I love reading, and this summer I am upping my reading to really cover a lot of different books from diverse authors, topics, and genres. I normally read at the beach, but my beach trips might be limited this year, so I will maybe be curling up with a book and glass of kombucha in my backyard, which doesn’t sound all that bad. I wanted to share with you a few summer reading suggestions that I have already read, and what’s on my list!
On My Reading List
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism-Robin DiAngelo
As a white woman, educating myself on racism and white supremacy is so important. If we’re going to move towards racial equality, the first step is education. Many of my POC friends have told me this is a great resource to read, so you bet this is at the top of my list. Now is the time to learn, listen, and work towards change.
The Drunken Botanist-Amy Stewart
This book ended up at my home due to a shipping mishap where I ended up getting two! I can’t wait to read this book (though it was a gift for a gin loving friend originally), and learn about botanicals that go into alcohol! There’s fun recipes, history, and science. What a fun and useful book to read.
Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings, and Broken Hearts-Kathryn Harkup
This is my lab group’s summer book club, and it sounds so fun! The book looks at the science behind the ways people died in Shakespeare plays, which is a really interesting approach and great intersection between science and humanities.
Other Suggestions
The Country Under My Skin: A Memoir of Love and War-Gioconda Belli
This book covers the Nicaraguan revolution through the eyes of a major female figure of the movement. Not only do you see the rough, political side of the situation, you receive a visceral account of her experience as a woman, mother, and lover. This personal account is moving, and I think everyone should read it to better understand the political climate of Central America.
The Girl on the Train- Paula Hawkins
This was made into a movie a few years ago, and I may be late to the train (ha), but this is such a thrilling book that you just can’t put down. It is so encapsulating, you just have to know what will happen next, and if you never saw the movie, it will be very surprising to you. This feels like classic beach reading to me.
This is one of my favorite books of all time, and I might have raved about this novel on here in the past. If you haven’t read it, break into this classic English literature and get ready to be transported by this beautiful love story. Fun Fact: I want to buy a really oldcopy of this book as a collector’s edition. I just might reread this during the summer…
All thoughts and opinions are my own.