It’s about time to pack up a bag full of books a la Agent Carter and hit the beach for some hot, sandy summer reading. Okay, I’m sure you will also hit the waves, but you know what I mean. Who doesn’t love a really great read on a hot summer afternoon? Here are the great titles that are hitting the shelves in the very near future that we cannot wait for over here at Nerdist.com!
To get your summer rolling, dive into The Ghost Network by Catie Disabato. It just came out a few weeks ago, and to be honest, I picked it up because someone sold it to me on Twitter with the phrase “Lady Gaga and The Westing Game have a baby.” I know no book nerd who did not love Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game as a kid, and that combined with a pop star was just too good to pass up. I got a copy and I flew through it in a week. I could not put it down. It’s pure candy but totally fun and different. I am still occasionally lying down on the floor to stare up at the ceiling pondering its ending. It is also the only book on this list that is out before June 2nd so get cracking.
We’ve been reading about Steven Spielberg helming the film development of Ready Player One, but writer Ernest Cline will be back on our bookshelves long before that movie hits the big screen. His newest novel Armada will be released on July 14th. So far it’s being heralded as a great coming of age story, awesome alien invasion, and just as covered in pop culture references as his first book.
I have a hard time thinking that anyone has made it to adulthood without reading a Judy Blume novel, so it’s pretty exciting for the entire book-reading community that her next novel In the Unlikely Event is coming to a bookstore near you on June 2nd. Inspired by real events that Blume witnessed in the 1950s, her new novel chronicles three generations grappling with the aftermath of disaster in New Jersey. Even if it’s not your normal style, give this story a chance if only because there is no greater beach read than a Judy Blume book in my opinion.
The only writer I equate with that statement about no greater beach read is Stephen King, and the master has not one but two books to look forward to in the coming months. First, on June 2nd, you can grab Finders Keepers. And if you’re very patient, as the seasons turn and the beach is too cold for reading, he’ll have The Bazaar of Bad Dreams will hit the shelves in November. I’m not personally a huge horror fan, but I can appreciate King’s ability to spin a story that will have you unable to put the book down while completely terrifying you.
If you’re more in the mood for a classic read to shove in your tote bag in July, Harper Lee‘s new novel (which is not without controversy) will be available July 14th. Go Set A Watchman is purported to be Lee’s earliest novel and pre-dates To Kill A Mockingbird. While rumors have circulated about how much Lee wants this book published and whether she can even protest it if she’s not happy with it, the literary community has been chomping at the proverbial bit for months to get their hands on review copies. The summaries that are available indicate it will tell stories directly related to her other book but twenty years after the fact. This may be the most hotly anticipated book of the summer.
If you’d rather laugh your way through the summer, Nerdist pals Aziz Ansari and Felicia Day are both about to put out books that we cannot wait to read. Modern Romance by Ansari will be available June 16th. After watching his Madison Square Garden special, I am excited to read more of his takes on love and dating in the twenty first century. Once you’re into the dog days of summer, look for Felicia Day’s first book You’re Never Weird On The Internet (Almost): A Memoir. It will be available August 11th. We’ve been teasing her memoir for a few months now, and with every taste I get of it, I become more and more convinced that I’m going to read it with the sound of her voice in my brain. Is that weird? That shouldn’t be weird.
If you loved The Night Circus a few years ago, I’m hearing wonderful things about Erika Swyler‘s new novel The Book of Speculation: A Novel which will be available June 23rd. There are mermaids, strange old books and a fancy family saga to completely rope you in. It’s on my short list. I just hope it fits in my bag. I’m worried I’m running out of room.
If you’re in the mood for some superheroes but your pull list is already full, I definitely recommend checking out The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half-Baked Heroes From Comic Book History out on June 2nd. I love my classic superheroes as much as the next girl but give me some new old costumes, characters and masks to learn about. Jon Morris has compiled the histories and art of some of the strangest and most unusual superheroes that ever saw print and collected them here for you. Definitely check it out!
And if you’re looking for something wonderful, historic, and meaningful for the beginning of summer, pick up Nick Offerman‘s new book Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers. I got to see him at BookCon, and I have a renewed vigor to learn about both George Washington and Carol Burnett. Gumption is important. It will help you change the world. So head out to a bookstore right now (because it came out last week) and read this book. It looks to be excellent.
There’s a little something here for each month of the summer if you try hard and read fast enough. Make sure to let us know what you think of all the titles!
