Woo-Hoo! Summer Reading!

When I was a kid, I looooooved the library summer reading challenges. I always completely filled my row with star stickers by mid-June, then just kept on going. This summer is no exception, but sadly, no one puts up posters with gold stars for adults.

Here’s a list of what I’ve read so far this summer that I recommend. (This isn’t a complete list, just my favorites so far.

·  Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon: Well, I bought into the BookTok hype and started this series, which is not new—there appear to be at least 22 books so far. And it did not disappoint. Not so much sciencey fiction that I got restless, great sex scenes, and a believable-enough premise that I already bought book 2.

·  Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo might be one of my favorite books of the last decade, and Daisy Jones and the Six was engrossing, so Reid is becoming a must-buy for me. If you like family drama and imagining yourself surfing in Malibu and attending legendary parties, this is for you.

·  The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon: This ripped-from-the-headlines story about a gymnast, an abusive team doctor, and BFF drama was tough to read, but I did it in just about one sitting. The competition scenes were engaging, and the protagonist’s growth was engrossing, if disturbing.

·  Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin: This story about a teen who dies while on a tropical island vacation with her parents is narrated in turns by the teen’s younger sister and the man first accused of the crime. The emotional depth is noteworthy, and the mystery lingers until the end.

·  Whisper Network by Chandler Baker: A timely novel about a man poised to take over a company, and all the women he harmed in that company deciding to do something about it.

·  Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger: Another ripped-from-the-headlines novel about a famous anchorwoman who becomes embroiled in a college admissions scandal. All she’d meant to do was to secure her daughter’s future…

·  Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything by Kristin Bair: She sure is. A woman with severe anxiety copes with her husband’s infidelity—mostly not very well. I loved this story because often we are given a cheating spouse in the story and the protagonist moves on pretty quickly. Agatha—doesn’t.

Here are my on-deck novels for the rest of the summer:

·  While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams

·  Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

·  Katherine Parr, The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir

·  Well Played by Jen DeLuca

·  Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagan

·  Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

·  Bunco by Robin DelNoce

·  Palm Beach by Mary Adkins

·  Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

·  Cam Girl by Leah Raeder

What about you? What have you read this summer that you recommend? What are you looking forward to reading? Let me know in the comments!