7 Books That Will Put You in the Mood for Summer

PAGASA, Philippine's weather bureau, has declared the onset of summer. Finally! We've been feeling it for a few weeks now but it officially started just yesterday. I was ecstatic to hear this because well, summer is almost synonymous to beach. And though I sometimes wish that I'm still a student so that I'd get two month-long summer breaks, I still think summer is a happy season.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Summer has its magic...[/caption]

And in the spirit of this season that makes us feel young, wild, and free, here are some books that should be on your summer reading list:

1. The Summer I Turned Pretty
It's a YA novel about this girl, Belly, who measures her life in summers. For her, winters don't count; it's summer that matters because that's the time that she spends in a beach house with Susannah (her mom's best friend) and her two sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. I started reading this book just yesterday so I don't know much yet but I'm seeing good reviews.
Why it should be on your summer reading list: Because its title says it all. Duh.



2. Along for the Ride
This is also a YA novel, and it's about Auden, this nerdy girl who doesn't know how to have fun and be young. But when she spends the summer in her father's house near the beach, she's introduced to a world of girls, friendship, and bikers. I finished the book just a few days ago and though I wasn't jumping up and down, I liked it because it talks about whether people change or don't change and having second or third chances, and subtly shows that women can be more than one thing. Will post my review soon. :)
It will put you in the mood for summer: Because you get to feel young, wild, and free with Auden.

 

3. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
Most of you have probably read the book or seen the movie, but for those living under a rock, Sea of Monsters is the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. In this book, Percy and his friends sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before Camp Half-Blood, his summer camp, is destroyed.
You should read it this summer: Because through Percy, you get to have an adventure in the Sea of Monsters a.k.a. Bermuda Triangle, scary mythical islands, and in the beaches of Miami, Florida.

 

4. The Notebook
Ah, this classic. The movie, that turned Ryan Gosling into a star, was arguably more famous than the book. And many readers said they prefer the movie version. But, to each his own. I think this is still one of Nicholas Sparks' best, and the books that came after couldn't come close to the success that The Notebook was.
You have to read it: Because Noah and Allie's tale started one summer and it's one of the best love stories out there.

 

 

5. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Another book with a film adaptation, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is about a pair of pants that miraculously fits all four girls perfectly. Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby - friends since birth - decided to share the pants over the summer, passing it on each week and writing letters to each other. This book captured the spirit of friendship and love in the most charming way possible.
It should be on your summer reading list: Because you probably know how it feels to spend summer away from your friends. This book will remind you that real friendship thrives even when you're  not together.

 

6. Anna and the French Kiss
Clearly, I haven't moved on from this book since the time I read it. Anna spends her senior year in Paris and meets new friends and Étienne St. Clair, a smart, charming, beautiful guy. They spend the year falling in love with each other despite the fact that St. Clair has a girlfriend. I absolutely love this book - I think it's a blessing from heaven - and it's the first book that has ever made me want to go to Paris.
It didn't take place during summer but you still have to read it: Because it's beautiful, just like St. Clair, and because it vividly describes Paris.

 

7. Something Borrowed
Something Borrowed, which also has a movie adaptation, tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. She's always been a good girl, but on her 30th birthday, she's had too much to drink and wakes up to find her best friend's fiance in her bed. The wedding is in September, but before that, Rachel spends an introspective summer. Truth be told, I liked the movie more (which is pretty rare), and the sequel (Something Blue) was better. But it's important to read this before reading the second book.
You have to add this to your summer reading list: Because summer is a good time to ask questions like "what if?" and imagine how your life would've turned out if you made different decisions in the past.

 

Whatever it is you're going to read this summer, I hope you enjoy it under the shade of a tree in a white sand beach, or while in a hammock, or heck, even while lying down in bed inside your air-conditioned room, away from the scorching heat.

And oh, if you know more summer reads, do let me know in the Comments! :)