Summer Reading: Florida Edition
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The sunshine state is home to palm trees, sandy beaches and crystal blue waters — all perfect settings for great reading. If you’re on the hunt for summer reading recommendations Florida has to offer, stay cool and read on for the wonderful picks from our booksellers.
From Bookseller Alexandra S.
The Daytona Beach area is filled with military veterans looking for the next Steve Berry or Vince Flynn book, retired individuals grabbing a stack of books to get them through the week, and a whole smattering of hopeless romantics across the ages. Florida has been my home for most of my life and the laid-back atmosphere in a beach town hits different.
What’s the summer reading title that best represents your state or your community?
{{ product: 9780593438657 }}More recently, I would say Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson as it’s set in Florida and has the mystery/romance vibes that everyone is currently loving so much.
But really, anything Tim Dorsey is always a hit. Floridians love funny, mysterious books from our favorite local authors.
What book do you think everyone should be reading this summer?
{{ product: 9781538769409 }}Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez—there is always a little magical quality to her novels, and her characters leap off the page!
What’s your favorite summer reading recommendation for young readers?
{{ product: 9780316201568 }}The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer—portal fantasy with classic fairy tales, what could be better? The writing and characters are bright and fun, just the thing to keep the summer vibes going.
What’s your favorite YA summer reading recommendation?
{{ product: 9780142426043 }}My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick—Finally a YA Romance that doesn’t have a miscommunication trope. It’s got hot summer days, sweet romantic moments, and a large family you can’t help but love.
Your favorite genre recommendation for summer reading?
You can’t go wrong with a great romance, but I am always excited to bring a fantasy book to the beach. I want to get lost in another world. It’s almost like giving the fantasy world more room to roam with the ocean spread out in front of you (especially if you’re reading a great pirate tale!).
What nonfiction do you take outside for your summer reading?
I love reading about nature when I’m out in nature. Books like An Immense World by Ed Yong or The Underworld by Susan Casey are examples of people with a passion for their field showing the world the knowledge gems they’ve found on their travels. I’ll take my headphones and listen to an audiobook like that when I go walking on a trail or tanning on the beach.
From Bookseller Karen F.
Our South Florida community, the greater Fort Lauderdale area, is so lucky with our tropical climate that we get to think about what book to throw in our beach bag all year round! Summer means it’s that time of year we get to spend quality time with our families, relax a little bit more, and pick up a great novel we’ve been meaning to read.
3 of my favorite modern classics that are perfect for summer….
{{ product: 9781590172681 }}Tove Jansson of ‘The Moomins’ fame, wrote this beautiful, gentle meditation on aging and nature, of a summer spent on a remote Finnish island. Cantankerous and feisty Grandma and her inquisitive 6yr old niece Sophia, have adventures and share life lessons, whilst exploring their wild surroundings. These are characters to truly fall in love with. A warm hug of a book.
Such gorgeous writing! Set in French-colonial Indochina, this novella tells the tale of a young girl’s sexual awakening and her fraught relationship with her mother. The story feels dreamlike, as an elderly woman reminisces about her life, hazy and ethereal at times, as memories appear to slip from her grasp. Just beautiful…
This is the perfect twisty literary thriller to get lost in. Full of intrigue and manipulation, psychological twists and a sultry atmosphere, I really couldn’t put it down. When a young Englishman accepts a teaching position on a remote Greek island, he befriends a wealthy recluse, and is soon caught in a dangerous web of manipulation and control. Perfect for fans of The Secret History.
Inspiring cookbooks perfect for summer…
{{ product: 9781324021162 }}Part travelogue, part cookbook, and packed full of gorgeous photography to inspire. The cuisine of France’s sunniest city, is as colorful, vibrant and luscious as you could dream of. Be inspired by the seasons, to shop your local farmer’s market for produce and recreate the simple, healthy cuisine at home.
This is one of those cookbooks that is as much fun to read, as it is to cook from. Berens’ food writing is joyful and at times hilarious, and the photography will make your mouth water. Organized by each fruit, these recipes will inspire you to take that gorgeous summer produce and roast, grill, preserve or even chop into a salad, to create a season of delicious dishes.
Summer is not complete without…. A new book by Elin Hildebrand!
{{ product: 9780316259187 }}A paperback perfect for your beach bag is The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand. After reading this, all I could think about were these questions – Who would be the friend from each decade that I would invite to MY five star weekend, what summery recipes would I serve for each meal, and what throwback tunes would be on the playlist?!