This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s summer editorial intern Emma Zumbo. Find her on Instagram at @emmarzumbo. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
What’s the opposite of seasonal depression? In my view, it’s lounging in the sun with a book in hand (I’m partial to physical copies, but an e-reader will also do), having to readjust your positioning every few minutes so your arms don’t get too tired, your eyes straining to catch the next word against the blindingly white page – perhaps there is a a bowl of fresh cut up fruit nearby. Summer is a time when the pace of life just feels more leisurely, no matter how busy you might actually be, so it’s the perfect moment of the year to put a dent in your Goodreads Reading Challenge goal. Whether you’re looking to get your hands on one of the best beach reads 2024, or for a suggestion of which long time favorite to finally delve into, check out the list below to discover 5 great books to add to your summer reading list.
The Beach Read – Funny Story by Emily Henry
The woman who literally wrote the book on Beach Read[s] is back with a brand new romance just in time for the season. Funny Story sees Daphne and Miles begin a fake relationship after their own exes start dating each other, and, judging by Henry’s prior novels, this book is sure to be a delightful read with no shortage of swoon-worthy moments. You + a crisp drink + a pretend-to-real-lovers romance = a perfectly steamy summer day.
The YA Series – His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers
There’s something incredibly satisfying about finishing a book series in back to back fashion, and the extra free time of summer offers the perfect opportunity to do so. I find that a completed trilogy is the perfect way to transport yourself into a new world, and the world of LaFevers’ His Fair Assassin is one that’s sure to seize your imagination. Set in 15th century France, the novels follows a convent of nuns who serve the god of Death and train to be lethal assassins. This is one trilogy that I don’t see mentioned as often as other more popular YA series, but it’s truly got everything that makes YA so great: historical elements, romance, strong female leads, and political intrigue make this a gripping summer read.
The Classic – The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
I love making classics part of my summer reading list and always try to incorporate a few throughout the season. There’s obviously no shortage of novels from which to pick in this category, but, if you’re struggling to narrow down your choices, might I suggest you pick up Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises this year? Hemingway’s first novel follows a group of young American and British expatriates living in post WWI Paris who embark on a trip to Pamplona, Spain to watch the famous running of the bulls. Disillusioned with society and with their own lives after the brutality of the war, the group spends most of their days drinking, gambling, and going from one romantic attachment to the next. The novel captures the languid nostalgia that summer nights can sometimes bring around and portrays the desperate search for meaning that often distinguishes early adulthood. Admittedly, this novel might leave you with a slight case of existential dread, but it could also be taken as a warning to not abandon ourselves to emptiness in the face of an ever-more fraught world.
The Nonfiction – The Question of Palestine by Edward Said
Summer is a great time of year to learn something new. Yes, I know many of you will be eager to let your brain take a break after a long year of classes, but this time to yourself offers an opportunity to explore topics that you’re not just required to study, but that you’re actually personally curious about. Despite widespread protests, student movements, and abundant first-person social media documentation, the genocide in Palestine is ongoing. I’m sure many of you will have already been engaged with this topic, particularly after a slew of encampments took over many college campuses across the US this Spring, but learning about the history and context of the current crisis has perhaps never been more important. Written in 1979 by renowned Palestinian philosopher Edward Said, The Question of Palestine is a seminal work in the canon of Israel-Palestine literature and is a useful place in which to begin deepening your knowledge of this topic.
The Life Changing – Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Summer is also a time for growth and change. As long as we’re in school, summer marks the true end of the year and offers the opportunity for a reset; even after graduating, I’d argue that the feeling of summer’s regenerative and transformative power remains. So why not take some time this summer to read something that might, at the risk of sounding excessive, change your life? This is probably a more personal category – after all, a life-altering book must speak directly to its reader in some way in order to really affect them – but the common thread between all so-called “life-changing books” is that their words linger with us long after we’ve turned the final page. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is a pick that’s perhaps a bit too on the nose for this category, but, if you’ve never read it, I highly recommend you find a spot in the shade of a tree, preferably next to a body of water, and see for yourself if these nearly 2000 year old words have anything to teach you. It’s a very quick read, a collection of the emperor’s short musings, likely written as a personal diary in the last years of his life, but its brevity contains a multitude of profundities. You might just find yourself carrying around a highlighted copy for the rest of the summer, ready to impart some words of wisdom on your (undoubtedly annoyed) friends.
Happy reading!
What are your picks for the best beach reads 2024? Let us know in the comments below!
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