Finally… summer is almost here. Lots of people will be cooking out, going on vacations, and attending concerts to enjoy the fine summer air. Maybe you’re not into that though… maybe you would rather avoid the humidity, heat, and social interaction in favor of a perfectly controlled, quiet indoor climate . Whatever your preferences are, we wanted to provide a few of our favorite reads to help you find that perfect summer book.
First up on our list is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This is one of the few books that I have actually read multiple times. Ready Player One takes place in the year 2044 where the world has become pretty bleak. To escape the world around them, most people take part in a virtual reality MMO environment called the OASIS. The story centers around Wade Watts, better known by his handle, Parzival, as he takes part in a massive hunt to find hidden keys left in the OASIS by its creator James Halliday. The winner will inherit Halliday’s fortune and will own the OASIS. There are a multitude of retro pop culture references for movies and video games from the 80s peppered throughout the book as he searches the OASIS for the keys. You should check it out now because it is currently being made into a feature film by none other than Steven Spielberg!
Our second recommendation is Stephen King‘s It. First published in 1986, It follows a group of boys in Derry, Maine as they try to avoid a creepy clown that is responsible for the disappearance of Georgie, one of the boys brothers. While Stephen King is known for horror, I love his books because of the depth of his character development and this is one of his best. Don’t let the 1,168 page length scare you off because this book is an easy read that leaves you looking around corners. As if the 1990s mini-series made from this book wasn’t creepy enough, a theatrical version of the book is due out this September.
Our third summer book recommendation is from everybody’s favorite astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson. His new book is titled Astrophysics For People in a Hurry and it aims to explain the complex nature of our universe in 12 short essays that you can fit in whenever you have the time. This is a book to keep with you that should become your go-to boredom killer instead of always picking up your iPhone. Sure you won’t get likes and retweets from reading it, but you may learn something new.
LET’S NOT FORGET THE KIDS!
Of course we cannot forget about the little ones so we have two recommendations that you can pick up to read to them as they go to bed.
The first recommendation comes from the world of The Dark Tower, but it is not written by Stephen King. Charlie the Choo Choo is a 24-page picture book written by Beryl Evans and illustrated by Ned Dameron. While the illustrations may look a little creepy, the story is actually a nice children’s story. If you are a fan of the The Dark Tower series, you will definitely want to pick this one up.
Our last summer book recommendation is Mars Rover Rescue written by Andrew Rader and illustrated by Galen Frazer. This book follows a crew of animal astronauts as they prepare for their trip to Mars to rescue a missing rover. Before they get there, they must figure out how to survive the Martian landscape by working together. What makes this book different is that it is written by a real Aerospace Engineer! Make sure you grab this one for your favorite little astronaut…
Tell us what some of your favorite summer books are below!
