6 Books To Add To Your Summer Reading List

By Elana Goodwin on May 22, 2015

With school done for the semester, you’ve now got time to read books for fun, rather than books you have to read for class.

With that in mind, here are some books you should add to your summer reading list.

Photo Credit: parade.com

1. “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins. This novel, which is currently on the New York Times bestsellers list, follows Rachel, a girl on a train. But Rachel is just one of the narrators in this dark and twisty thriller, and each has their own voice and agenda. Before the first narrator even begins to tell part of their story, the reader is told that a woman’s body has been “buried beneath a silver birch tree” by somebody (ominous, right?).

Some have compared the novel to Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” as both stories are populated by somewhat unlikeable characters, but you’ll have to judge it for yourself by putting it at the top of your summer reading list.

2. “Go Set A Watchman” by Harper Lee. While this book hasn’t been released yet — it’s scheduled to come out on July 14 — this is a book you absolutely must put on your summer reading list. For those who loved reading “To Kill A Mockingbird,” Lee has finally written the book we’ve seemingly all been waiting for: a sequel.

“Watchman” will follow an adult Scout Finch, who is traveling from New York back to Alabama to visit her dad, Atticus, and takes place after the events of “Mockingbird” and is said to include many of the same characters from the initial novel.

Interestingly, though “Watchman” is a sequel to “Mockingbird,” Lee actually wrote it prior to writing “Mockingbird,” which was published in 1960.

3. “Zoo” by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Before watching the “event series of the summer” on CBS as it adapts this novel into a TV show, make sure to read this Patterson thriller as part of your summer reading.

The book is about a young biologist who is the first to notice that animal attacks are increasing in violence and occurrence across the globe, and fears that if the world doesn’t take heed and change, there will be nowhere left for humans to hide.

I read this book a few years ago and thought it was a really fascinating read as the events that occur are chillingly possible — plus, since it’s about to hit the small screen, if you’re planning to tune in to the TV show, you may want to read the book first.

Photo Credit: wweek.com

4. “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed. This #1 New York Times bestselling memoir recounts Strayed’s 1,100-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail that she took in 1995 as a way to discover herself and resolve personal issues and obstacles.

The movie, which starred Reese Witherspoon as Strayed, came out this past December, and she received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in a lead role, and Laura Dern, who played Strayed’s mother, received a nomination for her performance in a supporting role. So after crossing the book off your summer reading list, you can rent the movie and see the memoir come to life (again).

5. “Yes Please” by Amy Poehler. Poehler, a former SNL cast member and the former leading lady of “Parks and Recreation” released her memoir this past fall and it immediately garnered buzz and hit the New York Times bestsellers list.

Smart, witty, inspirational, and full of comedy, “Yes Please” looks to be a great book written by a supremely funny lady.

I haven’t gotten to read this one yet but it’s definitely on my summer reading list and while I haven’t read the autobiography, I already know it’ll be a winner as Poehler’s the author.

6. “Paper Towns” by John Green. For fans of the YA genre or “The Fault in Our Stars,” Green’s third novel is one you’ll want to put on your summer reading list. The book follows Quentin, or “Q” who was best friends with his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegeleman.

But as they grew up, they grew apart, until one night before their high school graduation when they reconnect as Margo wants Q’s help on her revenge campaign against people who wronged her. After completing the first parts of their mission, Margo doesn’t show up to school as she’s run away, and Q discovers clues he believes were left by Margo to lead him to her.

The book, like Green’s other novels, is a coming of age story, and about self-discovery and friendship. The film adaptation, starring Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne, is set to be released later this summer, on July 24.

So if you haven’t already made your summer reading list, these books are a good start as these are novels you definitely must read.

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