10 Books on My Summer TBR

Yesterday was officially the first day of summer. Which we all know I hate. The weather has already turned to summer here, and I will not be going outside for the foreseeable future. Not really, but I really do not do well in the heat. I am an inside reader. Which hopefully means I will end up reading a lot this summer because I’ve been feeling a little bit slumpy lately. And I have a few very ambitious reading experiments coming up and really need to get started.

As much as I want to spend the summer sitting in front of the air conditioner, drinking iced tea, and reading fun books, that is not exactly how it works when you have a blog to write. Or when your brain insists on coming up with posts that require you to read a ton of books you maybe weren’t planning on reading. So, to find a bit of a balance, I split this list. Five of these books will be included in five different upcoming reading experiment posts and the other five are books I want to read for fun.

Piranisi by Susanna Clarke

This has been on my TBR for so long, and I’ve heard such great things about it, and yet I still haven’t read it. In fact, I haven’t read anything by Susanna Clarke. What can I say, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell scares the crap out of me. I don’t think it’s the longest book I own, but it definitely looks the longest. That book is massive. One day, though. But for now, Piranisi sounds amazing. It’s a shorter fantasy that just sounds perfect for summer. I have only read one fantasy novel so far this year (out of over sixty books), so I really need to fix that.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven is one of my favorite books. So, naturally, I need to read this one. I actually picked up a copy the second this came out last year, started reading it, and then just never finished it. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood or what, but I think it is time to get past the second chapter. And we all know one great way to get me to read book I’ve been avoiding is to include them in a reading experiment, so that’s what’s happening.

Velvet is the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I am so excited to have an early copy of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s newest book. While I did enjoy Mexican Gothic, it was Gods of Jade and Shadow that initially made me a fan. I loved that book so much. This one sounds completely different than both of those books, so I honestly don’t know what to expect. But if it is the action-packed historical mystery/thriller I’m hoping for, I think this might turn out to be a very fun read. Which is obviously perfect for summer.

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

Speaking of perfect for summer… you know this list wouldn’t be complete without some romance. And what better book to read than the third book in A League of Extraordinary Women? This series is just so fun and snarky and I love it. It’s Jane Austen, if Jane Austen had lived through the suffrage movement. There are some pretty heavy books on this list (literally and figuratively), so I need at least one light, fun read.

Elastoe by Darcy Little Badger

I have kind of been staying away from YA books lately (I’m just not in the right space for them right now), but this one definitely caught my eye. It is a fantasy set in America, but an America with magic and monsters. This is the kind of book that, had I read it at twelve, would have had me looking for monsters around very corner. It also seems like the kind of summer read I would have adored as a twelve-year-old. So I’m hoping this ends up being the kind of read that puts me back into that childhood summer mindset. Or at least lets me avoid my adult responsibilities for a few hours.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

There was a shipping error when I ordered this book last year that meant I ended up with two copies. Both of which are still sitting in a stack of books near my desk. I am staring at them right now. Which means I have absolutely no reason to have not yet read this book. I’ve heard it’s amazing and a must-read and all sorts of great things about it. So, naturally, it’s going to take a reading experiment post to actually get me to read it. But it’s happening.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

Yes, I have had another Carmen Maria Machado book siting, unread on my shelves for years. And no, we are not going to talk about it. To be honest, I didn’t even realize they were by the same author when I first came across this one. And I am very excited to read this one. it is a memoir about the author’s experience of being in an abusive same-sex relationship. Which is something I don’t think we hear about a lot, and probably something that needs to be talked about a little bit more.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Apparently this is the summer of diverse memoirs and I am really not mad about it. Because this book sounds AH-MAZING! If Untamed was the memoir of last summer, this is definitely this year’s. It is absolutely everywhere, and I have a feeling it is for a good reason. I am every excited to read this one. Actually, I’m excited to listen to the audiobook, which is read by the author! (I also got my copy from Libro.fm and supported a local Asian-owned bookstore, which is awesome! You can use my affiliate link to sign up for Libro.fm and supposed both me AND the independent bookstore of your choice with your next audiobook purchase!)

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

You all know my brain likes to punish me with choosing to read difficult books. Like this nine-hundred page stories about the Black Plague from the fourteenth-century. Last year, I read The Stand, so apparently I like to read plague fiction during a pandemic. But this one is almost over (hopefully), so it seems like a fitting time to read this. I’ve read parts of it in college, but never the whole thing. And it’s for an upcoming reading experiment, so now I finally have to. Why do I do this to myself again?

The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker

And, finally, the book I am probably the most excited for. The Golem & the Jinni is one of my favorite books of all time. I am currently rereading it to refresh my memory before jumping into the sequel. There was such a long wait for this one, and I have such high hopes. I cannot wait! I’m thoroughly enjoying being back in this beautiful world, and now I get more of it!

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I’d love to hear from you! What’s on your summer TBR? Any new releases you’re looking forward to?

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