6 Must Read Books for the Summer of 2024

Posted July 20, 2024 by Prairie Wife - 1 comment

Summer and reading go hand in hand, and while technically Summer is halfway over, there is still plenty of time to read these 6 books before the summer of 2024 is over!

As usual, there is something for everyone because I refuse to read only one genre. Also, watch for our Prairie Wife Book Club with Wind City Books to kick back up again this Fall!

Young Rich Widows By Vanessa Lillie, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, Kimberly Belle

Nothing is better than loving a book and then finding it’s the first in a series! I was so excited when I finished reading “Young, Rich, Widows” and realized two more books were in the series. This novel takes place in the 1980s in New Jersey and Manhattan, and if you are the type to listen to books, I 100% recommend reading them that way. The hard-core Jersey accents bring this book to life! Four women are suddenly widowed when their partners die in a suspicious crash. The women are left destitute and fighting for their lives (literally and figuratively) while they try and find out if their loved ones are the good guys…or the bad guys. Add in a whole lot of sassy, strong female characters, legal twists and turns, and just the right amount of mob violence, and you can see why I was so happy that there were more books in this series. I have already read the second one and was NOT disappointed.

Cassandra in Reverse By Holly Smale

I admit that I was absolutely enamored and captivated by the main character in this novel, Cassandra. Not because she is likable but because I was so fascinated with how Smale described her thoughts! Cassandra is a young woman who is stuck in her ways. Anything that forces her out of her routine causes extreme anxiety and stress, and she is constantly trying to navigate a world of emotions that she can’t understand. When given the gift of time travel, Cassandra uses it to go back and try and fix all of her social mistakes…in the hopes that she will eventually land herself in the life of her dreams…if only she can get everything right! Ultimately, Cassandra realizes, “If things can be broken, then things can be changed; and if things can be changed, then it stands to good and logical reason that they can also be fixed.”  The writing in this book is fantastic, and I will be hunting for more books by Holly Smale.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? By Dr. Julie Smith

As someone who has spent years in therapy and loves to read all the self-help books I can find, I wasn’t surprised by anything I read in this book. That being said, it was a beneficial reminder about many things that I know…but haven’t necessarily been practicing in my day-to-day life. Dr. Smith has used her many years of experience as a clinical psychologist to help readers find tools to help them with life’s regular ups and downs. I like how clearly the book is organized, with chapters focusing on familiar topics. Anxiety, fear, grief, and motivation, to name a few. Each chapter describes the feeling/emotion and then offers a variety of insights into the emotion, followed by concrete tools that can be used to work through your feelings. I like how she emphasizes that it is okay and expected not to be happy and content all the time. I’m glad I bought this book (instead of listening to it) because I found many things to highlight.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Other than not liking the title of this book (I don’t see how it works), I have no complaints about “Such a Fun Age.” I knew ahead of time that it would cover some uncomfortable topics (racism and economic class systems) and honestly picked the book precisely because of the opportunity it would offer me to change my thinking. Emira is Alix Chamberlain’s nanny and watches her two girls while Chamberlain runs her own business…or takes a break from the chaos of her life. An emergency results in Elmira being out and about in town with Alix’s daughter late at night. A security guard refuses to believe that it’s appropriate for a young black woman to be with a young white child, and social chaos ensues. As someone who was a nanny for two families for several years, I understand the sometimes backward blurred boundaries that can result from this unique type of closeness. Stir in some unaddressed past teenage trauma and a male love interest, and you can see why this book is so captivating.

The House In the Cerulean Sea By TJ Klune

This book was wonderful! “A House in the Cerulean Sea” is a Fantasy novel that could be in the YA or Teen category, but as an adult, I found it perfect. Klune tells the story of Linus Baker, a simple man who is a dedicated employee of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. It’s his job to make sure that magical youth living in homes are being treated well. His life is rolling along just fine when he is given a top-secret assignment to look at the home of Arthur Parnassus and the six incredibly unusual (even by magical standards) children in his care. This story is imaginative, exciting, full of plot twists and revealed secrets, and in the end…a reminder that there are all kinds of love. When writing this review, it came to my attention that there are two books in the series, and I am excited to read the sequel to this!

The Vacation Rental By Katie Sise

This psychological thriller had me questioning my sanity by the end! It’s filled with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing, but the author lets you in on just enough of the characters’ private thoughts to feel confident you know what “really” happened—until Sise hits you with another surprise! Georgia rents out her family home for a month so she and her husband and daughter can go on a much-needed vacation. Anna is looking for a break from NYC and her demanding job (and a recent relationship) and feels like the country home is the answer to her prayers. Both women soon find that a location change cannot help them escape the ghosts and trauma of their pasts. And as their stories intertwine and new information is revealed, you’ll wonder if anyone in the story is genuinely innocent.

Are you looking for more books to read? Take a look at these!

Categories: Book Reviews, Reviews

Tags: , Book Reviews, books, cassandra in reverse, such a fun age, summer 2024, summer book reviews, the house in the cerulean sea, the vacation rental, why has nobody told me this before, young rich widows