Grabbing a book this summer could help to de-stress, round out your schedule or make your family vacation a little more relaxing. There are dozens of worthy reads this summer, but let's kick this list off with a novel about summer.
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
The Mariko Tamaki graphic novel This One Summer is a young-adult book that is a classic coming-of-age story. Released on May 6th, 2014 and just in time for summer, This One Summer features two reuniting friends - Rose and Wendy - who are touted along by their families to blow off some steam at Rose's lake house.
This is a trip that Rose and her family have made many times before, but Rose and Wendy run into problems this particular summer when they cross paths with a charismatic and maybe dangerous teen staying in the area.
The story's told through the eyes of Rose and Wendy who oversee their parents fighting and have to trust each other as they encounter a whole new set of adolescent challenges. The novel is further brought to life by illustrator Jillian Tamaki.
Age ranges for this book fall between 12-18, but there are some references to sexual content made. If you aren't comfortable with your children reading this type of content, you may want to choose a different book!
You'll enjoy this read if you love:
- Graphic novels with dark storylines
- Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann
- Skim by Mariko Tamaki
- Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
The Heist by Daniel Silva
Daniel Silva's latest novel, The Heist, released on July 15th, 2014 is quickly becoming the most addictive page-turner of the summer.
Silva's already gained a lot of notoriety for The English Girl and the New York Times bestseller continues the tradition of giving his readers' the equivalent adrenaline jolt of a Michael Bay action movie.
The Heist centers around the story of an international spy laying low as an art restorer who finds himself searching for the masterminds behind the heist of a valuable piece of artwork. Gabriel Allon, the art curator and former spy, sets about finding the stolen artwork by dangerously jumping into the black market art trading world himself.
The Heist is definitely a can't-miss page-turner for summer 2014. The Washington Post called The Heist "entertaining" and "sophisticated" and a must-read novel.
You'll enjoy this read if you love:
- Invisible by James Patterson
- Personal: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child
- Act of War: A Thriller by Brad Thor
The Silkworm and The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
The secret's out for summer 2014. The author of The Silkworm and The Cuckoo's Calling is none other than Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling writing under the pen name of Robert Galbraith.
Both novels can be found on Amazon. The Cuckoo's Calling came out in April and The Silkworm was very recently released on July 19th, 2014. Each is a whodunit detective mystery that resembles the hard-boiled crime novels of Raymond Chandler.
The Cuckoo's Calling
Every great detective story needs a grizzled, skeptical detective and a seedy underworld to investigate. The Cuckoo's Calling is no exception to this rule as Detective Strike investigates the apparent suicide of a supermodel (the novel's "cuckoo") and along the way gets embroiled in a world of glamor, crime and seduction.
The Silkworm
The Silkworm, the latest novel by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a., J.K, Rowling), features the same protagonist in Detective Strike, but with far different circumstances. This page-turner centers around the death of a journalist who is murdered just before the publication of a book that slanders many people around him. The victim's wife then contacts Detective Strike looking for answers.
Robert Galbraith's latest novel is a classic whodunit that sets up the pins beautifully by realizing that a good crime novel revolves around creating a net of possible perpetrators, accomplices, dead ends and victims.
You'll enjoy these reads if you love:
- The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
- The Bones Beneath by Mark Billingham
- Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton
- One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
- Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich
Summer Reads for 2014
This list of best summer reads is necessarily limited. If you're interested in historical fiction, then check out All the Light We Cannot See. If you're a longtime Stephen King fan, then you shouldn't miss Mr. Mercedes, although it could very well keep you up at night.
What are some of your favorite vacation reads?
