Summer vacation is a great time to rediscover a love of reading. Whether it is a physical book or a Kindle, it is a great way to spend some idle time at the beach, poolside, or at the campsite. My wife loves her new Kindle, but I personally love the feel of a book in my hands and as such have never quite taken to the Kindle experience but everyone has their preferences.
From whimsical adventures for the younger readers to fantastical voyages for young adults, reading during spring break can be a delightful escape for everyone, enriching vacation time with the joy and wonder of discovery. We have made a small listing of some books, both fiction (mostly) and non-fiction, we think you and your family might enjoy over the summer. Some are older, some are newer, many are a series you can explore fully. All are somebody's favorite!
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Kindle Paperwhite
I'll start off the list with the Kindle just in case you were considering it. we just bought this one and it is awesome. 16GB of storage, with a 6.8” display and thinner borders, adjustable warm light, up to 10 weeks of battery life. Has a flush-front design and 300 ppi glare-free display that reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight. Built to withstand accidental immersion in water, so you’re good from the beach to the pool. The model here is the Agave color but it is also available in black and denim.
Don't forget to check out the Kindle unlimited free 3 month trial and get access to millions of titles.
Kindle Paperwhite
Fiction Offerings
Ages 8 -12
Pax
Pax: Journey Home
Author Sara Pennypacker
This endearing series is hands down my daughter's favorite books. She took to the series so much so that we now have a bevy of stuffed foxes all over the house. The first book tells the heartfelt story of a boy named Peter and his fox, Pax, whom he rescued as a kit. When his father goes off to war, Peter is forced to leave Pax behind. Unwilling to accept the loss of his beloved friend he embarks on a journey to reunite with him, facing challenges and growth along the way. Pax, adapting to the wild, encounters other foxes and learns about survival and friendship. Their journeys explore themes of love, loyalty, and the impact of human conflict on nature.
The second book picks up the story of Peter and Pax a year after their separation. Now an orphan, Peter joins a group called Water Warriors to repair watercourses damaged during the war, while Pax, now with a mate Bristle and kits, faces challenges in the wild. When one of these kits gets very ill, Pax seeks out the only human he can trust and the two find themselves on a collision course towards healing and each other once again.
Note: The books are a lovely story but they do deal with the topics of death, war, and the destruction it brings.
Pax Boxed Set (Hardcover)
The Wild Robot
The Wild Robot Escapes
The Wild Robot Protects
Author Peter Brown
Another favorite in our household, and soon to be released as a movie in September 2024. The first book is the tale of Roz, a robot who unexpectedly finds herself on a deserted island. Initially, her mechanical nature makes survival and integration into the island's ecosystem a challenge. However, Roz slowly adapts, learning from the island's animal inhabitants and gradually becoming a part of their community. The story explores themes of nature, technology, and the meaning of life, as Roz navigates the complexities of friendship, motherhood, and survival in an untamed wilderness.
In the second offering Roz finds herself captured and reprogrammed to work on a farm. Despite her new life and duties, she yearns to return to her island and the animal friends she left behind. The sequel explores Roz's journey as she navigates challenges and makes new alliances, highlighting themes of friendship, perseverance, and the importance of finding one's true home.
In the final book we have Roz happily back on her island with her animal friends until one day a poison tide threatens their existence. Roz sets off to find the source of this poison tide and stop it. In her journey she encounters unique geological formations and amazing creatures, and she sees the devastation caused by the poison tide. Can she find the source and save her island in time?
The Wild Robot Paperback (Vol. 1)
Wild Robot Boxed Set (Hardcover)
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
Skandar and the Phantom Rider
Skandar and the Chaos Trials
Skandar and the Skeleton Curse (Available October 2024)
Author A.F. Steadman
Soar into a breathtaking world of heroes and unicorns as you’ve never seen them before in this “unexpected, suspenseful, and heartwarming” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade debut perfect for fans of the Percy Jackson and Eragon series!
Skandar Smith has always yearned to leave the Mainland and escape to the secretive Island, where wild unicorns roam free. He’s spent years studying for his Hatchery exam, the annual test that selects a handful of Mainlander thirteen-year-olds to train to become unicorn riders. But on the day of Skandar’s exam, things go horribly wrong, and his hopes are shattered…until a mysterious figure knocks on his door at midnight, bearing a message: the Island is in peril and Skandar must answer its call.
Skandar is thrust into a world of epic sky battles, dangerous clashes with wild unicorns, and rumors of a shadowy villain amassing a unicorn army. And the closer Skandar grows to his newfound friends and community of riders, the harder it becomes to keep his secrets—especially when he discovers their lives may all be in graver danger than he ever imagined.
And that is just the first offering in this series!
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief (Kindle)
Skandar Three Book Set (Hardcover)
Ages 13 -18 (Young Adult)
The Stormlight Archive
Author Brandon Sanderson
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan was one of my favorite fantasy sci-fi series and when he passed in 2007 I was devastated that I'd not get to read the end of the epic series. Fortunately Brandon Sanderson, working with extensive notes from Robert, was able to complete the saga in 3 final volumes. I was so impressed by his writing and how well he echoed Jordan's work that I went on to read some of his other books. This is a pretty good read at 4 books and counting (the 5th is due to get released December 2024). While I have placed this in the YA section, this could just as easily be located in the adult sci-fi/fantasy section as well. The books that are available currently are:
Here's a brief synopsis of the first four books in the series:
The Way of Kings (2010) - This first book introduces you to the world of Roshar and its complex system of magic, politics, and ancient history. It follows several main characters, like Kaladin, who evolves from a slave to the leader of a revolutionary group of soldiers. There is also Shallan, a young woman who seeks to study under a renowned scholar to save her family from ruin. And there is Dalinar, a highprince haunted by visions of Roshar's ancient past, urging him towards peace in a land rife with war.
Words of Radiance (2014) - The second book focuses on the further development of its central characters, delving deeper into their backgrounds and the secrets of the Knights Radiant. Shallan's quest for knowledge leads her on a dangerous journey to uncover the mysteries of the ancient order of Knights Radiant and their connection to the mythical voidbringers. Meanwhile, Kaladin grapples with his new powers and the responsibilities they bring.
Oathbringer (2017) - In the third volume, Dalinar's past comes to the forefront, exploring his journey from a ruthless warlord to a leader striving for unity among the fractured kingdoms of Roshar. As ancient truths about the Knights Radiant and the true nature of the enemy emerge, the characters must confront their own beliefs and loyalties.
Rhythm of War (2020) - The fourth book delves into the escalating conflict between the forces of Roshar and the invading singers, a race once thought to be mere mythology. The characters face internal and external battles, exploring the realms of science, magic, and spirituality. New alliances are formed, and new revelations about the nature of the Cosmere (Sanderson's interconnected universe) come to light.
Wind and Truth (December 6, 2024) - Dalinar Kholin has challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions, and the Knights Radiant and the nations of Roshar have a mere 10 days to prepare for the worst. The fate of the entire world—and the Cosmere at large—hangs in the balance.
The Way of Kings Paperback (Vol. 1)
Stormlight Archive MM Boxed Set , Books 1-3
The Selection (5 book series)
Author Kiera Cass
Not exactly my cup of tea with this series but I have heard my daughter talk about it from her friends at school. I will be buying them for her in a couple years perhaps but if you have a teenager it might be a great fit. It certainly took the number one spot New York Times bestselling series so that is saying something. This series combines romance, dystopian elements, and the journey of self-discovery within a royal competition setting.
The Selection series synopsis by book:
The Selection: America Singer is one of thirty-five girls chosen for a chance to escape a rigid caste system and live a life of luxury. The competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fierce, but America's heart is torn between the prince and her first love, Aspen.
The Elite: The competition narrows to six girls, intensifying the challenges. America struggles with her feelings for Maxon and Aspen, while political unrest threatens the kingdom.
The One: America fights for her future with Maxon but faces devastating losses and must decide where her heart truly belongs, as rebel forces grow stronger.
The Heir: Twenty years later, Princess Eadlyn faces her own Selection, showing a different side of the royal family and the complexities of love within the palace walls.
The Crown: In the fifth and final book of the series Eadlyn Schreave, now having taken on the role of the first female ruler in her own Selection, must navigate her feelings for the remaining suitors while addressing the challenges of the kingdom. As political and personal pressures mount, Eadlyn's journey toward finding love and securing the throne culminates in unexpected ways, challenging her perceptions of duty, love, and leadership.
The Selection Paperback (Vol. 1)
The Selection Series Boxed Set, Paperback
Adult Readers
The Empyrean Series
Author Rebecca Yarros
A mix of fantasy and romance (aptly dubbed romantasy) is found in this series. In the first book Fourth Wing, we are introduced to Violet. A 20 year old woman who was expecting to live a quiet scholastic life at the Scribe Quadrant. These plans are upended by her fearsome mother, known to others as the commanding general, when she orders her daughter to enlist as a candidate to become a dragon rider.
Violet's fragile physique poses a unique risk in a world where dragons not only reject the weaker candidates; they incinerate them. With the competition fierce and dangers looming from both the battlefield and within the ranks, including from the formidable Xaden Riorson, Violet relies on her intellect to survive. Amidst escalating war and dark secrets at Basgiath War College, alliances blur as survival and ambition collide.
In the second installment, Iron Flame, Violet has survived so far much to her own surprise. Having passed the first challenge she now faces an even more grueling and emotionally taxing training regimen. One that is designed to strain and break even the strongest of the remaining candidates. Despite the efforts of the new vice commandant's personal vendetta against her, she is determined to navigate the deadly intrigues within the college's walls. Armed with a critical secret that could change everything, her survival and the fate of Basgiath hinge on more than just her ability to endure; they require her to outwit and outlast those who underestimate her.
It is recommended to read these books in order.
Fourth Wing Hardcover
Iron Flame Hardcover
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author Sarah Maas
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he's not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.
This is the first book in a series of 5. Other titles are, in order:
A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Wings and Ruin
A Court of Frost and Starlight
A Court of Silver Flames
A Court of Thorns and Roses
The Long Way Home
Author Richard Chizmar
If you don't think you'll be able to forge your way through a full novel this summer then try this offering that has seventeen short stories, two essays, and a short script by award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Richard Chizmar.
Eerie, suspenseful, poignant, the stories in The Long Way Home run the gamut from horror to suspense, crime to dark fantasy, mainstream to mystery. Chizmar's previous short story collection, A Long December, was included on numerous "Best Books of the Year" lists. Available on Kindle for an amazing low price of 0.99!
The Long Way Home (Kindle)
The Long Way Home (Paperback)
Three Inch Teeth
Author C.J. Box
The 24th book in the Joe Pickett series of books about the tenacious Wyoming Game Warden. In this latest installment, a rogue grizzly bear has gone on a rampage—killing, among others, the potential fiancé of Joe’s daughter. At the same time, Dallas Cates, who Joe helped lock up years ago, is released from prison with a special list tattooed on his skin. He wants revenge on the people who sent him away: the six people he blames for the deaths of his entire family and the loss of his reputation and property.
Using the grizzly attacks as cover, Cates sets out to methodically check off his list. The problem is, both Nate Romanowski and Joe Pickett are on it.
Three-Inch Teeth (Kindle)
And for some non-fiction offerings...
The Psychology of Money
Author Morgan Housel
Doing well with money isn’t necessarily about what you know. It’s about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people.
Money―investing, personal finance, and business decisions―is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together.
In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life’s most important topics.
The Psychology of Money (Paperback)
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
A must-have for the fans of the New York Times bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris, a collection of his favorite short fiction from Flannery O'Connor to Tobias Wolff.
David Sedaris is an exceptional reader. Alone in his apartment, he reads stories aloud to the point he has them memorized. Sometimes he fantasizes that he wrote them. Sometimes, when they’re his very favorite stories, he’ll fantasize about reading them in front of an audience and taking credit for them. The audience in these fantasies always loves him and gives him the respect he deserves.
David Sedaris didn’t write the stories in Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules . But he did read them. And he liked them enough to hand pick them for this collection of short fiction. Featuring such notable writers as Lorrie Moore, Alice Munro, Joyce Carol Oates, Jean Thompson, and Tobias Wolff, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules includes some of the most influential and talented short story writers, contemporary and classic.
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (Kindle)
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide
Author Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever
This book combines two things I love: Food and Travel.
Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter—and many places beyond.
In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places—in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable.
Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide (Kindle)
Nothing to your liking on this list? Whatever your preference, you can check out what is hot at the Amazon best Sellers List here or see what others are reading in the Amazon Book Clubs section.
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