Summer is officially upon us now which means there is time to take a breather and sit back and relax. While it is always tempting to turn on Netflix, Hulu, HBOgo, or any other streaming platform available, I like to take a moment and try to pick up a book every now and then to try and keep my mind active. To some this may sound boring and maybe painful, but it does not have to be: there is no pressure to read a classic or a lengthy and challenging novel over the summer. Summer is time to leave the Hemingway, Dickens, Hardy, etc. behind and embrace something of choice rather than the staples of syllabi around the nation.

I have read a plethora of novels in my day, so I’ll try and break down a few of my more recent favorite summer reads.

If you are into thrillers, mysteries, or something a little darker:

Ohio by Stephen Markley:

This novel looks at the small midwestern town of New Canaan, Ohio. It explores the current lives of four former high school friends after they return home one fateful night. Through detailed flashbacks—taken from each character’s perspective—the reader gets a greater understanding of how this fateful night came about and how each character is forever connected. This novel is definitely on the longer side; however, it is exciting at each turn, up until it all culminates in the thrilling climax. Although this novel is fiction, it also offers insightful commentary on the state of small-town America thus allowing the novel to hit a little closer to home.

I won’t say more as I don’t want to spoil the novel for you, but if twisting tales of deception and mystery excite you, this is a great novel for you. It is an exciting yet easy read— making it great for travel, the beach, or just general pleasure.

Similar novels: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, I’m Thinking of Ending things by Iain Reid.

If you are into coming of age novels, introspection, emerging adulthood, or something a little more light hearted:

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Elif Batuman’s The Idiot takes place in the 1990s and centers on Selin, a new freshman at Harvard. Selin, a new student not knowing what classes she should take, finds herself taking a beginner Russian class. Here she meets her soon to be best friend Svetlana and an older mathematics student named Ivan. Selin begins to grow somewhat infatuated with Ivan and the two begin to email one another. Most of their relationship exists through email with the exception of class time. At times, it seems as if Ivan and Selin are connected romantically; however, they can never quite figure it out. As the school year comes to end and Ivan graduates, Selin finds herself traveling abroad where she is once again reunited with Ivan.

This novel is filled with uncertainty, just as any college freshman is sure to feel, along with the eternal struggle of communication. The prose of this novel takes a relatable coming of age story and turns it into a beautiful piece that manages to comment on the difficulty of figuring oneself out as well as figuring out relationships and independence in the real world.

Similar novels: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh and Normal People by Sally Rooney.

If you love movies and television, there are numerous books with either film or television adaptations such as

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

While Margaret Atwood is known in this category for her novel and then the television adaptation of A Handmaid’s Tale, she has another book with its own on-screen adaptation. Alias Grace is a historical fiction novel that looks at convicted murderer Grace Marks who has been hired to be a domestic servant to the governor of the penitentiary that she remains at. A group of people hope to have Grace Marks pardoned because they do not believe she committed the murder she is accused of. As a way to do so, a psychiatrist comes in to explore Grace’s memories to get at the repressed ones from the day of said murder. This novel toys with the readers own opinions on whether or not Grace is guilty or innocent even as it reaches a close. Upon finishing the novel, a series adaptation is available for streaming on Netflix.

Similar novels: You by Caroline Kepnes, The Godfather by Mario Puzo, and Gone Girl and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

While movies and television are at the forefront of modern society, it can be a good change of pace to try a new book—especially on a beach or plane in the final moments of summer and in the breaks between the hectic days of college life.

By Lilly Delehanty

Duke Student, pink purveyor and resident expert on surviving and thriving.

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