Summer Reading – 2024

Sharing is caring!

Remember when you were a kid and your school would assign a few books for you to read during the summer? For me, that was the best “homework” assignment I could ask for. And, it appears, that some things never change. As a teacher, I work from late August to early June. From June to August, I read. For summer reading, I usually aim for light-ish romances or mysteries that I don’t have to work too hard for.

As of August 18th, I’ve read 23 books. I still have a few on my TBR pile, but with school starting up in a few weeks, I know I need to shift gears a bit.

I got most of these books from the library, either reading the ebook on my kindle or the hard copy.

My Summer Reading List

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is technically a young adult novel, but as a middle school teacher, I’ve watched my 7th and 8th graders obsess over it during the school year and decided to find out what all the fuss was about.

This mystery explores the disappearance of Andie Bell and the presumed related death of her boyfriend, Sal Singh. While I found the story to be decent, I mostly read it to relate to my students. Plus, it’s coming out on Netflix this month (although they moved the setting from Connecticut to England). My 14-year-old and I plan to watch it together.

There are several books in this series.

I give the book 3 stars, but I do think it will be valuable in the time spent with my daughter and the conversations I’ll be able to have with students. Worth reading for me!

Ready or Not

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone is a sweet romance that’s a (mostly) light read. Main character Eve Hatch lives a pretty quiet life, but one night of fun results in a surprise pregnancy. This book follows her through the pregnancy and the changes that brings to her love life.

This is a light read, although slightly stressful at times (as pregnancy is). Not a “must read” but it was good!

3.5 stars

Funny Story

I enjoy reading Emily Henry books and Funny Story was no different.

This story starts with Daphne being unceremoniously dropped by her fiance Peter for his lifelong friend, Petra. Since Daphne lives in Peter’s house, she’s forced to find a new roommate — Miles, Petra’s now ex-boyfriend who finds himself just as shocked as Daphne.

Guess what happens next? Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

4 stars

Just for the Summer

Abby Jiminez is another author who I’m always willing to read. Her summer release Just for the Summer was another fun read.

Justin and Emma both think they’re cursed. Every time they date someone, the person they dated finds the love of their lives afterwards. The two start chatting through a Reddit thread and their relationship takes off from there. While it seems simple, family drama and childhood trauma make it anything but.

I also found out that most of Abby Jiminez’ books are related usually through threads of characters. Technically you could read them in order, but I didn’t and it worked out just fine.

I went on to read the rest of Abby Jiminez’ books after this, so you’ll see them pop up a few times if you keep scrolling.

4.5 stars

Happy Place

As with Abby Jiminez, Emily Henry pops up a few times on my summer reading list. Happy Place by Emily Henry is another perfect summer romance.

Harriett and Wyn are an iconic college couple that can’t quite make it in the real world, but they haven’t shared this with their circle of friends. They both end up at a college friend’s family home for the summer where they have to confront the problems in their relationship and see if they can get past it.

While the description sounds lighthearted, mental health plays a large role in this story and is handled well.

4 stars

The Seven Year Slip

While I knew I could count on Emily Henry and Abby Jiminez for solid summer reads, The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston was a random pick that was a pleasant surprise.

Clementine inherits an apartment after her favorite aunt’s death, but the apartment seems to have a mind, and time, of its own. One night Clementine comes home after work to a man in her home. He claims Clementine’s deceased aunt is letting him sublet the apartment for the summer — and that it’s 7 years earlier than it actually is.

I know it sounds kind of crazy, but it works and is a worthwhile read. One of my favorite books this summer.

4 stars

Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller is NOT a light summer read, but after reading all the romances listed above, I was ready for something heavier and this fit the bill.

If the name Circe sounds familiar to you, you probably sat through English classes in high school reading the Odyssey and learning about Greek Mythology like I did.

Circe is the daughter of Helios and featured as a sorceress in The Odyssey. This fictional retelling brings Circe to life and makes her real.

The story of Circe is slightly slow at times and some parts could have been edited out, but overall it was an interesting read and I enjoyed it.

4 stars

If this book is your jam, Madeline Miller also wrote The Song of Achilles, which is the same type of story.

The Love Hypothesis

Back to the light summer reads with this one. I’d seen The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood pop up hundreds of times on Instagram and so I finally succumbed to the pressure and went for it. It was “mid” as my middle schoolers say.

Ph. D. Student Olive finds herself in a fake dating scheme with a hot, but unlikable, the professor at her school. Thanks to pushy friends, shenanigans ensue.

All in all, this was a fun(ish) romance, but felt a little unbelievable and unprofessional to me. It was just okay.

2.5 stars

This Summer Will be Different

This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune is another fun summer read and Carly Fortune never seems to disappoint.

Lucy is spending the summer at Price Edward Island with her friend Bridget, but she arrives first. In full vacation mode, she meets a handsome local, Felix, who she spends the night with. As it turns out, Felix is Bridget’s brother and despite their chemistry, they try to stay away from each other… for years!

This story jumps though time a bit until everything comes to a head just before Bridget’s wedding.

4.5 stars

Butcher and Blackbird

Both Butcher and Blackbird and the next book down, Leather and Lark, are the first two books in “The Ruinious Love Trilogy” by Brynne Weaver and they are … interesting.

I’m a sucker for an interesting cover and when I saw these recommended on Instagram, I tried them out.

These books are Fifty Shades of Grey (if you take my hint) meets serial killers. It’s gory and odd, for sure, but it’s also unlike any other book I’ve read, so it was interesting. Sometimes it just feels like I’m reading different versions of the same story, you know?

In Butcher and Blackbird, Blackbird, aka Sloane, and Butcher, aka Rowan, are serial killers who hunt other serial killers to keep their urges at bay. When they meet up on a “job” they’re intrigued and start a competition hunting future victims. Like I said, it’s interesting.

3.5 stars, mostly for originality

Leather and Lark

Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver continues the Ruiniuous Love series with main characters Lachlan (“Leather” and Rowan/Butcher’s brother) and Lark (that’s her real name, Blackbird/Sloane’s BFF). This story combines the ever popular fake marriage AND lovers to enemies trope while still killing others. But it’s okay because they only kill bad guys.

Not as good as the first.

3 stars

Book 3, Scythe and Sparrow, comes out in February 2025 and follows the story of the third brother, Fionn, and Rose.

Things You Save in a Fire

Things you Save in a Fire by Catherine Center had my heart, for sure.

This book tells the story of Cassie Hanwell, a female firefighter, and the struggles she has in overcoming trauma she suffered on her 16th birthday. When she’s forced to resign from a station she loves and move to one that’s not as accepting as females, she has to prove to herself and everyone else that she deserves her position.

Trigger warnings: broken families, drug abuse, firefighting accidents, sexual assault, and ailing parents.

4.5 stars

Part of Your World

Remember earlier when I said I went down an Abby Jiminez road? Part of Your World by Abby Jiminez technically came earlier than Just for the Summer in the Jiminez universe, but I didn’t find reading them in the wrong order to be a problem.

In this story, Alexis is a super smart doctor who can’t seem to meet her family’s high expectations. She’s in the process of separating from her mentally abusive husband when she meets a small town furniture builder trying to save his family home from being sold out from under him.

I know, I know – typical rom com fodder, but it works.

4 stars

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Alright, here comes the ACOTAR. I am probably the last person in America to read these, but I knew I wanted to read them one after the other in the summer. I started with the first book in the series (duh) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

I don’t know, you guys.

This book was just okay for me. It was clearly a remake of Beauty and the Beast. Human girl Feyra needs to fend for her family by hunting. One day she kills a wolf that’s actually a faerie. As punishment, a fae lord, Tamlin, comes and takes her to his manor — a soul for a soul, he claims.

The two become friendly, as you can imagine, but eventually the politics in fae land get sketchy and Tamlin sends Feyra back to live with her family. While there, Feyre realizes something is very wrong, and she needs to go back and save Tamlin.

2.5 stars

I found the Beauty and the Beast storyline farfetched. While this series is known for its spice, this book is the least spicy of them all.

If you haven’t read this series but plan to, scroll past the next three books.

A Court of Mist and Fury

Seriously, don’t read this if you plan on reading the series because I’m about to give some major spoilers.

A Court of Mist and Fury follows Feyra after she saves the fae world Under the Mountain, and returns to the Spring Court with Tamlin adjusting to her life as a fairy. Unfortunately, things aren’t good. She still has her connection with Rhysand, the fearsome Lord of the Night Court, because of the bargain they made, but he hasn’t made her keep up her end yet.

Feyra and Tamlin are processing trauma. Feyra isn’t eating and Tamlin is trying to keep her safe — by trapping her in his manor. As Feyra’s wedding date approaches, she gets more and more nervous. As she’s walking down the aisle, she’s panics and asks for help, which makes Rhysand appear and takes her away for the time she owes him.

While Rhysand works on helping Ferya recover from her ordeal, Tamlin rages. Meanwhile, the fae kingdom is preparing for a war against an evil king that wants to take over the fae land. Feyra needs to decide where her loyalty lies.

3.5 stars

A Court of Wings and Ruin

After being left on a cliffhanger, A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas follows Feyra back to The Spring Court with Tamlin where she learns more about the evil king and the impending war.

It turns out that in order to Get Feyra back from Rhysand, Tamlin made a deal with the king, inviting him to use The Spring Court as a base to wage attacks on both the fae and the humans.

Feyra’s sisters, who have turned fae, are adjusting to their new lives and and testing out their new powers.

3 stars

A Court of Frost and Starlight

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas is almost a half of a book that spans the time between Wings and Ruin and Silver Flame. Honestly, it’s pretty unnecessary and adds nothing to the series.

This book has the group of friends from The Night Court exchanging gifts.

1 star

A Court of Silver Flames

In A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, the main character shifts from Feyra to her sister, Nesta.

After being turned from human to fae and dealing with the trauma of the war, Nesta is struggling with her mental heath and resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms. One night, Nesta goes too far and is issued an ultimatum — leave the Night Court or go live in the manor on the mountain, stop drinking, and train with Cassian, the general.

Nesta take the second option and learns some important lessons about herself, and the power she holds, in the process.

Overall, I found the characters to be pretty unlikable in this story. There was also a lot of “spice” — too much for me, honestly. It was distracting.

2.5 stars

Worth noting: This series is not finished. It was clear from the ending of this story that there will be at least one more book.

Fourth Wing

In keeping with the “romantacy” theme this summer, next up was Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, which is the first story in the Empryean series.

Fourth Wing follows Violet Sorrengail, a young cadet forced to enter the Rider’s Quadrant of the trailing facility of her country. Her whole life she had assumed she would be a Scribe (read: historian) but that all changed when her mother, a general, told her she had no choice but to try to be a rider.

Voilet uses her smarts to help her survive in the quadrant, a brutal school where more students die than succeed. Aside from the standard dangers of her daily life, Voilet also has to avoid being killed by “marked ones,” which are children whose parents were killed in a rebellion some years earlier and are now also being trained as Riders. Xaden Riorsan, the leader of the marked ones, is especially intimidating and has even more reason to want Voilet dead.

Oh, and there are snarky dragons that talk.

4.5 stars

Iron Flame

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros is the second book in the Empyrean Series. It’s not as good as the first — think Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — super stressful.

This story continues to follow Violet and Xaden as they battle evil wizards called Venin. While the kingdom is protected by wards, the king is keeping these evil creatures a secret while they destroy the lands outside of Navarre.

Voilet and her crew need to decide where their alliances lie — with the kingdom they’ve sworn to protect or the human population as a whole.

3.5 stars

The next book in this series, Onyx Storm, is due to be released in January of 2025.

Four Weekends and a Funeral

After reading a couple of heavy series, Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer was a lighthearted romance that was a good pallette cleanser.

After having a preventative double mastectomy, Alison Mullally decides to change her life and seek adventure. Her boyfriend, Sam, is a nomad and adventure-influencer. Unfortunately, Sam and Alison aren’t destined for the long haul. Unfortunately, Sam didn’t tell his parents that he and Alison broke up before he dies in a tragic accident.

When Alison gets to the funeral, Sam’s family treat her like a bereaved girlfriend instead of an ex and she finds herself volunteering to help Adam, Sam’s grumpy best friend, clean out Sam’s house where they inevitably find themselves drawn together.

This book is sweet and fun and I read it in a day.

4 stars

Great and Precious Things

Great and Precious Things is another book by Rebecca Yarros. As an Army wife, Rebecca often finds herself writing about veterans and war and this book is no different.

Camden Daniels retires early from his prestigius military career to come home and take care of his ailing father. Even though he’s grown up and matured, his small town still sees him as a trouble maker and doesn’t take kindly to his return.

Along with his childhood friend and little brother’s ex-girlfriend, Willow, Camden works to help his family and the town.

The story is pretty predictable, but it’s okay. It navigates the world of aging parents and small minded communities well.

3.5 stars

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

If you’ve read The Hunger Games Series, you’re going to want to add The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place 60 years before the Hunger Games books and follows the story of Coriolanus Snow, known as President Snow in the later books.

During this story, Snow is a teenager about to graduate from school. He and a group of fellow students are chosen to be mentors to the district children chosen to be in the 10th Hunger Games. While Snow is initially disappointed to see that his tribute is a female from District 12, not likely to win, but as he gets to know Lucy Gray his opinion on her changes.

Through the Hunger Games, Snow makes some questionable choices in the interest of his tribute, which results in punishment.

All in all, I found myself rooting for Coriolanus Snow because he wasn’t hatable, even though I know from the other books that he ends up that way.

4 stars

The Rom-Commers

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is another lighthearted pallette cleanser after a heavy book.

Emma Wheeler, a writer forced to put her career on hold for ten to take care of her injured father, had the chance of a lifetime thanks to a friend who lives in Los Angeles and represents famous clients. Emma taps her younger sister in to take care of their dad and makes her way to California to help a famous screenwriter with his latest project.

Charlie Yates, a writer who has found early success, is struggling creatively, but is reluctant to let Emma help him, despite his agent encouraging him. Charlie sends Emma away at first, but ultimately they come to an agreement and end up working together on the screenplay.

This was another quick, light read.

4 stars

Still to Read

Needless to say, I replaced my Instagram addiction to a reading addiction this summer. My time off is almost up, but I’ve still got a few books I’d like to read:

• Wear it Well – a book on enjoying what’s already in your wardrobe
• The Anxious Generation -a book on childhood mental illness and how it relates to technology
• Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen – a book of essential conversations to have with your teenager before they go to high school

Looking for more reading inspo? BOOKS ABOUT ORGANIZING & DECLUTTERING

Summer Reading 2024

And that’s pretty much all I did all summer long! Have you read any of these? Do you have any recommendations for me? I’d love to hear them!