Books to plow through during summer break

I don’t know about you, but in two weeks I fully plan to be lounging on a towel in the sun, working on an epic sunburn — the perks of being a redhead.

Look, I get it, we’re all burnt out, and we don’t want to read words anymore. But at some point during summer break, you’re going to wake up on that towel on the beach and realize you’re bored out of your mind and need something to do.

To help you out, I’ve got five books for each phase you’ll inevitably hit during summer break.

A light and fun beach read: ‘Twice’ — Mitch Albom

This is the first book I ever read by Albom, and it was such a little gem. The story follows Alfie, who discovers that he can go back in time and have a second chance at different parts of his life. The only catch is that whatever happens the second time around is what he must live with for the rest of his life.

Alfie eventually falls in love with a woman named Gianna, and the rest of the book follows their story and the trials and tribulations they face.

This book is the perfect travel size, and the romance will make your heart flutter. There’s also a massive twist at the end that will leave your jaw on the floor.

When you’re tired of the heat: ‘And Now, Back to You’ — B.K. Borrison

I love Ohio, but around the start of June, I’m already over the heat and humidity. So why not cool off by reading about a blizzard?

“And Now, Back to You” is the sequel to Borrison’s breakout novel “First Time Caller.” However, you don’t need to read that to understand what’s going on here. This book follows Jackson and Delilah, two rival news meteorologists who are assigned to cover a record-breaking blizzard together.

The two are a true embodiment of the “grumpy x sunshine” trope, with one character being a severe pessimist and the other an endearing optimist. As the two are cooped up in a lodge to cover the storm, they become close, and romance blossoms.

Jaxson and Delilah are so cute, especially when they support each other through the craziness in their personal lives. It’s definitely a quick romance you can breeze through, one that’ll hopefully remind you that cooler days will eventually come again.

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Pride Month: ‘In Memoriam’ — Alice Winn

As an ally for the LGBTQ+ community, I’d like to do what every corporate company in America does and come up with a pride theme for June.

“In Memoriam” follows best friends Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood as they come of age at the start of World War I. The two share a close bond, with hidden feelings for each other, and Gaunt decides to enlist to escape confronting Ellwood about them. Soon after, Ellwood follows him to the front, convinced it’s going to be a grand adventure. But quickly, the two realize that the boys they came as are not the men who will be leaving.

This book was so engrossing. Parts of it made me laugh, parts of it made me sob. All I know is that it took me only three hours to read the entire thing. It’s absolutely haunting, but one of the finest works of historical fiction I’ve ever read.

July (AKA the Month of Molly): ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ — Harper Lee

Ah, July, my birth month. It’s full of long, lazy, hot days. So, in honor of my 22nd birthday — I’m totally not at all freaking out about that number — read one of my favorite books of all time, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

If you don’t know what it’s about, Scout Finch and her brother Jem live in Jim Crow-era Maycomb, Alabama. They get into several misadventures and learn important life lessons from their father, Atticus Finch. It all culminates when Atticus, Maycomb’s local lawyer, is tasked with defending a Black man, Tom Robinson, in front of an all-white jury.

I know that people have some problems with this book, but I think it is one of the most accurate portrayals of childhood committed to paper. It is an important window into one of America’s darkest periods, and with Lee’s writing, you can feel like you’re right there with Scout and Jem in the stifling Southern heat as tensions rise throughout the novel.

New Year, New Book: ‘Land’ — Maggie O’Farrell

OK, I’m cheating a little bit here. This book hasn’t come out yet (it releases on June 2), but I’m going to preemptively say it’s a five-star read.

O’Farrell wrote the bestselling novel “Hamnet,” a book I absolutely adore, and “Land” is her first book in four years. The synopsis says it’ll follow Tomás and his son Liam as they work on the Ordnance Survey project to map all of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine.

I absolutely love O’Farrell’s writing. It’s so illustrative and descriptive, and it feels like magic. So why not prepare for the new school year and cap off your summer by reading a brand-new book?

fahymm@miamioh.edu