Who says kids get to have all the fun in summer?

We parents know there’s not a whole lot of relaxation and fun in store for us this summer. We can look forward to summer camp drop offs and pick ups, endless requests for snacks, desperate pleas of boredom, and attempts to apply sunblock on kids resembling a wrestling match with a gator.

One sure and easy way to include a little fun into summer is reading a good book. I’m never without my Kindle Paperwhite, waterproof and glare resistant, perfect for reading by the beach or pool.

Here are my picks for books to add a little fun into your summer.

Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West

This book is a thought-provoking take on motherhood in the age of social media. Kids with fake Instagram pages, long buried family secrets, and middle school angst provide challenges for the moms featured in this book.

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

Fraser’s debut novel tells the story of a woman starting over again in a small Scottish town after losing her job and her marriage (husband leaves her for her friend) in the same month. I’ll admit, I was first drawn to this book because its location (Scotland) and author name (Fraser) reminded me of Outlander. But I quickly fell in love with the quirky characters that inhabit the small Scottish town.

The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia

Dell’Antonia is former editor of the New York Times Motherlode blog and the author of How to be a Happier Parent. Her debut novel is hysterically funny, the story of 2 small town sisters, one who stayed and one who left, trying to use a realty TV competition to prove who made the better life choices.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

A great read for book lovers. Fiona Davis tells the stories of a woman who wants more out of life, her husband the superintendent of the New York Public Library entitling them to live in an apartment within the building, and her granddaughter, who decades later works in the library and struggles with her grandmother’s legacy.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The author of Daisy Jones and the Six is back with with another great read. Four famous siblings throw an epic end-of-the summer party in Malibu, but their lives will be forever changed by events happening over a 24 hour period.

The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick

Another insightful, uplifting book for women from Marie Bostwick. After losing her high-profile job as an advice columnist, Celia returns to her hometown of Charleston to fix up a ramshackle house she inherited from her aunt (and herself).

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Another great beach read from Jennifer Weiner. Daisy can’t pinpoint why she is dissatisfied with her life despite running a successful business and having a wonderful husband and daughter. That is, until she starts receiving misdirected emails meant for a woman whose email address is one punctuation mark off from her own, a woman who lives a glamorous, single woman life.

Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger

Weisberger is the New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada (published when she was 24!) and its sequel When Life Gives You Lululemons. It’s an enjoyable read about two sisters, Peyton, a popular morning news anchor in New York, and Skye, a stay-at-home mom in the wealthy suburb of Paradise. Two women with perfect lives…and perfect lies.

What’s on your summer reading list?

Read the Disclaimer.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2021 Siobhan Fitzpatrick

Tags: ,