My Summer Romance Reads
I find that summer is the perfect time to get lost in a book, with the sun blazing and a tan awaiting outside, along with parents constantly nagging you to get out and enjoy the weather, the usual distractions from reading are few and far between.
If you’re like me then, you’ll find a certain pleasure in aligning the seasons in your books to the seasons in outside. You’d be hard-pressed to find me reading a Christmas book in the summer or vice versa. However, sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect summer book to read, one just summery enough, but not lacking in all the usual stuff that I want from a novel.
Therefore, since I have spent so many summers lying around and reading in the sun, I find myself fit to give some young adult book recommendations that are perfect for this summer.
The Summer of Us
Cecilia Vinesse (Hachette)
American expat Aubrey has only two weeks left in Europe before she leaves for college, and she's nowhere near ready. Good thing she and her best friend, Rae, have planned one last group trip across the continent. From Paris to Prague, they're going to explore famous museums, sip champagne in fancy restaurants, and eat as many croissants as possible with their friends Clara, Jonah, and Gabe. But when old secrets come to light, Aubrey and Rae's trip goes from a carefree adventure to a complete disaster.
If you aren’t traveling this summer, then what better way to live vicariously than through a book? I loved navigating my way around Europe with these loveable characters, whilst watching them grow and learn about themselves along the way. An easy read, full of travel, friendship and love this is a quintessential summer book and perfect for anyone who longs for their own exciting and more than slightly emotional road-trip.
The Twelfth Day of July
Joan Lingard (Penguin)
The Twelfth Day of July is first of Joan Lingard's influential Kevin and Sadie books, set in Belfast during the Troubles.
Sadie is Protestant, Kevin is Catholic - and on the tense streets of Belfast their lives collide. It starts with a dare - kids fooling around - but soon becomes something dangerous. Getting to know Sadie Jackson will change Kevin's life forever. But will the world around them change too?
Although one wouldn’t usually turn to classics for a light summer read this novella (being only 162 pages) is perfect for a pool-side read. Fast-paced and thought-provoking, the book is the first in the 5-part series detailing the protagonists’ eventual love-story.
If you’re looking for something a little different from the usual summer romance, then this tense and striking book is for you.