When the weather is nice and the movie theaters are too dark to enjoy the sunny weather, what’s a better way to revel in the sun than with a nice book? Maybe you don’t know where to start, what to look for and maybe you simply need a change in scenery. Or maybe you don’t want to just read about summer, you want to feel it. So instead of reading at home maybe change your atmosphere. Here’s a list of future book releases that can help you not only anticipate good weather but feel truly immersed in the warm fuzzy feelings that come with the new season.
“The Disappearing Act” by Catherine Steadman (June 8)
This is the perfect book to read while spending a long day on the beach, in the sun, with your feet tucked warmly in the sand and a large sunhat to provide coverage for you and your book. I’m not one who’s opposed to reading a good mystery on the beach; it prevents you from getting too sucked into the dark and gloomy atmosphere a thriller can provide, and with hours to kill in the sand, there’s no way you’ll get distracted enough to put the book down.
This novel gives us a little time to get summer ready and it’s certainly one to anticipate reading. Goodreads quotes, “A British actress discovers the dark side of Hollywood when she is the only witness to the sudden disappearance of a woman she meets at an audition.” Emily, the woman from the audition, is also from out of town and friendly but she and Mia only meet once. Mia only realizes she was the last person to see her when the woman who knocks on Mia’s door the following day claiming to be her new friend isn’t the woman Mia remembers at all. As a result, Mia has to grapple with risking the role of a lifetime in order to uncover the truth. So pack your beach bags and be prepared for a thrill.
“How To Find a Princess” by Alyssa Cole (May 25)
Picnic in the park anyone? This book is something I can’t wait to take under a nice tree and read in the shade with an iced tea and some snacks. Summer romances are great, but spring romances get you in the perfect mood for being fun and flirty. Alyssa Cole is taking a new spin on the age-old tale “Anastasia” in this queer retelling of a missing princess legend. Only this time the princess is Ibaranian and wants nothing to do with either the stories she only partially believes or the female investigator set out to find her.
She’s forced to return home when a threat to her grandmother makes itself known and along the way Makeda finds both love and what it means to fight for something that’s bound to her by blood. With the book coming out so soon maybe you can find a nice cherry blossom to read this one under. I hear they’re beautiful this time of year.
“Tokyo Ever After” by Emiko Jean (May 18)
This book sounds like it’ll be perfect for a coffee shop on a warm, rainy day. Maybe you went there to spend some time alone and enjoy the fresh air or you’re waiting for a friend. Either way, everyone can always use a YA book to start off a bright new season. Izumi Tanaka has never felt like she’s fit in but when she finds out that her father is none other than the Crown Prince of Japan, Izzy is eager to travel to Japan to “meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of.”
However, she discovers that royalty isn’t made up of only crowns and tiaras. She finds herself torn between her two identities where, back home she was never “American” enough but in Japan she’s not “Japanese” enough, and now Izzy has to define that identity for herself. It’s a whirlwind of self-discovery and perhaps you’ll discover something new about yourself by the end of it too.
“Isn’t it Bromantic” by Lyssa Kay Adams (July 20)
Let’s splash into summer with the long-awaited fourth installment of the series “The Bromance Book Club.” With summer at its peak, this will be the perfect poolside read. Unlike a long, sunny day at the beach, this is a fun, quick, splashy read to put on your pool towel. After three books everyone has been waiting to read more about The Russian (Vlad) and his mysterious wife.
As the book club’s cinnamon roll hero, it’s kind of a shocker to learn that Vlad and his wife are on the outs. Vlad has always been open with his affection (especially with his friends) but after entering a marriage of convenience, he joins the book club in an effort to gain his wife’s love. But now he’s tired of being in a one-sided romance and he’s ready to throw in the towel. Though of course, Vlad’s friends in the book club won’t let him give in so easily. He’s helped all the rest of the guys find their true love and it’s time that Vlad found his too. So pull out your bathing suits and shades and stay tuned to learn what happens to Vlad in finding his happily ever after.
“The Invisible Husband of Frick Island” by Colleen Oakley (May 25)
Some days are perfect just spent in the comfort of your own home. Whether you’re in the backyard, on the couch, or in your room with a gentle breeze blowing through the window, this is the type of book you’ll want to snuggle up and enjoy. For a small town, there sure is a big secret on Frick Island. After Piper Parrish’s husband dies in a boat crash, Piper can’t deal with the grief of losing her husband on her own, so in a way, she doesn’t. Instead, she carries on and pretends as if her husband Tom is still alive.
Feeling sympathy for the grieving widow, the rest of the town follows along. Anders Caldwell expected more from his journalist career and does not want to be writing a fluff piece on a small town in the middle of Chesapeake Bay but he reluctantly goes. Only he finds out there’s more to this town than it seems. Will he upend the town’s secret and bring to the surface a story that changes not just Piper’s life but his own as well? Or will it all come crumbling down? In only a few short weeks we may just find out and after a long May month, I can’t wait to snuggle up close with this one. Maybe you will too.
The lovely thing about reading in the spring and anticipating the summer is that your book can come with you anywhere. And with the rise of audiobooks and ebooks, it’s so much easier to bring your story along with you. So find a fun place to sit down, snuggle up, or simply enjoy the good weather while immersing yourself in another fictional world.
