The kids are playing nicely on the beach in front of you while you sit on your beach chair nestled beneath the shade of your oversized Tommy Bahama umbrella. You are tired of scrolling Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok, so you grab a book from your beach bag. An actual book with a bright, shiny cover and crisp, clean pages.
Okay, wait, before I get into the book list, we all know I painted a lovely picture of every mom’s summer dream. The real version looks more like this; thinking you can pump out a chapter of your novel, you pull out a book with coffee-stained pages and cheerios stuck to the cover out of the crevice of your couch while the kids are momentarily snacked and TV-ed up. The next thing you know… “MOMMMMM!”
Did I get it right that time? Well, whichever scenario depicts you reading a book, I’ve got some recommendations up my sleeve for the Mom Summer Reading list arranged from lighter reading to heavier pieces.
Literally anything by Colleen Hoover. Okay, so that is not the title of the book. Colleen Hoover has authored an addictive collection of 20+ books, including some stand-alone and series novels perfect for anyone looking to get their romance novel fix. My top five are listed below, but she has plenty more. And if you are the type of person who loves the book-to-movie, you’ll be happy to know that Hoover is currently filming for It Ends with Us, with Blake Lively playing Lily, the main character.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is centered around the relationship of two estranged siblings as they immerse themselves into their mother’s dramatic past and how it connects to a Caribbean island-style black cake. From the main character, Eleanor, the readers learn how secrets, memories, betrayals, and the inheritance of names shape relationships and even history.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is a quirky tale about being true and believing in yourself. Elizabeth Zott is the spunky main character who battles sexism in the 1950s. First and foremost, she views herself as a chemist constantly struggling as society tries to pigeonhole her as a single working mother and a TV cooking show host. She is blunt, intelligent, and will do anything for her daughter. My favorite character would probably have to be her dog, Six Thirty, who gets his own point of view during the novel.
If you want a book-to-movie, Daisy Jones and The Six will do it for you. Taylor Jenkins Reid gives us this historical fiction novel loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. The 1970s band members give us personal interviews leading up to their final show in Chicago. Drugs, sex, and rock and roll are all you need to know for now! Read it, love it, and then binge it on Amazon.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a story about the complicated friendship of Sam and Sadie over 30 years. Sam, Sadie, and their friend Marx design a successful video game and company. We see them become famous, fail, fall in love, and experience tragedy.
Barbara Kingsolver tells the saga of Demon Copperhead, the title character and protagonist in the novel. Written in the third person, Demon explores his past and identifies his traumas to his readers. Without going into too much depth but to pique your interest, the plot incorporates teenage pregnancy, death, hitchhikers, orphans, an opioid crisis, football stars, pawn shops, cartoons, an epic 4th of July party, and Christmas trees.
More Recommendations:
To get your murder/mystery fix: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
For the non-fiction readers: Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Horror fiction enthusiast: Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Co-Authored book: Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Taryn Fisher
