Shanna Kelly | Seven Mile Satellite
It’s hard to beat a good book on the beach, but deciding on one's next read can sometimes be difficult. So, we’ve compiled a list of 10 books to read this summer based on recommendations from submissions and picks from our staff.
1. “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah
This book is a historically based fiction novel of WWII in France. It takes readers through two very different war stories of two sisters and what they did to survive the fight. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or learning about WWII in particular. Readers won't want it to end.
2. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins
May the odds be ever in your favor once again with the release of this prequel to the “Hunger Games” trilogy. The book, released May 19, is set 64 years before the first book and gives readers insight into the life of villain Coriolanus Snow. This highly popular book will give readers a new understanding of a character that has been known as nothing other than evil.
3. “Beach Read” by Emily Henry
This book is about two authors living in a small beach town — like our own beloved Seven Mile Island — who are having trouble writing. They decide to switch genres, which leads to not only learning another way of writing but learning to trust again. This book wouldn’t be complete, of course, without a touch of romance. This beach read is recommended for anyone looking for an escape during these troubling times.
4. “Along for the Ride” by Sarah Dessen
This book follows protagonist Auden West who was consumed by her parents’ fighting in high school. Now, ready to head off to college, West decides to spend her last summer before school with her dad and his new family. This summer will teach her forgiveness and will give her the chance to make up the time she lost in high school.
5. “Someone Knows” by Lisa Scottline
This 2019 release will shock readers right away by letting them in on a secret game of Russian roulette in the first few pages. After this initial hook, the book starts in the present, then takes the reader back to the past to experience the intriguing events in the characters’ childhoods. Reader beware: This is a vivid story that is graphically a step above the classic Agatha Christie murder mysteries.
6. “The Forgotten Girl” by David Bell
This 2014 release captures suspense at its best. The reader spends all 400 pages guessing and trying to piece together the truth with the protagonist who knows little, similar to the reader. This book is for anyone who seeks suspense and a book about realistic family relationships. Readers are sure to feel like this is happening in their own hometown.
7. “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens
This 2018 fiction release quickly hit the market as a popular book. It follows to characters’ stories — one of a murder investigation of a celebrity and one of a girl, Kya, growing up in North Carolina. Rumors point to Kya as the culprit for the celebrity’s death. This book is recommended for those looking for a coming-of-age story mixed with a murder mystery.
8. “Under the Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes
This well-known memoir captures the experience of author Francis Mayes as she and her husband buy and remodel a house in Italy. This book will leave readers wanderlust and ready to travel as soon as the pandemic is over. This book is recommended for anyone looking to escape for a few minutes here and there, knowing they can put it down when needed.
9. “Lost Friends” by Lisa Wingate
This book has readers travel back and forth with a family from the 1800s to the 1900s in Louisiana and Texas. From newspaper clippings of freed slaves trying to find their separated families in the late 1800s to the uncovering of history in a slave owner’s mansion in the late 1900s, time reveals a version of slavery the families didn’t know. Fans of “The Help” are sure to love this book.
10. “Heavy: An American Memoir” by Kiese Laymon
This memoir was named the best book of 2018 by numerous publications such as The New York Times. Perfect for this time in history, readers can explore with Laymon the weight of race in America, and what life is like for Laymon and many other Americans. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to educate themselves during the current fight for the importance of Black lives.
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