By Chloe Futrell, Features Editor
Summer time: My favorite time to read. Throughout the school year it can be difficult to accomplish reading the amount of books I want to read for pleasure. Summer is the perfect time to catch up on that TBR (to be read) stack that has been building next to my bedside since September (it can also be found doubling as a second bedside table). Since I love book recommendations, I wanted to share some of my favorite quick reads, and even some from my “all-nighter” selection. Since it’s the summer, we can afford those extra hours of lost Zs.
At the end of my book picks, learn more about the FFHS Summer Reading program, including a link to book lists that will lead to extra credit and summer hours for the media center.
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, by Mackenzi Lee. Seeking adventure and experience is not the only thing Henry “Monty” Montague wants in life. He wants the one person he can’t have: His best friend, Percy. In this LGBTQ historical fiction, Monty goes on a grand tour of Europe with Percy, his sister and Mr. Lockwood — his babysitter. No, Monty is not 12, he doesn’t actually need a babysitter, but Monty’s father sees it best that someone watches over him based on Monty’s reckless past. But, Monty won’t let this hold him back on his last “Hoorah!” before boarding school. This novel is takes the reader on many twists and turns and through a whole array of emotions — plus it has a map in the front of the book showing each location they visit, and as a lover of all things books this was just another convincing factor to buy another book.
- Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson. Virginia “Ginny” comes home to a mysterious note from her should-be-dead Aunt Peg. Within the letter, Ginny finds a thousand dollars, a plane ticket to London, and a list of rules to follow. Ginny is given the opportunity to be spontaneous for the first time ever and she takes it. As she follows the rules and the clues that will hopefully lead her to her Aunt Peg, Ginny is faced with many interesting, compromising and life changing experiences — a romance with a starving artist, discovery of new places, and a part of her Aunt Peg within herself. I have read this book every summer for the past five years — excessive, I know, but necessary. This book is a super easy beach read and satisfies all of the wanderlust that your heart desires without having to leave your beach chair.
- The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. Some people like to fill their summer with a lighthearted read, others prefer a dark novel that looks into the inner workings of a serial killer. Erik Larson tells the true story of H.H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer. Larson follows the life of H.H, Holmes, his gory murders, and the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. It’s one of my favorite nonfiction reads that had me compelled from page one to page 338.
- When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan. This is a futuristic novel where a woman wakes up in a dystopian world and her skin has been turned to red for adultery; yes, it’s a nod to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic “The Scarlet Letter.” Church and State work together to have felons not incriminated but have their skin dyed so they can be publicly shamed based on the color their skin has been dyed. Each crime has its own color and the government is dedicated to publicly shaming people for the crimes they have committed. This read is completely enthralling and as a plus it is on the AP Lit book list this summer, so sit down in a beach chair and complete this read while also crossing a book off of your summer reading list.
- Emma, by Jane Austen. Ever seen “Clueless”? This is just like that, except with corsets, manor houses and a lack of electricity. Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors and in her classic “Emma” she encompasses everything I love about her in one book. This book is way before its time — like many things Austen wrote — including the fact that Emma doesn’t see the necessity for a man in her life, ugh! As if! But, she does enjoy delving into the romantic lives of others. I have to say I am completely biased and I am in love with most things Jane Austen and all things “Clueless.” This read is a classic, but it is fun, entertaining and is another read that will have you laughing and crying to yourself on the beach, possibly making you look insane while simultaneously melting your heart.
These are just a few of my favorite reads, but you can also find fabulous reads in the Media Center this summer. Media Center coordinator Susan Sawin is opening the library this summer with designated hours on Thursdays for students to come in and check out books, and maybe even grab that last reading assignment you forgot to get on your last day of school. More info about these hours will be linked below, as well as the summer reading for 2018. Each book on the list is designated to not only entertain you, but also help you rack up extra credit points that will be tacked on to your first-quarter grade in any class that your book applies to.
Junior Chloe Futrell can be reached at futrellch1114@daretolearn.org.
