18 Comments

Oh gosh, I adored The Great Alone. So good! Two more: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller and Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (I haven't read her other lake stories yet, but I bet they're just as wonderful).

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The Paper Palace really captures the essence of summer, but was so much darker than I thought it would be!

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I thought the same. I actually considered putting it on this list but then I remembered how it left me feeling by the end. Ultimately, it was a powerful story but not the greatest for me.

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It sure was. I’ve heard a lot of people say that. I suppose one can’t call it light reading, but it was very well done, I thought.

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Agreed. Very well done. She's a powerful writer and there was so much incredible storytelling in that one.

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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid! Anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid, really, but Malibu Rising is particularly summer-y.

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You’re right. I love that book. It’s actually my favorite TJR novel.

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Love this broader definition of a summer read--and the long history of such books! I have so many favorite books that were set in summer. Writers & Lovers begins in summer and is in my mind a summer novel. Lincoln Highway, Let the Great World Spin are summer stories too! Same Time Next Summer also comes to mind, and another by Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer.

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Hi Laura!!!! I completely forgot about Writers & Lovers. I agree that's a GREAT one!! I always love an Annabel novel!! xoxo

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Both of Adrienne Brodeur’s novels (Wild Game and Little Monsters) are definitely summer books. And I recall that I read each of them in the summertime, while on vacation - so truly a summer read!

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I didn't read Wild Game but I adored Little Monsters. Its Cape Cod setting really captured me.

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Wild Game is intense!!!

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This is so great thank you! How do you decide what to read next?? I have so many goodies. What a blessing!

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Now I'm curious what you're going to read next. :)

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Great list; thank you!

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Great list! Thanks! I like historical fiction very much, particularly Regency period London, and recently I have quite a taste for between the World Wars.

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My favorite historical time period to read about is the early to mid 1900s. Definitely adding some of these to my TBR!

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Wow, what a list!

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