It is finally that time of year, SUMMER.
To say that we are all excited for summer would be an understatement. It is a time for beach days, no school, and lots and lots of reading. This is also the time for amazing new releases! I always use summer to catch up on my reading. It is my chance to tackle by gigantic TBR pile. But it is also the time of year that I try a lot of new recommendations from friends and other bloggers! So, to start off the season, here are some great Y.A. books I recommend picking up this summer!
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This book. Oh, my goodness, this book. I recently finished devouring this beautiful romantic read and I recommend EVERYONE should pick this book up! This follows two of the most charming characters. It is so magical, so real and honest, so pure and heartfelt. McQuiston did a fantastic job writing this beautiful story. The writing is so contemporary but eloquent. I found every single character three dimensional and filled out. The plot was also never boring. It kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen. This story tackles so many amazing modern day important topics in such a beautiful way. I really loved Henry and Alex’s story, and I cannot wait for more by this author!
Synopsis:
When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn’t always diplomatic.
Again, But Better by Christine Riccio
Have you ever wanted to go back to school, or a moment in your past, and redo it? Have you ever wanted the chance to change your fate? In Christine Riccio’s new book, Again, But Better, we follow a young woman who gets that chance. This book takes so many unexpected turns that by the end of it, I was in awe at the plot and story-telling. This book was brilliantly written. The characters are all so honest in the way that they are portrayed that you will fall head over heels in love with all of them. I personally related to this story so much. It was so much fun getting to follow the main character through her year abroad and see her struggle and triumph in her life. I adore this book and its many messages hidden between the pages.
Synopsis:
Shane has been doing college all wrong. Pre-med, stellar grades, and happy parents…sounds ideal — but Shane’s made zero friends, goes home every weekend, and romance…what’s that? Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. Time’s a ticking, and she needs a change — there’s nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroad in London. She’s going to right all her college mistakes: make friends, pursue boys, and find adventure! Easier said than done. She is soon faced with the complicated realities of living outside her bubble, and when self-doubt sneaks in, her new life starts to fall apart. Shane comes to find that, with the right amount of courage and determination one can conquer anything. Throw in some fate and a touch of magic – the possibilities are endless.
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
Pitched as the Lesbian hate to love story we have all been waiting for, Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi is a fantastic romance for the ages. I read this book and fell head over heels in love with the two strong, creative, and funny lead women. I adored this story because it had so many different layers to it. The characters are complicated and human. I thought that this story did a perfect job of showing the struggles that someone who is trying to find themselves can go through, and I adored the family aspects in this book. This book has so many different things to offer and talk about and it was really a breath of fresh air.
Synopsis:
The first time Sana Khan asked out a girl–Rachel Recht–it went so badly that she never did it again. Rachel is a film buff and aspiring director, and she’s seen Carrie enough times to learn you can never trust cheerleaders (and beautiful people). Rachel was furious that Sana tried to prank her by asking her on a date. But when it comes time for Rachel to cast her senior project, she realizes that there’s no more perfect lead than Sana–the girl she’s sneered at in the halls for the past three years. And poor Sana–she says yes. She never did really get over that first crush, even if Rachel can barely stand to be in the same room as her. Told in alternative viewpoints and set against the backdrop of Los Angeles in the springtime, when the rainy season rolls in and the Santa Ana’s can still blow–these two girls are about to learn that in the city of dreams, anything is possible–even love.
There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
When I got this book, I was excited, but I had no idea how much the story would speak to me and move me. I had always heard amazing things about Sandhya Menon’s writing but had never actually picked one of her books up. There’s Something About Sweetie was the first book I read by this wonderful author, and now I cannot wait to dive back into her writing. This book is the perfect mix of romance and important messages. It deals with first and second loves, body positivity, and how to navigate a family you love but differ from you in many important ways. This book had so much heart in it. It was the perfect romance, and I have been recommending it to EVERYONE. This is honestly one of my favorite YA contemporaries I have EVER READ. It is now in my top three favorites.
Synopsis:
Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work? Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death. Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of. Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?
