Book Recommendations for Summer Evenings

"One of the advantages of summer was that each day had more light to read by." Let's take advantage of that! Our editorial team has compiled a selection of books to complement the sunny days and breezy evenings of this season.

"The Summer I Turned Pretty"

This coming-of-age novel explores the first loves, friendships, and the journey to adulthood. It's a light and delightful read, ideal for summer.

For fifteen years, Belly was the sweet, shy, and unnoticed girl. Always in the shadow of her older brother and best friend, she was never seen for who she really was. To Jeremiah and Conrad, sons of her mother’s friend, she was just the little sister they never had. But this summer, everything changed.

This story continues in the sequel, "It's Not Summer Without You." Additionally, the novel has been adapted into a series, providing visual inspiration to accompany your reading experience.

"The Firsts"

Journalist Maria Oleksa's debut novel is a tender story about experiences that never repeat — first kisses, first loves, limitless dreams, and future plans. It follows two young people, Snail and Vla, who meet too early to understand what they could mean to each other.

Set against the backdrop of a summer camp, orange sweater, letters, and walks around old Kyiv, their summer feels endless. However, as reality sets in, the characters grow, make mistakes, and discover new meanings in their lives, eventually realizing where they’ve been heading all along.

"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"

An aging and reclusive Hollywood legend, Evelyn Hugo, finally decides to reveal the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. Surprisingly, she chooses unknown journalist Monique Grant for the job. Regardless of why Evelyn selected her, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to kickstart her career. As Evelyn recounts her story of seven husbands, ruthless ambition, the dark side of old Hollywood, and a great forbidden love, Monique feels a real connection with the legendary star. But as Evelyn’s tale concludes, it's clear that their lives intersect in tragic and irreversible ways.

"Dandelion Wine"

Ray Bradbury's book is a timeless treasure. Its pages breathe with distant, infinite childhood memories: warm, intoxicating, and eternal, yet unattainable. Set in the imaginary town of Green Town in the summer of 1928, the story captures the playful antics of four carefree boys and the dandelion wine made by their grandfather. The wine acts as a magical time capsule, preserving the essence of past summers, and evokes nostalgia for childhood, offering a momentary return to it for anyone who reads this enchanting tale.

"Recipe for a Perfect Wife"

Alice Hale, the protagonist, leaves her PR career to become a writer. But things don’t go as planned; she spends much of her time in a large, empty house, feeling bored and out of sync with her husband. One day, she discovers an old cookbook belonging to the previous owner, who lived there with her husband in the 1950s.

Besides recipes, Alice finds encrypted tips about marriage and notices parallels between this woman's life and her own. This discovery makes her question her relationship with her husband. She begins to take control of her life, using a few secrets gleaned from the cookbook to protect herself and assert her independence.