15 Books to Read This Summer | My Ambitious Summer TBR

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Summer is upon us! And what’s better than stretching out in the sun with a cold beverage of your choice and a good book? I’d reckon that few things are. Today, I present to you my (possibly overambitious) TBR of 15 books to read this summer! Maybe, you’ll add some of them to your own beachside reading list for this sunniest of seasons…

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Honey Girl – Morgan Rogers

This book is at the top of my queer romance TBR because so many people whose opinion I trust really enjoyed it! It’s also probably more a coming of age story than a full-on romance, but that’s very much fine by me. I mean, drunkenly marrying a stranger in Vegas and then spending a summer with your new wife? Sounds like the perfect set-up for a great story to me.

Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo

Summer might not exactly be dark academia season (even though it is apparently the time for dark academia releases), but I do love some mystery vibes. And Ninth House has been on my TBR forever! It sounds dark and weird and I actually don’t know all that much about it…other than that there’s secret societies, dark secrets and possibly ghosts? 

Raybearer – Jordan Ifueko

I started reading Raybearer last year but couldn’t do it justice because I was in a terrible reading slump. So I put it on my 21 books to read in 2021 list…but I haven’t read it yet. Then Sumedha from the wordy habitat kindly yelled at me on Twitter to go ahead and read it already, so now it’s a top priority on my summer TBR! The sequel also comes out later this year so reading it now would actually be the perfect timing…

Ace of Spades – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

If everything goes according to plan, Ace of Spades is my next read! It’s a tense dark academia thriller and I know I’ll fly through it, trying to figure out what’s going on. Can you tell I like fast-paced mysteries on my summer TBR? This is a strong 5 star prediction, I have yet to see a review from someone I know who didn’t enjoy it!

The Atlas Six – Olivie Blake

More dark academia? Yes. I bought this book a) because people on Twitter kept talking about it and b) because the cover is gorgeous and what can I say, I am a simple woman. I gifted a friend of mine who’s a dark academia fan a copy, too, so maybe we can attempt a buddy read for this book!

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Sadie – Courtney Summery

Sadie is the story that gets recommended whenever you ask people what the best audiobooks are. So obviously, as someone who loves audiobooks and mysteries, this is the book for me. Usually, I fly through audiobooks with multiple narrators and great sound design (such as the podcast that this book features) so this makes it my perfect beach read!

Dial A for Aunties – Jesse Q Sutanto

An accidental murder, a fancy wedding and somehow it’s also a rom-com? Sounds like the perfect book! I look forward to both the murder mystery and the romance aspect of this and I am sure this book will have me laugh a lot! 

Rosewater – Tade Thompson

This is one of the books on my Sci-Fi TBR that I’m super curious about! From what I can tell it’s sort of eco Sci-Fi, an aspect of the genre I haven’t really dipped my toes into yet. I own this one as an audiobook because I have yet to read a Sci-Fi story that doesn’t work well on audio!

A Dark and Hollow Star – Ashley Shuttleworth

Faerie fantasy but with queer teens? Sign me up! Honestly, this book sounds like a bunch of elements I’d enjoy into one and I’m so excited to dive into this story! It doesn’t hurt that the audiobook is 19 hours long, so much time for other activities like drawing or hours of Animal Crossing…

Clap When You Land – Elizabeth Acevedo

I loved Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X so naturally, I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. This is a relatively short book so I’ll definitely keep it in mind for an afternoon of lounging in the sun.

You might also like: 5 Books On My Sci-Fi TBR #1

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Seven Devils – Elizabeth May and Laura Lam

More Sci-Fi! I don’t know too much about this book other than that it sounds insanely cool. It’s described as a feminist space opera and if that doesn’t draw you in, I don’t know what will. I’m a fan of big casts in my Sci-Fi, it just always creates a fun dynamic to have a bunch of clashing characters!

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson

This is the classic YA murder mystery and I still haven’t read it. I know, I’m a fraud. But I’ll read it this summer, I promise. Preferably with some dark chocolate ice cream in my hand, as I imagine what I would’ve been like as a teenage detective. Out of all the books to read this summer, this is definitely one I’m looking forward to the most.

Amari and the Night Brothers – B.B. Alston

I don’t read a lot of middle grade, but this book immediately caught my eye. A young girl searches for her missing brother and discovers the Bureau for Supernatural Affairs. She has to navigate this strange new world and find her place in it…

Timekeeper – Tara Sim

This book was recommended to me by Lili over on Utopia State of Mind and the cover alone screams my name. It also reminds me a little of the very first novel I wrote during NaNoWriMo so obviously, I’m intrigued to see where this goes. You’ll always win me over with steampunk vibes, clocks and magic,

The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman

And finally, an adult murder mystery. Admittedly, I only know Richard Osman from Taskmaster (a very good lockdown rabbit hole on Youtube if you’re looking for entertainment). The Thursday Murder Club features a group of friends from a retirement village who love True Crime. When a body is found, they’re suddenly no longer armchair detectives. I mostly read YA or adult books with main characters in their teens or twenties, so a story featuring seniors is certainly going to mix it up.

And that’s it for my handy list of 15 books to read this summer! Did any of them catch your eye? Which books are on your summer TBR?

I hope you have a lovely day,

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