Come summertime, everyone seems to preach the same beach read year after year: a romantic melodrama, most often set in some Southern small town and most definitely penned by one Mr. Nicholas Sparks. Sure, such a casual tale can be emotionally comforting and ideal for that well-referenced beach read, but not all of us spend May through August styled in a swimsuit at Indiana Dunes.
More realistically, we spend our summers wearing sun dresses to the farmer’s market, skorts on the tennis court or band tees on the Klipsch lawn. So if one’s summer style is so unique, can’t we expect our choice of literature to follow suit? We partnered with IndyReads Books to take the season to the next level by matching your summer style to the perfect summer read.
BRONZED BIKINI BY THE POOL
The Book: “Boy, Snow, Bird” by Helen Oyeymi
The Gist: Oyeymi takes the tale of Snow White and transports its fantastical storyline into a racially charged, 1950s context.
The Genre: Fairytale fiction
Read It In 5 Words: Racial identity, redemption, family feuds
STRIPED SAILOR AT THE HELM
The Book: “Moby-Dick In Pictures” by Matt Kish
The Gist: Taking apart the traditional Moby-Dick, Kish illustrates each page to tell his story and leaves the words in the margins.
The Genre: Artistic spin on classic literature
If It Were Only 5 Words: Heartfelt, imaginative, epic, cheat-reading
CAMPING CARGOS ON AN ADVENTURE
The Book: “The Girls” by Emma Cline
The Gist: Cline reimagines the 1960s Manson murders through narrator Evie Boyd who at 14 finds herself entangled with an estranged cult
The Genre: Historical novel
Read It In 5 Words: Adolescent confusion, confession, unchecked appetites
NIMBLE NIKES ON THE TENNIS COURT
The Book: “Citizen” by Claudia Rankine
The Gist: Rankine composes a series of poems that critic the American view of race, including a chapter devoted to the media’s portrayal of Serena Williams.
The Genre: Poetry/essays
Read It In 5 Words: Celebrity, language’s power, racial microaggressions
SLEEK SUN HAT AT THE FARMER’S MARKET
The Book: “The Homemade Vegan Pantry” by Miyoko Schinner
The Gist: It’s hard to find the butter and bread basics in a vegan lifestyle, but you can make them with this book.
The Genre: Cookbook
Read It In 5 Words: Ethical eating, kitchen staples, homemade
FAVORITE FLOWER CROWN OF THE CONCERT
The Book: “How To Listen To Jazz” by Ted Gioia
The Gist: Gioia serves a lesson in music history and appreciation, making jazz accessible to the casual listener.
The Genre: Nonfiction
Read It In 6 Words: Performance, training the ear, musical genius