What I’ll be reading this Summer! Part 2

Ok so last week we went over a bunch of mostly new contemporary releases that I want to get my hands on this summer. This list is all already released but they are books and I do want to read them this summer. I’m being very ambitious, and I probably won’t get around to them all, but I really hope I at least make a dent in this list.

1. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

I have wanted to read this book since finishing Levithan’s and Cohn’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, which was amazingly funny and fast and satisfying (also the movie is underrated in my opinion, it’s on Netflix and is one of the best movies to watch if you are in a slightly hysterical mood). Dash and Lily’s book of Dares follows Dash and Lily on a mad dash around New York city as they complete a list of dares, leaving each other notes on the way. This sounds like such a fun read, and I know with Levithan and Cohn they will be such an interesting cast of characters, lots of snarky humour as well as a brilliantly written duel point of view. I’m hoping to pick this up second hand this year, and finally get it out of the way and off my amazon wishlist (where it has resided for YEARS).

2. Summer Days and Summer Nights, edited by Stephanie Perkins

Summer Days and Summer Nights is an anthology of twelve short and sweet contemporary stories set in summer. Stephanie Perkins is, of course, the author of the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy (which is, like, the next book on this list) and has previously edited a winter anthology called My True Love Gave to Me, which also saw a selection of well known YA authors writing short stories. There’s not all that much to say about this one. Sweet short romantic stories. Cool authors. About summer. Looks amazing. I want.

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

This book has been laying around forever at home. I’ve read the first page like three times. I even took it to Paris with me last summer in the hopes that being in such a perfect setting would inspire me to read (it didn’t, I was way too busy to even think about reading) but this summer I want to tackle this book. It has such amazing reviews, and I really enjoyed the first page AND I don’t even need to buy it! I have no excuse not to read this one.

Synopsis from Goodreads;

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris–until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all…including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

4. Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

I literally know next to nothing about this book apart from the title, the short synopsis on amazon and what a few people have been saying about it.

Synopsis from Amazon;

Fangirls get a bad rap all the time – people say we’re weird, hysterical, obsessed, certifiable. But those people don’t understand.

Just because we’re fangirls, doesn’t mean we’re crazy.

It’s important you know that up front. Because everything I’m about to tell you is going to seem . . . well, crazy.

From thrilling debut author Goldy Moldavsky comes Kill The Boy Band, a pitch-black, hilarious take on modern fandom and the badass girls who have the power to make – or break – the people we call ‘celebrities’.

I’m not all too sure if this is a spoiler or not, seeing as it says it on the cover (and I haven’t even read the book) but yeah, a bunch of girls end up killing their favourite boy band. For reasons unknown to me. But I intend very much to find out. Also this cover is amazing, the spine is also this bold text and it’s very eye catching. The only reason I don’t have this book already is because this is the hardcover edition, the paperback is a lot pinker with stars on it and I much prefer the hardback. Sigh. I’m waiting to find a used copy that doesn’t charge a fortune for delivery.

5. Romancing in the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus

The second book on this list set in Paris, Romancing in the Dark in City of light is quite a short book, but it from it’s goodreads’ synopsis it sounds like it might be a little dark.

Summer Barnes just moved to Paris to repeat her senior year of high school. After being kicked out of four boarding schools, she has to get on track or she risks losing her hefty inheritance. Summer is convinced that meeting the right guy will solve everything. She meets two. Moony, a classmate, is recovering against all odds from a serious car accident, and he encourages Summer to embrace life despite how hard it can be to make it through even one day. But when Summer meets Kurt, a hot, mysterious older man who she just can’t shake, he leads her through the creepy underbelly of the city-and way out of her depth.

When Summer’s behavior manages to alienate everyone, even Moony, she’s forced to decide if a life so difficult is worth living. With an ending that’ll surprise even the most seasoned reader, Romancing the Dark in the City of Light is an unputdownable and utterly compelling novel.

I actually own this book! This was totally a cover buy, and I somehow managed to get a brand new HARDCOVER next day delivery copy for like £2.80, which was lucky considering they are now a whopping £13.80 on amazon uk (which is $19.99 for all you Americans out there). Considering that once I sit down with this book it should be a day read there is no reason I shouldn’t read it this summer.

Also the author, Ann Jacobus, follows me on Instagram and that makes me happpy.

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And I think that might be it for contemporary reads this summer. I’m not the biggest contemporary fan anyway, its always only after some heavy fantasy reading that I even want a contemporary (as like a palette cleanser between courses if you will) and I keep on wanting to add more and more to this list, because I have so MANY contemporaries on my amazon wishlist. But I know I won’t get around to all of them this summer, and that was the point of this list- also there would literally be like 10 parts and thats just ridiculous.

If you have any thoughts on any of these books, or any good contemporaries to recommend leave a comment! I’d love to know what you think of contemporaries!