Finding a good book in a reading slump is the worst part of being a reader. Discovering a book you don’t want to put down can feel impossible.
But you’re in luck. Whether you are looking for a book you can read in one sitting or a new series to obsess over, here is my ultimate list of books I would bring to book club.
- “the summer of broken rules” by k.l. walther
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“It’s one of those special places where you feel like time doesn’t exist. Where it will always be summer, where I’ll always wake up with you.”
“The Summer of Broke Rules” by K.L. WaltherThis book has been, and probably always will be, my favorite summer book. I’ve reread it several times since I first picked it up in 2022. It’s the perfect way to kick off my summer each year.
The book tells the story of Meredith as she returns to Martha’s Vineyard for a family wedding a year and a half after her sister Claire’s tragic death.
Meredith is set on honoring her sister’s legacy by participating in their annual “Assassin” game. She forms a secret alliance with a groomsman, leading to an unexpected romance that challenges her grief and forces her to confront the boundaries she’s set around her heart, all within the confines of a single summer week.
Something about Walther’s writing style makes you feel like you are right there next to her main characters.
The book focuses on themes of love in a time of grief and how the two intense emotions interact.
When I say this book had me planning a trip to Martha’s Vineyard, I mean it. The setting and the way it was described in this novel were extraordinary.
Walther also included multiple real places in her novel, which made the book so much more realistic.
This book encapsulates the feeling of summer so well and unlocks that familiarity and magic that truly only exists from May to August. I will say that this book is slightly predictable and is more suited to a young adult audience, but it has become such a comfort book for me that I will never stop recommending it.
If you are looking for an easy but enjoyable summer read, add “The Summer of Broken Rules” to the top of your list.
- “Where the crawdads sing” by delia owens
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“I wasn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia OwensI was first introduced to “Where The Crawdads Sing” when I saw the movie adaptation in theatres. Daisy Edgar-Jones’ incredible performance as Kya Clark was one reason I was fully engaged for the entire two-hour film.
I knew before leaving the theatre that I needed to read the book.
“Where The Crawdads Sing” tells the story of Kya in two different times. The first timeline tells the story of Kya’s childhood as she grows up alone in the marshes of North Carolina after being abandoned by her family. The second timeline shows grown-up Kya on trial for the murder of a local man.
As the book progresses, the two timelines slowly get closer and closer and eventually overlap. The book highlights themes of isolation, self-reliance and the power of human connection.
At 384 pages, this is a longer book, but I surprisingly did not find myself ever bored while reading it. The two separate timelines helped to keep things interesting and I was constantly trying to piece the different mysteries together, which kept me engaged.
The book presented a lot of interesting themes, and I was especially intrigued by the presence of the importance of human connection throughout the novel. Owens did a beautiful job of presenting the necessity of human connection and what we are willing to do to keep it.
- “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides
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“You know, one of the hardest things to admit is that we weren’t loved when we needed it most. It’s a terrible feeling, the pain of not being loved.”
“The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides“The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides follows the story of a therapist named Theo Faber who becomes obsessed with uncovering the reason why one of his patients killed her husband. His patient, Alicia Berenson, was a famous painter who inexplicably murdered her husband and proceeded to fall mute, refusing to ever speak about the incident.
As Theo gets further and further into Alicia’s case, he becomes obsessed with trying to make sense of the mystery. Michaelides touches on the theme of how our past affects our present and the limits of mental health professionals.
As a huge fan of psychological thrillers, this book has been recommended to me countless times. It’s the epitome of a slow-burn, but not in a romantic sense.
The plot simmered until finally reaching an explosive ending that caught me by surprise. I don’t want to spoil anything, so you will have to take my word that this book is absolutely worth your time.
- “Just for the summer” by abby jimenez
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“It isn’t glamorous, it isn’t all butterflies and stars in your eyes. It’s real. This is the kind of love that forever is made of. Because if it’s this good when life is draining and mundane and hard, think of how wonderful it will be when the love songs are playing and the moon is out.”
“Just for the Summer” by Abby Jimenez“Just for the Summer” tells the story of Emma and Justin, two individuals with the same curse. For both Emma and Justin, every person they date ends up finding the love of their life right after them.
Naturally, after finding out they both have this problem, the two decide to date “just for the summer” to break the curse. Things don’t go exactly as planned, and the pair confronts their vulnerabilities and fears amid something that was never supposed to be more than casual.
The book emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and communication in relationships and healing from past trauma.
Similar to “The Summer of Broken Rules,” this book is the perfect summer read. Save this book for spring break or summertime when you are on a beach if you haven’t read it yet.
The attention to detail when creating the world this book is set in makes it so easy and pleasant to read. Although I do feel like the initial plot of the two cursed people dating to break the curse can be a little basic, I think Jimenez did an excellent job of developing this plot into something more and expanding this idea into something more substantial.
- “before we were innocent” by ella berman
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“We sounded frivolous at best, mercenary at worst, and maybe we were. But show me an eighteen-year-old saint, and I’ll show you a liar.”
“Before We Were Innocent” by Ella BermanThis is a story of two best friends, in two different timelines, experiencing and dealing with the death of their third best friend. The tragic death occurred during what was supposed to be an idyllic summer vacation in Greece, and the remaining friends were accused of murder.
The story picks up when the two surviving friends are reunited after one was caught up in an eerily similar situation. The book focuses on the destructive nature of secrets and how trauma never goes away.
I found “Before We Were Innocent” in the Target book aisle, desperately trying to find a book for an assignment in my senior year English class. I had no idea what I had stumbled upon.
I am a huge fan of split timelines in books, so this caught my attention right away. However, Berman’s writing style kept me invested.
Berman has such a distinct tone that makes you feel like something is happening out of your perception. I felt on edge during the entirety of the novel.
Berman’s masterful description of the atmosphere of the girls’ teenage and adult lives felt disturbingly perfect and made me feel as if I could have been the fourth best friend.
Being a big reader means I am constantly being asked for book recommendations. I started keeping a list on standby to give out whenever someone asks.
Giving book recommendations has always been something I struggle with because I think reading and what you enjoy in a book is so personal, but these books are ones I would recommend to anyone. Hopefully one of these five books can be your next obsessive read.
Happy reading!