"Best Summer Reads" by Kate Funderburk
When I have a student come to me in our school library and say, “I don’t like to read,” I sometimes respond by saying, “Do you listen to music?”
The puzzled student usually says, yes, they do. I try to then explain to them that telling me they don’t like to read is about as absurd as saying, “I don’t like music. Yeah, I’ve listened to a few songs, but they were kind of boring.” At this point, the student has in their mind confirmed that I am, in fact, insane, because…how could you listen to a few songs and decide you don’t like to listen to ANY music?
Because the truth is, we’re wired to love stories–just not every story. So we need to shop around a bit, and find those that fit our unique selves, just like with music. With that in mind, I present to you….
Summer reads that are as unique as you are.
Simply choose the description that best fits you and…voila! You have your perfect beach book!
If you…
Are down for a fun romance with vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and a heroine who is “adept in the art of parasol combat”:
Alexia Tarabotti, a witty 20-something-year-old spinster in Victorian England, is a preternatural–a soulless being who, as long as she is touching a paranormal being, drains that individual of all their supernatural powers. But when those very paranormal beings keep going missing throughout London, Alexia decides to get to the bottom of this mystery, no matter what the danger.
Prefer to read about the natural world–it’s way crazier than anything anybody could ever make up:
Sea worms that battle to determine who must bear the offspring? Check. A fungus that invades ant brains and performs mind control in order to spread its spores? Check. A fish that swims up a sea cucumber’s anus and eats it from the inside out? Check. Turns out God does, indeed, have a sense of humor, or…something.
Live in a fantasy world complete with princesses and the eternal battle of good vs. evil:
The Queen of Blood (Sarah Beth Durst)
In the land of Renthia, the queen alone has the power to battle against the spirits throughout the land who seek the end of humankind. Daleina has been selected to join the academy of young women to aid the queen in this task and become a potential heir. But lately, some strange things have been happening. Daleina and exiled champion Ven must join forces to determine the cause of these events, and save the land forever.
Enjoy watching movie previews and being able to smugly tell those around you, “Oh, yes, I read the Pulitzer Prize-winning book”:
All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
Read it before the movie comes to theaters later this year! This is the story of two young people in two different countries, caught on opposite sides of World War II, whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways. Every single sentence is so exquisitely crafted that you will immediately understand why it earned one of the highest accolades in writing.
Have an unhealthy appreciation for the sick and twisted:
After the death of her young daughter, a middle school teacher wreaks vengeance on those responsible in the most vicious–and psychologically thrilling–way possible.
Watch way too much Dateline for your own good:
My Friend Dahmer (Derf Backderf)
This account, told in graphic novel form, is the true story of the author/illustrator, who went to high school with famed serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. While it doesn’t excuse his later crimes, it does paint a sympathetic picture of a lost, lonely, and deeply misunderstood teenager.
Love Shakespeare, but think it would have been so much cooler with robots and ninjas:
Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure (Ryan North)
In this twist on Shakespeare that will bring you back to your ninth grade English class and your choose-your-own-adventure days, you get to determine your own path in the classic tale of star-crossed lovers. What if Juliet was a bodybuilder? What if the nurse and her travels were just one giant video game? What if the story doubled as a PSA that taught everyone an important lesson about the dangers of experimenting with homemade drugs? In this fun alternate retelling, you get to choose!
Like being stirred into a sense of righteous indignation:
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided (Diane Guerrero)
Diane Guerrero, of Orange is the New Black, Jane the Virgin, and Encanto fame, recalls her experience as a high school freshman, when, upon returning home from school one day, found an abandoned apartment and realized her parents had been deported to their native Colombia. In this harrowing voyage through the ins and outs of the US immigration system, Diane describes its effects on her life and how it helped shape her into the person she is today.
Want to be uplifted?
The Language of Flowers (Vanessa Diffenbaugh)
18-year-old Victoria has just been emancipated from the custody of the state after a childhood spent in various foster homes and group living situations. Alternating between present and past, Victoria learns to both love and be loved, and to finally forgive herself.
Just want a good cry:
This novel in verse is told in the voice of Moth, a teenager dealing with being the lone survivor of the car crash that killed her parents and brother. She meets Sani, a local boy who is dealing with a very different kind of grief, and goes on a journey with him to accept her reality with grace.
And for the young people in your life (or the young at heart) check out No Matter the Distance by our very own Cindy Baldwin!!!
Of course, if none of these quite fits your taste, find something else. Books, like music, are infinitely varied, and there’s something for everyone. :)
Kate Funderburk is a proud participant in the sINgSPIRE voice lesson program and has participated in several virtual choirs. She began her career as a middle and high school math teacher, but has been a school librarian for the past ten years, working with grades preK through 12. She has an undergraduate degree in Archaeology from Harvard University and a master’s degree in Secondary Math Education as well as a School Library Teacher certificate from Simmons University.