Are you looking for new books to read over the summer? You came to the right place! We will provide summaries and ratings for books we think are a good fit for this summer, and soon you will be reaching your summer reading goals.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Rating: 4.8/5
Samantha Kingston is a high schooler who supposedly has it all: popularity, a boyfriend who everyone wants and an amazing future. She tragically dies in a car accident, only to wake up on the same morning. She is forced to face the secrets that lay in her life as the same day repeats itself. This emotional novel contains themes of grief, popularity and kindness.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Rating: 4.3/5
When Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson meet, they do not know what is in store for them. They become unlikely friends, especially following hate, anger and hurtful rumors originating from Springs’s ex boyfriend. That friendship develops into love and, as they embark on this treacherous new adventure, they discover new things about themselves and each other.
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
Rating: 4/5
This book by Becky Albertalli is about a girl who has many LGBTQ+ friends, and she’s got the World’s Best Ally title locked. However, on a trip to see her best friend in college, she finds herself questioning her sexuality for a new friend that she meets during her stay. In this journey, she goes through heartbreak, betrayal, confusion and hope.
The Darkest Minds Series by Alexandra Bracken
Rating: 4.7/5
This series is about a dystopian world in which 90% of teenagers die from a plague called IAAN and the other 10% suddenly develop magical abilities that lead to the government detaining them. Many of the kids seek freedom from the cruel camps set up for them by the government. They go on the run trying not to get caught by the many traps and officers the government has installed to contain them. The main character, Ruby — who is also facing her own mental health challenges–, works with her friends to take down the camps so everyone can be free.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Rating: 4.8/5
The Lunar Chronicles is a series following bionic teenager Cinder and her journey through a dystopian Earth and the newly colonized Moon. Along her journey, she meets friends, lovers, and enemies; discovers more about her past; and tries to save the future.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Rating: 4.2/5
This fantasy novel follows Celia and Marco, two magicians forced to compete against each other. Two old rivals put together a challenge to determine who the better magician is between them by teaching Celia and Marco. They compete using a magical circus that travels the world. The Night Circus follows themes of love, fate and illusion in its magical storytelling.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Rating: 5/5
The Song of Achilles is a retelling of the lives of Achilles and Patroclus, imagining them as lovers. Starting from when they were kids up to when they fought in the Trojan War against the Greeks. This novel tells a compelling story of love and tragedy through the many challenges Achilles and Patroclus face.
The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield
Rating: 4.4/5
This futuristic dystopian novel shows a world based on beauty where all teenagers receive a surgery to turn them into a “pretty” at 16. Tally Youngblood rebels against society’s rules and ideas about looks, fighting for a world that is not centered around a person’s appearance. The Uglies explores themes of change, individuality and power through a breathtaking story.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Rating: 5/5
This novel is a love story, but not in the typical way. Three friends come together to make a business out of their love for video games, and they go through many failures and successes. This book takes place throughout many years and the descriptions of the video games are vivid and enticing.
Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Rating: 4.6/5
Aurora is a college student who works at a summer camp, where she and Russ, another camp counselor, awkwardly reconnect after a sizzling hookup the month before. The two get to know each other more and both fall deeper in love as they discover things about each other’s past. helps them reveal their own family issues to themselves and they learn to let go of those family issues.
All ten of these books are some of our favorite reads and we think they will be perfect books to read over the summer. If you are wondering where you can get these books, check out the Middleton Public Library! From June 7th to the end of August, you can enter the Summer Reading Program, which is a free program anyone can enter. Just by reading books, audiobooks, magazines, and more, you can win prizes like gift cards and enter a raffle for the grand prize, which was a Nintendo Switch in 2023. All you have to do is record the number of pages or minutes you read on a sheet (provided by the library, you can also print it at home) and show it to the front desk once you reach your goal. This is a great way to keep your mind educated and win cool prizes over the summer.
