Summertime has always been my favorite time to catch up on reading. I’ve loved to read my whole life--ask my family. I would devour books in days, sometimes hours, and beg my mother to take my to the bookstore to get a new one. During the school year, it is just harder to find time to read for fun, I’m always too busy completing my school reading. If you are like me, I’m always looking for good books. Here are five books I love that are perfect to enjoy by the pool out in the sun.
1. "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
Okay, so I may be bias because this is arguably my favorite book. I’ve honestly read it around twenty times, and each time I really do find something new. My personal copy if falling apart and covered in pen marks. The book follows Miles, or Pudge as his friends call him, through his first year at a boarding school in Alabama in his pursuit of the “Great Perhaps.” He meets a girl named Alaska who is mysterious and complicated, and Pudge can’t help but be intrigued. This book will pull you through every emotion, and it will soon become one of your favorites.
2. "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler
I love Amy Poehler, I love her work and her book is incredible. It’s filled with laughs and amazing behind the scene stories of Saturday Night Live and the Upright Citizens Brigade. Her advice is useful, and she does it in a tasteful way. While yes, the bulk of the book is about laughs, but there are so many deeper stories. My personal favorite chapter is about forgiveness in which Poehler discusses the one SNL skit she regretted.
3. "The Harry Potter Series" by J.K. Rowling
There is not much needed to explain why these books are perfect for summer reading. I remember ripping apart these books as kid, falling in love with the magic and the honesty of the characters. I’ve recently started rereading some of my favorites, and it is the best way to tap into some childhood nostalgia. If you happen to be the one person on the planet who hasn’t read the books, now is the time. The books are better than the movies, and it takes your mind into a magic universe.
4. "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
Admittedly, this book is pretty heavy for a by the pool read. The story follows the narrative of Hannah Baker through the lens of Clay Jensen. Hannah committed suicide, and leaves thirteen cassette tapes illustrating the thirteen reasons why she took her own life. The book deals with heavy emotion, and it conveys the message that every action counts, and the way you treat people matters.
5. "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks
All of Sparks’ books are perfect summer reads, who doesn’t love a great romance story? Most people have seen the movie featuring Miley Cyrus, The Last Song, but, as usual, the book is so much better. There is more depth within the story, and all of the characters are fully developed. It really is a beautiful story, filled with honesty and true emotion.
