It’s that time of the year again, when the sun is beckoning for us to laze on the grass and when falling into the tranquil environment is our topmost and, in fact, sole priority. Nothing better than this, right? Wrong. What’s even better than this, you ask? This plus books. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one to dig my nose into my school textbooks during the summer. I’m talking about reading for fun. So, to the bookworms, this should be music to your ears. Read on for a list of book recommendations for this summer (that you should have already read, and if not, I’m jealous because you get to read these amazing books for the first time). And for the non-readers, don’t worry, because these are bound to make you love books.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Genre: Drama, Adventure Fiction
As a college student, this should be your go-to book, if you haven’t already read it. It’s a book about a young shepherd named Santiago who kept having dreams about a treasure in Egypt, and one day thought to follow them. It is a book about finding your path and place in life, a phase to which all college students, especially freshmen, can relate.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Genre: Bildungsroman, Legal Story, Southern Gothic
Nothing beats this classic novel, narrated beautifully by a six-year-old girl Scout who is confronted with subjects like racial prejudices and social injustices. Her father is a lawyer who defends a Black resident falsely accused of the rape of a white woman. Containing a juxtaposition of innocence, epiphany and poignance, this book is a must-read.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Genre: Gothic Fiction, Tragedy
An intense story of passion, revenge and tragedy, this book is a must for gothic theme lovers. It is set in Wuthering Heights and follows the story of the Earnshaw family, where Heathcliff, an orphan who was adopted, and Catherine, Earnshaw’s daughter, fall in love and yet drift apart by unfortunate circumstances.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction
This book is guaranteed to keep you on the hook. The climax does justice to the whole plot throughout (which is, no doubt, quite rare). I’m sure you have heard of the infamous ‘Gone Girl’ by the same author, and let me assure you, this book meets those high-set expectations, if not exceeds them. It is about a journalist named Camille who, when forced to go back to her hometown to cover a murder, uncovers secrets from her past that would have been better kept covered.
Five Feet Apart by Mikki Daughtry, Rachael Lippincott and Tobias Iaconis
Genre: Romance, Drama, Fiction
This is not your typical book about teenage love, rather it is a thoughtful book that makes you introspect about making the most of the time we have and appreciating those around us. Set solely inside the hospital, it is about two teens who have been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and slowly grow to love each other.
Tell Me Your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Legal Story
Not to bombard you with another psychological thriller, but this book is not one to miss with all its copious twists and baffling questions through the plot (I can promise this for all Sheldon’s books, to be honest). Three beautiful young women are considered to be suspects of a series of murders and the first half of the story deals with this. The second half is the real deal, which I am not very keen on spoiling for you all!
The Theory of Everything by Stephen Hawking
Genre: Cosmology, Science, Academic
This book is based on the lectures given by Steven Hawking at the University of Cambridge about the complex concepts of physics, covering almost everything from the cosmos to string theory. The ideas in this book have been presented in an extremely conspicuous manner that augments your interest in the concepts significantly. So, even if you haven’t thought about all these things, now is the right time to do so with the right book.
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Featured Image Photographed by Link Hoang on Unsplash
