Our Favorite Books for Summer Reading

With just one month left before summer ends, we thought we’d check in on your summer reading list. Have you read an epic novel yet? What about a can’t-put-down mystery thriller? Or maybe that amazing period piece that transports you back in time? You’ve got one month to polish off a few books before the start of fall and the start of another school year for the kiddos and we've put together a list of our favorite books for summer reading.

We suggest making reading a family activity. Try reading aloud to one another; when you make reading fun and interesting, you just may instill a lifelong love of reading in your kids. For me, one of my favorite childhood memories was reading novels like The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings with my parents. Yes, some of the ‘big words’ were confusing, and sometimes I didn’t understand the plot twists, but I learned to love reading at a young age, and still do today!

Hapari's Favorite Books for Summer Reading

To promote reading and to finish (or start) your summer reading list, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite books for summer. Read on!

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I LOVED this book. Talk about mystery thrillers; this one had me reading at all hours of the night. I liked the book and Ms. Flynn’s writing style so much, that I went out and bought her other two books, Sharp Objects and Dark Places, the same night I finished Gone Girl. This is a must read if you like thriller novels.

The New York Times raved about Gone Girl, saying,

“Gone Girl is Ms. Flynn’s dazzling breakthrough. It is wily, mercurial, subtly layered and populated by characters so well imagined that they’re hard to part with — even if, as in Amy’s case, they are already departed.”

2. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

This autobiographical novel written by Nasty Gal CEO Sophia Amoruso chronicles her life from dropping out of community college to selling vintage clothing on Ebay to running a multi-million dollar company at 29. If you’re looking for an inspirational and empowering book, look no further. I finished this book and felt ready to conquer the world!

The New York Times also positively reviewed #GirlBoss saying,

“Amoruso's voice is accessible and charmingly self-deprecating without losing the effortless cool that characterizes her clothes, and her book is a D.I.Y. success manual written for women who were more prone to be voted "Most Unique" than "Most Likely to Succeed."

3. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This book filled me with a rainbow of emotions; from laughing out loud to having silent tears roll down my cheeks. It’s so good, it’s been one of those books I still remember and think about even though the last time I read it was a few years ago. It follows the story of Little Bee and Sarah, two women who couldn’t be more different but find a common thread in their stories of survival.

The Washington Post praised Cleave and Little Bee, saying,

“He has carved two indelible characters whose choices in even the most straitened circumstances permit them dignity -- if they are willing to sacrifice for it. "Little Bee" is the best kind of political novel: You're almost entirely unaware of its politics because the book doesn't deal in abstractions but in human beings.”

We hope this list of our favorite books for summer has inspired you to read! Do you have any favorite books for summer reading you’d like to share with our Hapari community? We’d love to hear about it! Leave suggestions and thoughts in our ‘comments section’ below.