It’s summer time, when the living gets a little bit easier and the
last thing you want to do is stare at another book. But with summer reading, the
difference is you can choose books you actually want to read! With so many
great suggestions and new books coming out, it’s hard to choose which ones to
incorporate into your summer days. To help you out, here is a list of books
recommended by our own marketing interns. Enjoy!
Melanie’s Summer Reading Suggestions
Manhattan Hunt Club
by John Saul
This is probably my favorite book that I have read recently. It’s a thriller novel, and even though I get scared easily, I couldn’t put this book down! It takes place in the deep subway tunnels underneath New York City and makes you wonder if what Saul wrote really happens there…
This is probably my favorite book that I have read recently. It’s a thriller novel, and even though I get scared easily, I couldn’t put this book down! It takes place in the deep subway tunnels underneath New York City and makes you wonder if what Saul wrote really happens there…
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
I was told to read this book before the movie was even in production, but I still haven’t gotten the chance to. I’ve heard nothing but good reviews and can’t wait to pick it up sometime this summer!
I was told to read this book before the movie was even in production, but I still haven’t gotten the chance to. I’ve heard nothing but good reviews and can’t wait to pick it up sometime this summer!
The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible is definitely a lengthier read, but it has a lot of substance to it. It is about a missionary family from Georgia that moves to a remote village in Africa to do mission work. I am almost finished with the novel and think that it is absolutely worth reading!
The Poisonwood Bible is definitely a lengthier read, but it has a lot of substance to it. It is about a missionary family from Georgia that moves to a remote village in Africa to do mission work. I am almost finished with the novel and think that it is absolutely worth reading!
Allyson’s Summer Reading Suggestions
The Millennium Series by Stieg
Larsson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest)
The Millennium Series focuses on the rampant presence of power-based violence in Switzerland and all over the world. Lisbeth Salander is a dark character who is, above all, a survivor. I loved this series because I got to follow the same characters for three novels. The story evolves with each page to keep readers on edge. These books do have very mature themes and can be graphic.
The Millennium Series focuses on the rampant presence of power-based violence in Switzerland and all over the world. Lisbeth Salander is a dark character who is, above all, a survivor. I loved this series because I got to follow the same characters for three novels. The story evolves with each page to keep readers on edge. These books do have very mature themes and can be graphic.
The Great Gatsby by F.
Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby is a timeless classic. It captures the essence of the roaring 20s decade in a way that’s still applicable to today’s society. The book delves into the façade of a mysteriously wealthy bachelor and his parties. If you saw the movie, you experienced the novel come to life is a modernized adaptation with over the top visuals. Pick this book for a fast read where Fitzgerald depicts the true disappointment of lust and fortune.
The Great Gatsby is a timeless classic. It captures the essence of the roaring 20s decade in a way that’s still applicable to today’s society. The book delves into the façade of a mysteriously wealthy bachelor and his parties. If you saw the movie, you experienced the novel come to life is a modernized adaptation with over the top visuals. Pick this book for a fast read where Fitzgerald depicts the true disappointment of lust and fortune.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This novel is the story of Liesel Meminger in Germany during World War II. It is a heart-wrenching story of keeping sane during the inhumanities of war. The little girl finds an escape in books while death is personified around her. Her family provides refuge for a Jewish man and she is torn between surviving in Nazi Germany and her hatred of the Führer.
This novel is the story of Liesel Meminger in Germany during World War II. It is a heart-wrenching story of keeping sane during the inhumanities of war. The little girl finds an escape in books while death is personified around her. Her family provides refuge for a Jewish man and she is torn between surviving in Nazi Germany and her hatred of the Führer.
Josh’s Summer Reading Suggestions
The Postmortal by Drew Magary
The Postmortal is one of my favorite books I have read in the past few years. It is set in the not-so-distant future where a cure for aging has been invented. The problems that arise with this cure appear in droves and the frightening reality of the book is that many of the new unique problems are very believable. The author, Drew Magary, is a Deadspin and Gawker Columnist who also writes for GQ and this is his first venture into the world of fictional writing. The author creates a dark spin on the world of futuristic science fiction.
The Postmortal is one of my favorite books I have read in the past few years. It is set in the not-so-distant future where a cure for aging has been invented. The problems that arise with this cure appear in droves and the frightening reality of the book is that many of the new unique problems are very believable. The author, Drew Magary, is a Deadspin and Gawker Columnist who also writes for GQ and this is his first venture into the world of fictional writing. The author creates a dark spin on the world of futuristic science fiction.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
This is a really funny book about the birth of the antichrist (which I promise is funnier than it sounds). The representatives of God and Satan on Earth have become so accustomed to living here and become such good friends that they don't want the apocalypse to occur so they decide to watch over the child together to make sure he can never choose between good and evil. This is Neil Gaiman's first novel of a long career of really great books and comics. I recommend this book for a good laugh and some really interesting views of the world.
This is a really funny book about the birth of the antichrist (which I promise is funnier than it sounds). The representatives of God and Satan on Earth have become so accustomed to living here and become such good friends that they don't want the apocalypse to occur so they decide to watch over the child together to make sure he can never choose between good and evil. This is Neil Gaiman's first novel of a long career of really great books and comics. I recommend this book for a good laugh and some really interesting views of the world.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A.
Heinlein
This is probably my favorite book of all time. It's a science fiction book about a human raised on Mars by Martians coming to Earth and adapting to a new world. This is touted as the "most famous science fiction novel of all time" and is on the Library of Congress' "88 Books that Shaped America." This is a novel that is really enlightening and will challenge some of the views you have of the world.
This is probably my favorite book of all time. It's a science fiction book about a human raised on Mars by Martians coming to Earth and adapting to a new world. This is touted as the "most famous science fiction novel of all time" and is on the Library of Congress' "88 Books that Shaped America." This is a novel that is really enlightening and will challenge some of the views you have of the world.
Samantha’s Summer Reading Suggestions
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This 432-page novel is a sharp, suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing the whole time. The story begins on Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary where Nick comes home to find Amy missing. Nick is suddenly swept into the limelight of a leading investigation, with his name as the number one murder suspect. The chapters are told in alternating views of Nick and Amy, with the story unraveling piece by piece. I could not put this book down, and Flynn quickly topped my list of favorite authors.
This 432-page novel is a sharp, suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing the whole time. The story begins on Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary where Nick comes home to find Amy missing. Nick is suddenly swept into the limelight of a leading investigation, with his name as the number one murder suspect. The chapters are told in alternating views of Nick and Amy, with the story unraveling piece by piece. I could not put this book down, and Flynn quickly topped my list of favorite authors.
Ape House
by Sara Gruen
This novel stars six bonobos who have mastered American Sign Language. When an animal rights activist group decides to blow up the laboratory of the bonobos, they capture the apes and turn them into reality TV stars. The TV show quickly becomes a phenomenon, and Isabel Duncan, their long-time scientist, searches the country to bring them home. This novel brings a new animal-world perspective to readers, while also bringing abundant entertainment.
This novel stars six bonobos who have mastered American Sign Language. When an animal rights activist group decides to blow up the laboratory of the bonobos, they capture the apes and turn them into reality TV stars. The TV show quickly becomes a phenomenon, and Isabel Duncan, their long-time scientist, searches the country to bring them home. This novel brings a new animal-world perspective to readers, while also bringing abundant entertainment.
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
All of Kinsella’s books are very funny, but I enjoyed this novel the most. Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital after a serious car accident, with the last three years of her life erased from her mind. She now has a new house, new friends, a new husband, a new (carb-free) diet, and a personal assistant. With her mind stuck three-years in reverse, you follow Lexi in her search to finding who she has become, and what all the glam was worth.
All of Kinsella’s books are very funny, but I enjoyed this novel the most. Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital after a serious car accident, with the last three years of her life erased from her mind. She now has a new house, new friends, a new husband, a new (carb-free) diet, and a personal assistant. With her mind stuck three-years in reverse, you follow Lexi in her search to finding who she has become, and what all the glam was worth.
Nicole’s Summer Reading Suggestions
Blood Lure
by Nevada Barr
This book is the ninth book of the Anna Pigeon mystery series, but the books definitely don’t have to be read in order. Anna is a park ranger who always seems to find trouble and a mystery to solve. This time, she’s sent on a training mission to Glacier/Waterton National Peace Park to study grizzly bears, but something is amiss. Anna is a very relatable character and, like any other book in the series, Blood Lure is fast-paced and makes you think.
This book is the ninth book of the Anna Pigeon mystery series, but the books definitely don’t have to be read in order. Anna is a park ranger who always seems to find trouble and a mystery to solve. This time, she’s sent on a training mission to Glacier/Waterton National Peace Park to study grizzly bears, but something is amiss. Anna is a very relatable character and, like any other book in the series, Blood Lure is fast-paced and makes you think.
Love the One You’re With
by Emily Giffin
This novel definitely falls into the chick lit category. If you read Sarah Dessen or any other love story novel in middle or high school, think of Emily Giffin books as more grown-up versions. Each book is a separate story, but she weaves connections between characters—connections that you only notice for having read her other books—that make it even more worth reading her other novels as well. In Love the One You’re With, Ellen is happily married to Andy when she runs into her past love, Leo, in a crosswalk in Manhattan, leaving her to wonder who she’s really supposed to be with.
This novel definitely falls into the chick lit category. If you read Sarah Dessen or any other love story novel in middle or high school, think of Emily Giffin books as more grown-up versions. Each book is a separate story, but she weaves connections between characters—connections that you only notice for having read her other books—that make it even more worth reading her other novels as well. In Love the One You’re With, Ellen is happily married to Andy when she runs into her past love, Leo, in a crosswalk in Manhattan, leaving her to wonder who she’s really supposed to be with.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Book one in a quartet, this book takes place in a dystopian society (which considers itself a utopian society) that has converted to “sameness,” where people are assigned their roles in life. Only one learns of the world before “sameness” and exactly what people have lost to produce the supposedly perfect society. Though these books are technically children’s novels, they are very thought provoking and still make for an interesting read now. The other three books are on my Kindle and next on my to-read list!
Book one in a quartet, this book takes place in a dystopian society (which considers itself a utopian society) that has converted to “sameness,” where people are assigned their roles in life. Only one learns of the world before “sameness” and exactly what people have lost to produce the supposedly perfect society. Though these books are technically children’s novels, they are very thought provoking and still make for an interesting read now. The other three books are on my Kindle and next on my to-read list!
Kasey’s Summer Reading Suggestions
Diary by Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk describes his work as transgressional fiction and is best known as the author of Fight Club. I have loved Palahniuk’s novels since high school and can say Diary is hands down my favorite. This book is written like a diary. The protagonist, Misty Wilmont, was once a promising young artist but is now a waitress with a lot of problems. A sudden return to creativity and the world of art leads her down an unexpected path. What unfolds is a dark and hilarious story.
Chuck Palahniuk describes his work as transgressional fiction and is best known as the author of Fight Club. I have loved Palahniuk’s novels since high school and can say Diary is hands down my favorite. This book is written like a diary. The protagonist, Misty Wilmont, was once a promising young artist but is now a waitress with a lot of problems. A sudden return to creativity and the world of art leads her down an unexpected path. What unfolds is a dark and hilarious story.
I am Legend by Richard
Matheson
If you enjoy horror fiction, you will love this classic novel. A horrible plague destroys the world and effectively ends mankind—those that survive are transformed into bloodthirsty creatures that only come out at night—and Robert Neville is the exception and the only living human man on the Earth. Though the novel is short (only 160 pages), you empathize with Robert, making you feel as scared, as panicked and as alone as he is.
If you enjoy horror fiction, you will love this classic novel. A horrible plague destroys the world and effectively ends mankind—those that survive are transformed into bloodthirsty creatures that only come out at night—and Robert Neville is the exception and the only living human man on the Earth. Though the novel is short (only 160 pages), you empathize with Robert, making you feel as scared, as panicked and as alone as he is.
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
After watching the series “A Game of Thrones,” I knew I wanted to read the books the show is based on. A couple of days ago, I started the first book in the epic fantasy series, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” and I haven’t been able to put it down. The series is set in a land where summers can last decades and winters a century. This book is filled with mystery, magic, action, romance and scheming. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience a masterpiece of grand fantasy.
After watching the series “A Game of Thrones,” I knew I wanted to read the books the show is based on. A couple of days ago, I started the first book in the epic fantasy series, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” and I haven’t been able to put it down. The series is set in a land where summers can last decades and winters a century. This book is filled with mystery, magic, action, romance and scheming. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience a masterpiece of grand fantasy.
Whether you use
any of our suggestions or not, keep your mind sharp by reading a book this
summer. Check out your local library, find cheap books on Amazon or at stores
like Half-Price Books or download them to an e-reader; then enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment