This book list is for those who understand that Jupiter in Leo means that this summer is the time for intimacy and emotional honesty. It's for the ones who spend their days reading creekside, who love a "nbd if you can't make it!" invite, who allow themselves space to feel things deeply.
Grab one of these books, open your windows, and put on that Lana record, we totally get it.
The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez
This is a book about finding the right person at the wrong time. It's emotional. It's messy. It's cathartic in all the best ways. Abby has always been a go-to for when we want a romance without the rom-com, and Say You'll Remember Me has quickly become a favorite.
Long Island Girls by Gabrielle Korn
This book is pure nostalgia. Long Island Girls is a queer coming-of-age story set in the early 2000s and focused specifically on the indie music scene. It's about self-love and self-discovery as much as anything. Millennials, this one is particularly for you.
Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
Shampoo Effect is our favorite kind of beach read. Set in the coastal town of Greenhead, Massachusetts, this novel is about a young woman who becomes entangled in a wealthy group of old-money friends. It's a drama-fueled and secret-filled, but underneath all of the glamour is an emotional story about ambition and love.
Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi
I never know what exact emotions I will feel when I open up a Mary H.K. Choi novel, only that I will feel them deeply. Pool House was no different. This is a mother-daughter story unlike any we've seen. This is the perfect story for those who understand that dysfunction and devotion often go hand-in-hand.
Room on the Sea by André Aciman
This book is actually three novella's by the famed author of Call Me By Your Name. If you read that sentence and still aren't sure what to prepare for, let us assure you that no one writes the different shades of love quite like Aciman. At only 272 pages, this is one of those books your read in an afternoon, but trust us, it doesn't compromise on the longing.
Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin
One of our favorite previous book club picks, This is A Cry For Help is a story about growth told through the lens of mortality. It's a deeply empathetic story that focuses mostly on what it means to care for yourself and others in times of strife. It's also a love letter to libraries, one of our favorite places to spend our days.
Skin Contact by Elisa Faison
One word to describe this book? Sensual. This book uses a young couple navigating the ups and downs of a newly open marriage as a way to tell a deeply human story about all the different phases of loving and losing someone. This is a novel full of deep connections and even deeper feelings.Â
Voyagers by Meg Charlton
Summerwork by Carrie Mesrobian
And, of course, we have to include a teen fiction pick, because we love books for all ages! This is a story of trauma, obsession, and the intensity of first love, told through the sweltering, summer heatwave. Summerwork is equal parts steamy and stormy, with a perfect mix of romance and mystery.
Extra Sauce by Zahra Tangorra
There are so many wonderful food memoirs that have been published this past year, but Extra Sauce is one of our favorites. Tangorra has a powerful ability to connect food to friends, family, and well, life. This message feels especially poignant during the summer, when many of us start to have a strained relationship with our bodies and food. Extra Sauce is a raw, emotional story that will leave you in your feels.
