Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Books Set During the Summer
The Top Ten Tuesday prompt today is a Summer Freebie, meaning we were able to pick whatever topic we wanted that dealt with Summer. Here are ten books that are set during the summer that I have enjoyed.
1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares- One of my favorite book series in middle school and early high school was The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Each of the books in this series are set during the summer with Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen sharing a pair of jeans as they spend their summers apart. I remember loving the idea of this “magic” pair of pants that can keep these girls close even when they are so far away from each other. This was a very formative read for me that I still have fond memories of all these years later. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 18 years since I read those first four books. Also, this book is the reason why I have wanted to go to Santorini, Greece for a good portion of my life now.
2. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare- One of my favorite Shakespeare plays that I read during the summer after I graduated from high school, in 2012. I love the antics of Puck in this story and how magical it feels. Midsummer Night refers to the night of the Summer solstice. This play is set in Athens and revolves around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta from Greek Mythology. It also deals with the fae who cause mischief during the events of the story.
3 Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman- I read Call Me By Your Name about eight years ago during the summer because I wanted to read it before seeing the movie. It is a story about a teenager, Elio, who falls in love with an older man, Oliver, during the summer in Italy. Andre Aciman does an incredible job showing how fleeting a romance like this would be and also how fleeting summertime is. This book was an emotional one for me.
4. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks- I have talked about this book on here before and is definitely one I think of for summertime. It is a story about a girl named Ronnie who goes to North Carolina to stay with her father during the summer. I definitely remember reading this book a couple of times during the summer along with watching the movie.
5. Run Away With Me by Brian Selznick - The most recent book I have read on this list and is definitely one of my favorites. Run Away with Me is a historical fiction book set during the 80s in Rome. It follows two teenagers, Danny and Angelo as they fall in love during the summer of 1986. It is a story of first love, history, and the city of Rome itself. I love Brian’s books so much and how he always tells his stories through words and illustrations. This is one of my top five favorite books of the year and I look forward to rereading it very soon. I might just do so this month.
6. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan- The Percy Jackson books are set throughout the year but the majority of the books take place during the summer, while Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are at Camp Half Blood. I love Rick’s take on Greek Mythology and cannot get enough of these wonderful books. Many of Rick’s other series take place during the summer too.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- This book does not fully take place during the summer but there are many important scenes that do. It takes place between the years 1933 and 1935 and focuses on Jean Louise “Scout” Finch’s childhood. To Kill a Mockingbird is a beautiful story that stands out among many of the popular American classics.
8. Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman- Another favorite from middle school for me, though I will say I always enjoyed the movie much more than the book. When I think of this book, summertime and magic come to mind. The story is about two girls named Claire and Hailey, who are spending their last summer together before Hailey and her mother move. They find a mermaid at the bottom of Claire’s family beach club’s pool and go on an adventure to help this mermaid named Aquamarine. Mermaids have always been my favorite mythological creature and I just adored this story as a young girl.
9. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett- I thought of this book for this list because it takes place on Midsummer’s night and deals with the fae just like A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is the 14th book in the Discworld series and the fourth book in the Witches subseries. I’m a big fan of Terry’s elves in this book. They are such an interesting depiction.
10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- Gatsby has been a favorite book of mine for over 12 years now. I remember when I first read it after watching the Leonardo DiCaprio movie and falling in love with this story. Most of the book takes place during the summer of 1922 and follows Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, and the titular character Jay Gatsby. It is a story I definitely think about when I think of books set in the summer, especially because of one of the scenes near the end of the book.
