Photo of Thekgo Raseala

Poolside reads to add to your ‘to-be-read’ list

As the summer heat rolls in, spending time by the pool or at the beach becomes even more tempting. So, why not pair your relaxing day in the sun with a good, refreshing book as you unwind?

Here are a few book recommendations to add to your ‘to-be-read’ list this summer.

Also see: How audiobooks and podcasts are reshaping modern reading culture

1. Before The Coffee Gets Cold

This story by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a phenomenal work of science fiction. In it, a small Japanese coffee shop offers customers the chance to travel back in time and find answers to the lifelong question: what would you change if you could go back?

2. Purple Hibiscus

Written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the novel follows a young girl, Kambili, whose world is defined by the high walls of her family estate. The book is about the blurred lines between the old gods and the new.

3. Beach Read

This romance book will have you blushing under the umbrella. The two main characters navigate hopelessness in finding love… and then they find each other. Written by Emily Henry, Beach Read is a fun and light read.

Also see: 5 Books to help you get back into reading

4. Cinderella is Dead

Kalynn Bayron’s book follows a Cinderella story 200 years later. The main character, Sophia, navigates a world woven around the fantasy of being chosen as a woman who doesn’t want to be.

5. Legendborn

Tracy Deonn wrote an explosive fantasy debut that took TikTok by storm. It is a story filled with mystery and Southern Black girl magic. After the mother dies in an accident, Bree Mathews wants to escape.

6. Seven Days in June

Tia Williams writes a witty, romantic, and sexy novel that follows two writers and their second chance at love in the middle of a New York summer. This is a perfect read by the pool or beachside on a warm summer’s day.

Featured image: iStock

Also see: National Book Week: Advantages of reading fiction novels

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