The Best Books I’ve Read In Summer

Hello everyone,

For me, the summer is a special time for reading. I can read outside in the sun until late into the evening, and take books away with me on holidays and day trips, among other things.

In the last few years, I have been lucky to have picked up wonderful books during the summer months. The ones I have loved while spending a few days away from home stick in the memory, as I have come to associate them with a nice time in my life. Meanwhile, there are others that I picked up just at the right time.

So, here are some of the best books I have read in the past five years during the months of June, July, and August. I am hoping that as this summer begins, I can add more to this list!

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Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land

Summer is ideal for a good thriller, so you will find a few on this list. I read this one back in August 2017 before I started focusing solely on book blogging. I remember being completely hooked by the story, using every spare second on a family day out to read more. I have not handed five stars to many other thrillers in all the time since.

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

This was an extremely poignant book for obvious reasons, and I read it in just a matter of days, developing a very strong emotional connection to it. I only needed a few days in June 2018 to finish it. For some reason I still have not read either of the follow-up books, so I shall be trying to put that right soon.

See How They Lie by Sue Wallman

I read most of this book in a day, as I was taking part in a 24-hour readathon. It turned out to be an excellent young adult thriller which I loved from start to finish.

Close To Home by Cara Hunter

This book had caught my eye for months before my parents got it for my birthday in 2018. It was another book I could not put down, with a gripping, twist-filled police procedural case told in a multimedia format. I loved it so much that I immediately picked up the sequel, and it has become one of my favourite series since then.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

It was not until the summer of 2019 that I belatedly read this book, and it had a truly lasting impression. Along with being a powerful portrayal of relevant real-world issues, I loved the writing and the characters. It is now a book that I recommend to absolutely everyone.

Her Last Breath by Tracy Buchanan

This is one of the books I took with me on holiday; when I visited Cornwall in July 2019. I was immersed by the mystery and the concept, but then came a huge twist towards the end that made me see the book in a new light, and in so doing it took on a more profound significance.

The Muse by Jessie Burton

It was coming towards the end of summer in 2019 when I read The Muse, and the settings of 1960s London and in particular rural Spain made it ideal for that time of year. The plot was compelling and complex, and after The Miniaturist, cemented Jessie Burton’s status as one of my favourite authors.

Beast by Matt Wesolowski

With the ghostly, atmospheric setting and a story that takes place during winter, it perhaps was not the most fitting time to read Beast. However, I did not want to wait any longer to pick it up, and I could hardly have found it any more absorbing.

The Murmur Of Bees by Sofia Segovia

If any book demands to be read in the summer, then it is this one. It is a timeless epic which carries endless amounts of meaning and tells a unique story with magical realism and understated power.

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

The concept does not get any better than this, and it is worth reading for the twist at the end alone, which totally floored me. A brilliant legal thriller full of inventive ideas and suspense.

Daisy Jones And The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Despite reading a few good books along the way, I went through a bit of a slump last summer, but this completely lifted me out of it. I had been wary of picking up Daisy Jones And The Six because of all the hype that had surrounded it and Taylor Jenkins Reid in general, but it turns out she is the real deal. This was an outstanding book that made my summer!

Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

I include this one because I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. This is a great young adult thriller; very intense with a supremely unreliable narrator and lots of twists. A very difficult book to put down.

Mrs England by Stacey Halls

Strictly speaking, I finished this book in September last year, but I started it in August so it still counts! This was a buddy read which I took with me for a week away, and I simply devoured it. I looked forward to whenever I would pick it up next, so moved I was by the story – beautifully written with intriguing characters, and a great central mystery.

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And there we have it! I am hoping to discover more wonderful books this summer, and if I do you shall be hearing all about them.

Let’s Chat

Do you have any books you have read in the summer? Do you associate any particular books with that time of year? Let me know in the comments!