Your Ultimate Summer Reading List for Lazy Days by the Pool

As the sun has started to shine brighter and the temperatures have gotten higher, there’s no better way to unwind and escape than with a good book by the poolside. Regardless of whether you’re seeking adventure, mystery, romance, or personal growth, this curated summer list below has something for every literary preference! Grab your sunscreen and an ice cold drink and dive into these captivating reads that are perfect for any lazy summer day.

THE VANISHING HALF 

By Brit Bennett

This novel published by Brit Bennett in 2020 follows the lives of 2 twin sisters who grow up in a small, predominantly black town in Louisiana. The town prides itself on its light-skinned Black population, and the twins’ mother reinforces this stereotypical idea. As teenagers, the twins run away to New Orleans, where one of them passes as white and the other one marries a dark-skinned black man and has a dark-skinned child. The novel spans over several decades and follows both twins and their daughters as they navigate issues of family, race, and identity. The novel discusses the white-passing twin’s consequences she faced for her decision to pass as white as well as the impacts it had on her relationships with her twin sister and daughter. 

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

By Matt Haig

This novel was also published in 2020 and follows the life of Nora Seed, who is a woman struggling with regrets and the feeling that her life has been full of disappointments. She decides to end her life one night, but instead of dying, she finds herself in the midnight library: a place between life and death where every book on the shelves represents a different life she could have lived if she made different choices in her past. The librarian guides her through it, allowing Nora to explore these alternate lives. She discovers through her journey in the library that life is full of surprises and disappointments no matter what path she chooses, and she learns to let go of her regrets to find hope in the present moment.

MALIBU RISING

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

This novel, published in 2021, follows the Riva family in Malibu, California in the 1980s. The family is famous for their over-the-top, annual summer parties. The four Riva siblings grew up with a famous rock star father and without a mother, and though each sibling has their own struggles and secrets, they come together every summer for the party. As the novel unfolds over the course of just one day, the reader learns about the family’s past events that have shaped them. As the party begins, tensions come to surface and many long-held secrets come to light, which threatens to unfold the carefully put-together facades of each of the siblings. Meanwhile, there are wildfires raging in the nearby Malibu hills, adding an extra layer of tension to the events.

THE ROSE CODE

By Kate Quinn

This novel was published in 2021 and is set during WW2. The story centers around three women who work as codebreakers at Bletchley park, the British intelligence center that is responsible for cracking German codes. The three women, who have very different backgrounds and social statuses, form friendships as they begin to crack the elusive Enigma code used by the Germans. The novel explores the hardships and sacrifices faced by women during the war and emphasizes the importance of their contributions to the war effort. It also delves into the dangers of espionage and betrayal but showcases the complexities of friendship and loyalty during a very tumultuous time.