Your Local Library Girl 2023 Summer Reading Guide
Recommendations for some perfect summer reading
It’s that time of the year when you start to see summer reading guides circulating around. They’re typically made up of traditional “beach reads” which got me thinking, what makes a book a beach read?
I thought about this for quite some time and I still don’t truly have an answer but I do have an idea. For me beach reads have to do one of the following things: take place at the beach or over the summer, have romance, be escapist, transport you to another place, or compel you to read so quickly you forget where you are.
Using these prompts I came up with a list of ten recommendations. Each category has one book that I’ve read and rated at least 4/5 stars and one book that came out or is coming out in 2023 that I’m excited about. I hope you find this guide useful!
Books That Transport You
Float Plan by Trish Doller
This is Trish Doller’s adult debut and in my opinion she knocked it out of the park. The main character, Anna, has lost her fiance and amidst her grief she decides to go on a solo sailing adventure. Of course, she meets a man along the way. It’s full of love and loss. Reading it was heartbreaking but it also made me want to pack up my life and take to the sea on a boat of my own. Too bad I don’t know how to sail.
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera
This book came out at the end of May and it’s the second installment in Adriana Herrera’s Las Leonas series about a fierce group of women in turn of the century Paris. The heroines in these books are all women of color who find love in a historical romance novel. The main character here, Manuela, gives herself one last summer of fun before tying herself down in a loveless marriage. I can’t imagine a better place to do that than Paris.
Page Turning Mysteries
The Survivors by Jane Harper
This one is a Jane Harper standalone mystery novel but I easily could have recommended any of the Aaron Faulk books here as well because she’s that good. I picked The Survivors largely because of how atmospheric it is. It takes place in a small town by the sea in Australia. There’s a dead body, a missing girl, and even a shipwreck.
My Murder by Katie Williams
Published in early June, My Murder promises to be a clever twist on the thriller genre. From what I’ve heard, it definitely requires a level of suspension of disbelief as it’s a bit of a speculative novel as well. The premise: victims of serial killers are cloned and brought back to life to solve their own murders. Count me in.
Books that are giving Summer Vibes
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
This was my first read by Emma Straub and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I’d always thought she was more of a literary fiction writer and while she is, she writes great family dramas. Reviews accuse it of being boring and to some it might be but family dynamics and relationship problems will always be interesting to me.
The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady
Co-written by two bookstagrammers this one has to be on the list! I’m sure you’ve seen it everywhere by now. While I’m not expecting it to rock my world I am expecting it to entertain me.
Escapist Fantasy Novels
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
This YA fantasy novel had me so enthralled that I gave it a whopping 5 stars. It’s incredibly atmospheric and the world building is well done. The story takes place on a mystical island and I could practical feel the waves crashing against the shore as I read this book.
Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
A sequel to a new adult fantasy book that I adored last year, this is one of my more highly anticipated reads. At it’s core, it’s about two sisters but it’s also a fantastical romantic adventure book and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
Classic Beach Reads
The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
As a lover of romance novels I had to include a few on this guide. I really enjoyed the romantic misadventures of Joy and her best friend Malcolm. Plus the main relationship in this book is enemies to lovers and who can resist that?
Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
The obvious book to slot here would of course be Emily Henry’s Happy Place but I’m going for an Ava Wilder book instead. I love the premise of two co-stars who play lovers but can’t stand each other in real life. Add in the fact that they act in a paranormal show and I’m sold I can’t wait to read this one.
Those are my 2023 Summer Reading Guide selections and I’d love to hear what you’ve got on your TBR for the next coming months!