Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Culture > Entertainment

Media Binge: 15 Things I Want to Read/Watch This Summer

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pitt chapter.

Every break always means a few things for me, reading a lot and watching even more. I already have a massive list of media to consume this summer and I wanted to share it here to keep myself accountable, but also just to talk about so many things I’m really excited about!

Books!

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Yay for new Emily Henry! Emily Henry is easily one of my favorite authors in the entire world and I cannot wait for her new book, which will be ready and waiting for me by the time I move home for the summer!

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

Both of my roommates read and loved this, and I just simply haven’t had the time to read it yet! But with Summer just around the corner, I can’t wait to dive into this queer Arthurian legend retelling. 

The Obelisk Gate & the Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

I read the Fifth Season for class this semester and have been anxiously awaiting time to read the other two books in the series. The Fifth Season is probably my favorite read so far this year and I can’t wait to keep diving into this world.

A day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Priory of the Orange Tree was one of my favorite reads of last year, and quickly joined my list of all-time favorites, and I can’t wait to venture back into this world with this exciting prequel.

A Court of Thornes and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The time has finally come for me to read this series. I think it’s going to be the perfect summer read and probably my new obsession.

Movies!

Challengers

This is far and above my most anticipated movie of the year and it’s releasing in just a few days! The film, and especially Zendaya’s performance, have been getting rave reviews and I cannot wait to watch it.

Safe

Over this year Todd Haynes has quickly become one of my favorite filmmakers, from Carol to May December to Velvet Goldmine, Haynes is an incredibly dynamic filmmaker and I’m so excited to watch one of his seminal films.

Pearl

X is one of my favorite horror films in recent memory and I’ve been woefully slow in getting around to watching its sequel, Pearl. I’ve heard that many people found this to be even better, so I’m interested to watch and see what I think! Plus, the conclusion of the trilogy Maxxxine is finally coming out later this year!

Sound of Metal

This has been on my watchlist forever and so many people have recommended it to me. I desperately need to watch it soon!

Parachute

Brittany Snow’s (Becca from Pitch Perfect) directorial debut, a movie that I’ve been desperate to watch ever since I first heard about it and now it’s finally streaming!

Shows!

Game of Thrones

I am infamously terrible at watching TV, but after recently finishing House of the Dragon I decided that I had no choice but to finally watch Game of Thrones. I’ve watched about half of the first season already and am really enjoying it, so hopefully that’s a good sign for my chances of finishing the series!

Fall Out

If Ella Purnell has no fans, then I am dead. I started this show recently too and am really loving it! They’ve done such an incredible job of establishing such a complex world and also just the aesthetic of the show itself is so fascinating (plus the music rocks).

Fellow Travelers

I adore a good limited series and after having this recommendation from so many different people, and also because of my love of Johnathan Bailey, I’m very excited to watch this!

Vox Machina

With Invincible season two having just ended I’m on the hunt for a new adult animated series, and Vox Machina is next on my list!

Blue Eye Samurai

Another adult animation series, Blue Eye Samurai follows a young woman on a quest for revenge. This has also been recommended to me multiple times, and Maya Erskine of Pen15 fame voices the lead role, so I couldn’t be more excited to watch it!

Okay that’s it! Happy (almost!) Summer!

Lauren Deaton is a third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh, she is currently serving both as Chapter Chair and Writer. She most frequently writes about entertainment topics– including music recommendations, topics of representation, and anticipated movie lists. Lauren is double majoring in English Literature and Media and Professional Communications with a focus on Corporate and Community Relations. She is also pursuing a Film and Media Studies minor and Public and Professional Writing and Children's Literature Certificates and is a member of the Honors College. She recently completed a research position with the Pitt School of Education and will be continuing a research position with the Language and Literacy Division at Pitt during the Fall 2024 semester. In the future, she hopes to work in publishing helping to increase access to representation. She is also a writer for Studio 412 a creative outlet on Pitt’s campus and is a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority. Lauren loves her dog, her friends, her family, and everything reading and coming of age related.