By Sydney NolanBleahh – it’s super hot, way too humid, and your friends are all busy working or on vacation. What’s a teen to do to beat the heat, other than escape into the air conditioning or into the water? Nothing makes a better companion during your summer adventures, be they by the pool, in the sand, in a comfy chair at home or during a dull moment at your job than a good book. Check out some of Her Campus’s favorite summer reads that provide the perfect summertime escape.
Perfect for the pool or beach!If you’re spending the day buried in the sand or relaxing by the pool, a nice, light read is the perfect companion to accompany a pleasant day once you run out of magazines to flip through.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie PerkinsSenior year in France may sound like a dream, but for Anna Oliphant, the novel’s protagonist, senior year en France is a veritable cauchemar (a real nightmare, for you non-French speakers). Dive into Perkins’s debut novel and enjoy the ups and downs as Anna falls in love with more than just the baguettes served up in those Parisian cafes!
Hit Reply by Rocki St. ClaireWhat could be easier and more enjoyable to read than a novel written entirely in emails, texts and instant messages? Hit Reply tells the story of three women and their triumphs and pitfalls in the romance department in a super fun, couldn’t-be-easier to read format!
Dress Rehearsal by Jennifer O’ConnellLauren Gallagher, Boston’s hottest cake baker is loving the single life. Too bad it’s about to be interrupted by not one, but two guys who appear to be nothing but trouble! Enjoy your slice of the action poolside with a book that’s lighter and fluffier than the frosting on one of Ms. Gallagher’s fictional cakes.
A glimpse of the real worldThe key to happiness and enjoying life isn’t just found in fiction. Break out of your comfort zone and explore the real world through the lens of the following non-fiction authors.
Bossypants by Tina FeyIf you enjoyed Fey’s witty Sarah Palin impersonations on SNL, you’ll no doubt enjoy her latest project, Bossypants. In her autobiography, Fey chronicles what it was like to grow up (spoiler alert: she went through that awkward, gawky stage just like the rest of us!), go to school, move to Chicago, her big break with SNL, and her successful career from there on out, all written with her incredible wit and sense of humor.
My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family by Zach WahlsHot off the presses is a book celebs like Ellen DeGeneres are calling “a resounding testament to individuality and the power of family in all forms.” A video of University of Iowa Campus Cutie Zach Wahls testifying before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee last January went viral on Youtube. All the commotion surrounding his testimony prompted Wahls to further chronicle just how awesome his parents are in this inspiring book all about the power of family, regardless of how the word is defined.
The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen RubinWhat makes people happy? The answer may just surprise you. After a startling epiphany in quite the surprising place, Rubin, the book’s author, spent a year traveling, determined to unlock the key to one of nature’s most plaguing, but enjoyable emotions.
Romance galore! Even if your summer romance forecast is a bit bleaker than you’d hoped, it’s still fun to be swept off your feet by one of these gorgeous (and unfortunately fictional) guys!
The Perfect Chemistry series: Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction, and Chain Reaction, all by Simone ElkelesTalk about a hot romance for the summer! All three of the Perfect Chemistry novels tell the stories of the Fuentes brothers, three Mexican-American boys struggling to break free of past histories of violence and gang connections to make a better life for themselves, their families, and their newfound girlfriends. Each book is filled with a romance steamier than even the hottest summer day guaranteed to keep you turning page after page until you’ve polished off the series.
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather HeplerCritics call it a modern day “Romeo and Juliet,” but we just call it hot! The chemistry between Cal and Elliot is unbelievable as their story unfolds in chapters that switch back and forth between the voices of the two characters. If there’s one novel that will make you believe in summer love lasting more than a few months, it’s this one!
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy NelsonThis book will make you believe in love peeking through, even in the bleakest of circumstances. Nelson’s novel follows Lennie, a girl haunted by the death of her older sister. What will Lennie do when forced to choose between her sister’s (gulp) former fiancé who helps her remember the person she was, or the new boy who just might help put the past behind her and move onto a happier future?
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. JamesBrains, wit, and a flawless façade may prove too much for Fifty Shades’ protagonist Anastasia Steele. The lit student discovers more about herself and the man she quickly becomes entranced by in this novel that promises to be way hotter than the summer sun.