Today’s prompt for the May Instagram challenge I’ve been doing was favorite summer read which resulted in me perusing my reading lists from the past 7 years and coming up with seven favorite titles that I read during the summer months of those years. Which was a super use of my time, I’m sure.

These were the winners of that search, the cream of the summer crop top:

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

I read this last summer and like everyone else in the world, I loved every minute of it. Poehler is a tremendously talented, incredibly funny woman who is also a great writer with good stories to tell. Whether you are in it for the Parks and Rec / SNL scoops or her witty view on womanhood and motherhood, this one will deliver and then some.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

I was just talking about this book to a mother at school pick up today when her teenage granddaughter ran over with it excitedly and I squealed with delight:

“OhmygodIlovedthatbook!!!!”

Jenny Han is all the things and I loved this story and Lara Jean. This is the feel good YA love story that you can ignore the world with while your kids are in swim class.

Paper Towns by John Green

What’s summer without a book about going on a road trip with friends, honestly? Follow slightly nerdy Quentin on his search for his missing crush / next door neighbor the summer before he starts college. And if you like John Green (of The Fault in Our Stars Fame), I’d also recommend An Abundance of Katherines which is actually my favorite John Green novel – but I read it in March so it technically didn’t qualify for a “summer read” of mine. YOU could totally read it in the summer though.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

My book club read this a couple of years ago and much squealing and gushing occurred. This is kind of a mystery story but not really and it’s written in mostly emails and memos and letters but it doesn’t feel trite like those kind of books sometimes to and it’s a story about an upper middle class family in Washington state and their eccentric neighbors and the stuff that happens in suburbia but you haven’t already basically read this story twelve times, I promise. This one was really good and definitely pushes the limits of the genres it falls into until it slowly turns into something better than you were expecting.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

If you haven’t already heard of this series, I’m impressed because the internet is kind of losing it’s mind over it right now with the recent release of the last book in the series. Start where it all began with this book and soon you’ll be able to get all jumping up and down excited, too. I seriously fell down the rabbit hole with this series which is kind of like The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor and somehow that isn’t annoying or dumb. This series is a perfect summer read – both intense and filled with adventure and intrigue but with lighter fluffy moments like first dates and ballgowns. (bonus: the kindle edition is only $4.99 right now)

Sweet Life by Mia King

I read this one about six years ago and, folks, it doesn’t get much more summery than this. How about a story about a momma who moves her family to Hawaii to try to save her marriage and reconnect with her daughter? I love Mia King’s writing because she is so real and honest in her story telling and she creates characters that you understand, truly. It’s a make you laugh, make you cry kind of story and there are even some yummy recipes to try!

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Here’s another oldie but goodie – I read this one right around the time that my daughter was born (during my twelve minutes of free time, I guess) and loved it. It has a vibe that is very Practical Magic but the story definitely stands up on its own. It’s about the Waverley family and their walled garden that mysteriously blooms year round. It centers around the two Waverley sisters and their somewhat tumultuous relationship. And of course there is a love story.

What are some of your favorite summer reads?

What books are you hoping to read this summer?