror than fall does. You have more slasher movies taking place at summer camps, after all. Since they're short stories, you can jump around this book with plenty of fluidity, and you'll probably have fun doing so, too.
