Book Recs for Hot Girl Summer

@servandogabriel

Feasting on fudge and watching cold ocean waves lap at the sand. Listening to chirping birds as the sun sets behind the cordgrass. Sucking down oysters, just shucked in the walk-in refrigerator of a celebrated Manhattan restaurant. Living lavishly in homes owned by other people. Accepting every personal flaw in order to learn and grow. 

If I had to picture a perfect summer, one dubbed by social media as “hot girl summer,” it would feature some of these experiences: sweets, beaches, and adventures. Therefore, the books one should read during these warm months should incorporate these experiences too. Here are some book recommendations that are great reads at any point in time, but especially fun for hot girl summer. In other words, it’s perfect for a summer of living authentically, taking charge, and chasing happiness.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars is about a New England family, more specifically a patriarchy led by a wealthy grandfather, who spend their summers on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts. The protagonist Cadence Sinclair, the eldest grandchild, was once the epitomization of the Sinclair family: blonde, beautiful, perfect. But after a summer tragedy — one she can’t remember — she has become a completely new person. This novel contains young love, family drama, and Martha’s Vineyard fudge.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing has a heroine who is independent, honest, and skillful. This story follows Kya Clark, an uneducated girl who grows up in the marshland of North Carolina throughout her childhood and young adulthood in the 1960s. A murder mystery with a strong leading female that takes place in a setting that was made for summer: What could be more perfect for a summer read?

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

Sweetbitter has it all: youthful infatuation, fresh experiences, and a 22-year-old finding her way around love, work, and wine. Set against the sometimes glamorous, sometimes grimy environment of a famous New York City restaurant where the protagonist, Tess, lands a job as a backwaiter, Sweetbitter explores the confusing and captivating life of a young woman in a new place.

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

Lockhart knows how to write a novel for hot girl summer. This book follows Jule, a girl who only pays in cash, who has a secret to hide, and who has reinvented herself too many times. As the novel unfolds, we not only learn about Jule, but also Imogen, an heiress that Jule befriends. Imogen seems to be Jule’s ticket into a charmed life, but what is she risking to get there? Filled with travel, friendship, and adventure, this is a must-read for hot girl summer.

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

Even if fiction is not the thing for you, you can still participate in hot girl summer reading. Journalist Dolly Alderton recounts her twenties through hilarious and heartbreaking anecdotes, imparting wisdom on friendships, relationships, love, and loss the whole way through. This memoir has validated and reassured me because Alderton does a fantastic job of showing you that mistakes are not only common, but necessary. If this season is like any other, I will be making my fair share of errors. This book has shown me how to get through them, laughing and with my head high.

By Lindsey Staub

Junior at UC Berkeley, studying English and history. Lover of sweet lattes, sheepdogs, and the color pink.