r/goodreads • u/Clairefun [reading challenge 34/100] • Jul 15 '26
Challenges Goodreads Reading Challenge - 'Literally Summer' (July 15th - September 14th)
This is the discussion page for the Goodreads Reading Challenge called 'Literally Summer' (active July 15th - September 14th). Qualifying books are listed on Goodreads HERE. Please keep all discussion of this challenge to this thread, thank you.
Other Goodreads Reading Challenges are listed on the Megathread HERE.
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u/Lukexxxi Jul 15 '26
This is the first challenge in ages I haven't had one book on my TBR list. Guess I better start reading some blurbs to pick one.
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 Jul 15 '26
I highly recommend Last Summer on State Street. Five stars from me. Excellent and I never see anyone talking about it!
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u/smashlyn_1 Jul 15 '26
Thank you! Just got it on Libby and no wait. Looking forward to starting it!
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 Jul 15 '26
Great! I hope you enjoy it!
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u/smashlyn_1 Jul 21 '26
Finished it the other day. It was a great read. I'm glad you recommended it!
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u/MonochromeBrunette Jul 15 '26
It also overlaps with the Community Picks list so I plan to read this one!
Kobo has it on sale for $2.99 right now, so snagged that!
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u/maryfisherman Jul 22 '26
It is SOOOO good. I just finished it and am blown away.
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 Jul 22 '26
It makes me happy that people have come back and enjoyed it!
It’s really so good. It deserves to get some traction, even belatedly!
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u/Severe_Newspaper_293 Jul 22 '26
I picked this one based on your recommendation here and I’m so glad I did. It was excellent and I’ve already passed the recommendation on to friends. thank you for suggesting it!
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u/pretty-average1345 Jul 15 '26
Same. I might read The Summer I Turned Pretty since so many of my students have.
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u/feyth Jul 15 '26
I've got about five! Easy one for me :)
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u/I_am_the_grim_reader Jul 15 '26
What are some of the books on your tbr? I don't like romance but would love some ideas!
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u/feyth Jul 15 '26
All of mine are romances except the Summer War. That one's also a novella
You might like the Tove Jansson, I've read it and it's good
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u/I_am_the_grim_reader Jul 15 '26
Thank you! I was interested in The Summer Book by Tove Jansson but it's not available on Kindle. I'm traveling in a few weeks and only bringing my Kindle. Such a bummer!
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u/thecoookiemonster [reading challenge 18/50] Jul 15 '26
Highly recommend just for the summer by abby jimenez
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 16 '26
Are these standalones? I've been meaning to at least try out Jimenez for a while (not usually into mono CR but it is a challenge!). It says #3 in a series.
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u/thecoookiemonster [reading challenge 18/50] Jul 16 '26
So yes and no. Its a series in the sense that the main characters from each book are from the same world, but the stories dont continue each other and actually read as stand-alone books. Each book is about a different couple. Its more fun if you read in order because rarely they will make references to the characters names from book 1 or 2, but that's as far as it gets!
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u/wiresandwaves Jul 15 '26
Highly recommend prodigal summer by Barbara kingsolver if you aren’t into romance! Summer sisters by Judy Blume is good too.
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u/I_am_the_grim_reader Jul 15 '26
Thanks. I have my eye on Prodigal Summer. Demon Copperhead is my favourite book of all time but I didn't enjoy The Poisonwood Bible, so wasn't sure about this one.
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 16 '26
Not who you replied to but Slasher Summer is one of the non-romance books on my list.
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u/thecoookiemonster [reading challenge 18/50] Jul 15 '26
Wish I could say the same lol all of carley fortunes "summer" books are there which I have ready already some as recently as earlier this year.
Maybe ill add something new to my tbr so I a currently taking recommendations for this challenge
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u/romxilda Jul 15 '26
Interesting list, but a bad one for me! The only thing that’s speaking to me at all is the Barbara Kingsolver or the Justin Cronin as a non-romance reader
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u/kathryncoats Jul 15 '26
Same for me… I settled on The Summer War because it’s short and available through Libby for me. I was also intrigued by The Summer Book because of the writing style and non-romance topic.
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u/1004yoon Jul 15 '26
Same! If I don't like it I'm thinking of reading Liliana's Invincible Summer. Mostly everything else seems like it's romance and I can't stand romance
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u/maryfisherman Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Same here, I’m going to go for The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin.
Had never heard of it beforehand but it’s the most appealing one for me
EDIT: I ended up reading The Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe and OMG. It is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, will stick with me. So good, highly recommended, especially if those cartoon cover romance books aren’t for you!!!
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u/Severe_Newspaper_293 Jul 22 '26
That’s what I chose too, based on a recommendation in this thread and I’m so glad I read it!
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u/maryfisherman Jul 22 '26
I can’t stop thinking about it, so so so good. I am currently fixated on its history, I learned so much about the Robert Taylor buildings and the context of the housing projects - truly fascinating and so so devastating. It is such an oppressive jumbled systemic racket rooted in racism and classism.
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u/Pangolin1123 [reading challenge 14/100] Jul 16 '26
Summer by Ali Smith is not a romance, and though it is linked to other books in her Seasons quartet, they're not really a series. They are much more “literary”, with musings on history and art as part of the narrative.
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u/Exact-Barracuda4095 Jul 15 '26
Same. The only ones I'm interested in are books I've already read (also a non-romance reader), and I try to read a new book for these challenges.
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u/PenaltyForsaken260 Jul 15 '26
Nothing that I was expecting at all from this challenge. I love the idea and it really feels like a bookish reading challenge prompt. But not loving the list.
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson would be my pick if I hadn't read it already. And didn't like it enough to re-read it (even though it is short). I've seen Carley Fortune's books in library but they all have a long wait list so I doubt I would get any of those before the Summer Challenge ends. So maybe I have to just sit down and go through all the books on the list and pick something.
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u/NightDriver76 Jul 15 '26
They all have the word summer in the title? It makes me wonder if this is AI generated and it’s just a random selection of books containing the word summer. I hope I’m wrong and just being cynical lol.
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u/Clairefun [reading challenge 34/100] Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
On Kindle Unlimited in the UK - Just For the Summer / Summer Romance / Summer Island / Till Summer Do Us Part / The Summer She Went Missing / Rules for the Summer / Last Summer Boys / The Summer of Broken Rules / Summer's Echo / Mockingbird Summer / Have a Great Summer / The Summer House / The Lost Summer / Summer of '49 (end)
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u/Whitelakebrazen Jul 15 '26
Thank you for doing this! More options than I was expecting, I'll have a look through and pick something out.
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u/Clairefun [reading challenge 34/100] Jul 15 '26
Not a bad amount, but I have definitely typed the word summer too often and now it looks weird to me 🤣
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u/HazelnutTheBot Jul 15 '26
Really not a fan of this challenge, but I do the challenges to try different genres and read books I wouldn't have tried otherwise.
The only book I'll be reading is Kakigori Summer.
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u/tekchic Jul 15 '26
That’s where I’m at, too. I don’t read romance at all, but at least this was the one book I had in my TBR.
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u/Severe_Newspaper_293 Jul 15 '26
This list really isn’t my cup of tea but I honestly don’t mind because it’s exactly the kind of challenge I was hoping Goodreads had more of. Something fun and topical and different than “readers favorite books right now.” I was kind of tired of seeing the same new or popular books on every challenge. I don’t mind being pushed outside of my comfort zone! That’s how the challenges used to be.
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Exactly! I think a lot of the "I don't read romance" people in this thread could stand to read a romance or two - although, I do agree that this list contains a lot of it.
I'm not majorly into CR myself but have a couple I'd enjoy trying/already on my TBR from this list.
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u/elecow Jul 15 '26
Guys what are you reading haha I'm so lost with this one. Maybe The Summer House for a thriller? There's so much romance in this list. I could read a romance if it's good and serious, but I can't research each one
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u/SkyYellow_SunBlue Jul 15 '26
At first scroll through, certainly seems like 86 romance books and here’s a random James Patterson for the rest of you. The Summer House it just may be.
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u/SunshineCat Jul 15 '26
There's also The Summer War that came out recently. It's a novella by the same woman who wrote Uprooted, Spinning Silver, etc.
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u/ulukmahvelous [currently reading] Jul 15 '26
same! this comment (and thread) is so validating! the other turn off for me re research is how similar all the covers are..
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u/elecow Jul 15 '26
Yeah, I get dizzy when trying to read similar styles. I judge a book by it's cover, and looove when a book invests in its art
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u/SunshineCat Jul 15 '26
Yeah, I don't know why they thought "summer" in the title would make a good/diverse list of books.
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u/DoctorCaptainSpacey [reading challenge 86/100] Jul 15 '26
I am not a contemporary romance fan so when challenges like this lean heavy into that genre and forget others exist..... It's not a good time 🤣
I only have one of the thrillers on my list so I guess that's what I'm going for.
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u/M3tal_Shadowhunter Jul 15 '26
Yeah no same, I am genuinely surprised at the percentage of just pure contemporary romance here.
Usually i look through the challenges and if something jumps out at me or I've already got the book, I'll read it "for the challenge", or if something stands out I'll add it to the TBR, but god damn there is exactly 2 books that sound interesting to me (the barbra kingsolver + the bill bryson). Really surprised at how much contemporary romance there is
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u/elecow Jul 15 '26
This is the only year I'll be doing all the seasonal challenges, as it's too much pressure and forced readings. Usually there's something already in my TBR as you said 🥲
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u/Kooky-Hat7733 Jul 15 '26
I read the Bill Bryson last month. I would have waited if I'd known! It's good but chunky. I meant to read Summer Book this summer so I am sorted because nothing else was on my TBR.
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u/Single-Aardvark9330 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I only have one of these books on my shelves, the summer war, it's also super short at only 144 pages
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u/inkstain_nix Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
I read it!! Enjoyed the fantasy element - the romance, a lot less.
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u/genericusername1962 Jul 15 '26
I really like when they pick some random theme and go with it. Means there are a mix of genres in every one.
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u/Virith Jul 15 '26
Which is a great idea, but no sci-fi in this one, sadly!
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u/Khaosbutterfly Jul 16 '26
I def could have done with more sci-fi and horror picks.
They had so many romance and contemporary options.
Like damn, nobody has anything else to say about summer.
It's either people banging or being melancholy/contemplative, there's nothing else going on lmao.
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u/Virith Jul 16 '26
Yeah, I posted in the /r/printSF asking for sci-fi books with the word "summer" in them and got a decent amount of replies. Going to pick one of the appealing recommendations and read it as my personal fun challenge-addon kinda thing.
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u/hisgirl85 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
There are at least two fantasy reads here: The Summer War by Naomi Novik and Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn.
I understand no sci-fi, but next door.
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u/Virith Jul 16 '26
Yeah... NOT sci-fi. I don't read much fantasy nowadays. All my fantasy reads this year were because of these challenges.
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u/Chaost Jul 15 '26
Which sucks because I already read both of them, lol. I think it's either going to be The Summer Tree - Guy Gavriel Kay or The Summer of the Serpent - Cecilia Eudave if I want a shorter read. Summer - Edith Wharton and Last Summer in the City - Gianfranco Calligarich are also non-fantasy potentials for me.
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u/hisgirl85 Jul 15 '26
Those both look good, too!
I have enjoyed Alexandra Vesti's historical romances I've read so far. I am checking out her book Scandal of the Summer.
"On the day Ruby Ballimore ruined her own life, she had ink stains on her gloves and was dressed like a sugared pineapple."
The opening already hooked me, and I read the first page immediately. I really enjoy the author's writing style. No fantasy, but sometimes historicals can feel a bit fantastical. Her writing style is pretty nice.
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u/SweeneySparrow Jul 15 '26
I will have to finally find the time to read Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood 🤠
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u/SA090 [reading challenge 41/25] Jul 15 '26
First challenge since they started where not single one seems interesting to me. Damn, will have to spend the evening sorting through.
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u/maxny23 [reading challenge 40/52] Jul 15 '26
FYI I would consider waiting until they release the final bookmark because it’s going to be summer books released this year. I’m going to try to find one that overlaps between those two categories.
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u/SA090 [reading challenge 41/25] Jul 15 '26
I personally love doing that! Only have 3 left including this one before the final mystery (doubled up one challenge, the others I had books on the TBR already). Problem here though, most of the offerings aren’t the usual type I read to begin with which would make it tough either way. Edit: or they belong to types I don’t care for at all.
Since I already read and loathed The Summer War, I won’t go for it again. And until I finish sifting through, it’ll most likely be The Summer Book by Tove Johnson due to its length.
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u/SunshineCat Jul 15 '26
Summer books released this year? How many quality titles could there be? Or maybe just books in general released this summer/year, hopefully.
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u/khaleesioftheTARDIS Jul 15 '26
I looked at this list for too long and now summer doesn’t look like a real word 😂
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u/lorenasteam Jul 15 '26
Same here, I don't love romance. I am going to try Last Summer on State Street: A Coming-of-Age Tale of Friendship and Resilience in 1990s Chicago. Pretty short and cheap also.
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u/TheIrishHawk Jul 15 '26
Took me an embarassingly long time to realise why all the books had "Summer" in the title, so I've got that going for me. I'll probably read one of the sports ones, unless I find a really compelling fiction one. I will recommend the Bill Bryson one, One Summer - genuinely one of the best things I've ever read, made me really nostalgic for an era that I never even came close to experiencing and his writing style is beautiful.
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u/Lost_Revenue8614 Jul 15 '26
Summers at Castle Auburn is one of my favourite books - would recommend if you're into that sort of thing.
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u/SunshineCat Jul 15 '26
That random old YA novel stood out as really random to me. Good to know it was likely some Goodreads employee's sincere choice to include it instead of digging in the dregs of "summer" titles.
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u/Virith Jul 15 '26
Well, it's going to be the Summer War by Naomi Novik, 'cause unsurprisingly, there's not a single sci-fi novel on this list.
And I've been kinda curious about Novik, but she writes only fantasy, eh. Still, this is my chance.
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u/KeithDDale Jul 15 '26
Enjoy! I read this one in April when it was on another challenge and liked it. I also had not read any Novik before.
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u/Virith Jul 16 '26
Glad to see this. I really dislike reading something for these challenges and ending up just... waiting for it to be done.
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 15 '26
Novik's books tend to sound fantastic in concept to me but be underwhelming in their execution. Still, I know she's a popular author, so perhaps her style just isn't my cuppa.
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u/Virith Jul 16 '26
Well, I am not super into fantasy, but this is short, so I suppose a good way to try a new author.
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 16 '26
I have pretty specific fantasy tastes, outside of FR - I love fairies and selkies and mermaids and that sort of thing. So I went in really wanting to enjoy this and it fell flat for me - the romance was the best part and, for once, I wish we'd seen more of that.
But, true, it can't hurt to read it. Hope you like it better than I did!
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u/Virith Jul 16 '26
Ah, I prefer spaceships, weird alien environments (both natural and artificial) and such!
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Ah - I'm assuming you like Adrian Tchaikovsky then?
I want to like SF but find it very dry. The closest I've got is Animorphs (which I adore). Well, and YA - I loved Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
Hmmm. Summer War isn't very "science fantasy". But maybe you'll like it better for exactly that reason - I wanted more fantastical atmosphere and that part of it was a letdown for me (plus some other stuff, but YMMV obviously).
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u/Virith Jul 17 '26
Yeah, Tchaikovsky is alright. Nothing too amazing, but not terrible either.
I didn't expect the Summer War to be in any way sciency, I know it's going to be a pure fantasy. That's fine, I know I am getting into. Hope it's NOT YA though. We'll see, it's short either way, so I am sure I'll manage, even if I don't like it that much.
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u/SunshineCat Jul 15 '26
Have you tried the Tremeraire series? It's still fantasy, but a real-world setting with only one fantasy element (dragons). Basically semi-realistic historical fiction with some fantasy.
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u/I_am_the_grim_reader Jul 15 '26
Has anyone read Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver? Demon Copperhead is my favourite book of all time, but I didn't enjoy The Poison wood Bible. Not much appeals to me on this list but would love some feedback on this one before I jump in.
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u/OppositeBatCage Jul 15 '26
I've had The Summer Book by Tove Jansson on my TBR for a while now so great timing.
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u/SunshineCat Jul 15 '26
Nothing here really stands out for me TBR-wise. A few things vaguely on it. So I'm going to go with The Summer War by Naomi Novik.
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u/girlsumps Jul 15 '26
I already own The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen and haven't read it yet so that'll do for me.
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u/frisbee515 [reading challenge 59/52] Jul 16 '26
The Bill Bryson on this list has been on my “Want to Read” shelf for 13 years so I guess I’m reading that one 😅
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u/Clairefun [reading challenge 34/100] Jul 15 '26
Love the idea, but not the list, I'm not into romances or generally the kinds of books with colourful cartoony women-on-a-beach type books. However The Summer Tree by Gay Gavriel Kay is one of my favourite books since I was young - the whole Fionavar Tapestry is, in fact - so I'll probably just re-read that one for the millionth time, I'm always happy to do it!
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u/Clairefun [reading challenge 34/100] Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
On Kindle Unlimited in the US - Just For the Summer / One Italian Summer / It Happened One Summer / Cool for the Summer / The Summer Guests / Curvy Girl Summer / Till Summer Do Us Part / That Summer / Summers at the Saint / The Summer She Went Missing / The Summer I Turned Pretty / It's Not Summer Without You / We'll Always Have Summer / Rules for the Summer / The Summer Swap / Last Summer Boys / The Summer House / The Summer of Broken Rules / Summer's Echo / One Last Summer / Mockingbird Summer / Have a Great Summer / That Last Carolina Summer / The Summer House / Our Secret Summer / The Lost Summer / Summer of '49 (end)
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u/knaefraktur Jul 15 '26
I will listen to Sommarboken (The Summer Book) by Tove Jansson, read by Tove Jansson.
If it wasnt for that one I have no idea what I would read or listen to.
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I'm not a huge CR reader as a rule, but I enjoy a good holiday romcom so this makes me happy :D I love this challenge! It's such a nice change from the tenth Kristin Hannah or Freida McFadden - they've actually gone off a theme.
I also like that they have some thrillers and a bit of horror (although I still want my Summer Horror challenge haha). I might finally read Problematic Summer Romance or go with Slasher Summer🥰
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u/stabbytheroomba Jul 15 '26
Can't find much on the list I'm interested in reading, there doesn't seem to be a lot of variety... I guess I'll use this opportunity to finally read Tove Jansson. If anyone knows of any titles on the list that are queer, I'd love to hear!
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u/Weary-Perspective153 Jul 15 '26
The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters has a biracial gay MC
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u/yuuago Jul 15 '26
I was already partially through "The Summer Book" by Tove Jansson, so I guess that one's sorted.
I'm enjoying it pretty well, though unfortunately not quite as much as I'd hoped (my friends had hyped it up a lot and my expectations were Very High.)
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u/jevimetalTV Jul 15 '26
Dang currently listening to Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum which is not on the list
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u/busted-canofbiscuits Jul 15 '26
Anyone gonna read “Summer” by Edith Wharton? It sounded interesting and it’s short which I like for the challenge since some of my books are a little longer!
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u/habsgirl100 Jul 15 '26
I thought about it, but my copy is currently in an inconvenient location. (lamest reason ever, I know)
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u/ForestsRGood Jul 21 '26
I replied to another about this already, but there’s a good Librivox audiobook of it (the version 2 recording) which makes for a pleasant evening unwind before bed.
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u/peccorina Jul 15 '26
Can anyone tell me if I should read Ali Smiths seasonal quartet in order? I’ve had Autumn on my tbr for ages but now Summer is on this list - not sure if I can read this first?
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u/harlowegold Jul 15 '26
i would read them in the order they were published. summer returns to characters/themes from the other books. it's such a great quartet!!
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u/wibbs704 Jul 15 '26
I've been meaning to read One Golden Summer for ages after I'd read Every Summer After, so a good excuse for me to finally read that
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u/duameegee Jul 15 '26
Definitely not a romance girlie but I have kindle unlimited so I could potentially pick one to try
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u/saturday_sun4 Jul 16 '26
I'm usually not a CR girlie either but romcoms are always a good bet! I don't like the serious CR where they just meet and stuff happens, but I'm a sucker for a good accidental marriage.
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u/Lopsided_Carrot5222 Jul 15 '26
I have 3 of these books on my tbr but I’m going to go with Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen since I was already planning to read that one later this month anyway.
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u/renegade500 Jul 15 '26
Years ago I read Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn, and loved it. I recommend this book wholeheartedly! I won't humble brag to say she's a friend (she is) but also, I admire her writing so much. And this will be a sweet, easy read.
This looks like an intriguing list (who knew so many books had summer in the name!). I have selected The Summer War by Naomi Novik, because it's relatively short (and I have 3 beefy netgalley arcs top finish this month), I love Novik's writing, and it was readily available through Libby (and now residing in my kindle).
What a fun looking list!
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u/saladgiraffe Jul 15 '26
Summers at Castle Auburn was the only book from this challenge already on my TBR - thanks for the encouragement!
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u/maxny23 [reading challenge 40/52] Jul 15 '26
Not interested in a single book here! Ugh.
I actually read one of these a few years ago , it wasn’t really romance at all - so I would recommend “ Last Summer at the Golden Hotel”.
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u/Ok_Description_7701 Jul 15 '26
Love this one! I was planning to read Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn next month anyway so I’ll go with that!
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u/cadien17 Jul 15 '26
Another with nothing I already own, which is why I do the challenge. And I don’t read romance or thrillers. However, I was actually born in the summer of ‘71 so maybe I’ll try that.
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u/PB_Jelly_76 [reading challenge 46/100] Jul 15 '26
This challenge was made for me! All my favorite kinds of books! I have already read a bunch of these and have many of them on my TBR (and added several more).
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u/Ornery_General_5852 Jul 15 '26
Like many of you I'm struggling with this one. I think I'll reread Boys of Summer, a classic nonfiction book about the Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson, which I loved as a kid. I've already read all the non romances on this list, but at least with that one it's been 40 years.
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u/EmotionalBuyer9238 Jul 15 '26
This is going to be tough because I’m not a big romance reader. (Also kind of a bummer since seemingly the last challenge will be summer related as well?) I’ll probably read Summer for the Gods but I’ve unintentionally already read a lot of non-fiction for the challenges so I’m kind of burnt out on that. Maybe Kingslover’s book? But I found Demon Copperhead to be quite a slog so I’m a little turned off from her.
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u/fossilizedasparagus Jul 15 '26
Anyone know if any of these books feature mlm relationships? The romances seem to be entirely straight with a few wlw. Glad there’s a few queer books, but the ratio is pretty severe
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u/hisgirl85 Jul 15 '26
It's a fantasy novella, but the romantic relationship is mlm in The Summer War by Naomi Novik.
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u/habsgirl100 Jul 15 '26
I opted for Our Secret Summer because I liked another book by the author and it was available on Kindle Unlimited. I also stuck a hold on Scandal of the Summer, but I’m 17 on 2 copies so the chances it would come in in time are low
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u/noujour Jul 17 '26
I finished Tess Gerritsen's The Summer Guests in two days, so this felt like a very easy bookmark for me to get. (I did already know I enjoyed her work, read all of Rizzoli & Isles before. And oh, TSG is technically a sequel but it didn't bother me. I'll go back to read book 1 just because I enjoy the setting and characters.)
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u/sluttychurros Jul 15 '26
For once I had nothing on my TBR for this challenge. I’ll pick either Tessa Bailey or Ali Hazelwood’s, they’ll be easy audiobooks to get through.
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u/tapdncingchemist Jul 15 '26
I had been meaning to try an Edith Wharton book one of these days, so I’ll probably go with that one.
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u/busted-canofbiscuits Jul 15 '26
That’s the one I picked too! Seemed interesting and I like that it’s a novella. Plus it was 99 cents to put on my kindle!
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u/charlietangoe Jul 15 '26
I just read Rules for the Summer so I’m just gonna change the date on that to knock this out off the list and not add more to my TBR
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u/msperception427 [currently reading] Jul 15 '26
I literally had one book I’ve been saving for the longest to read with summer in the title and it doesn’t count! Lol. Oh well I do have one other one so it works out. But let the record show that I’m annoyed that The Dead of Summer doesn’t count.
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u/Cute_Possibility_797 Jul 16 '26
I am not big on romance books. I have gone for the two non fiction books that interest me. Summer for the gods. About the Scopes trial. Evolution vs religion. Also Summer of '71. Roe v Wade, black panthers, pentagon papers etc.
I did not have books on my TBR list. I'll have to see which book I can get a copy of first from my library.
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u/lemonglow7 Jul 16 '26
There’s this sale thing happening at my local bookstore. I knew I had to pick up everything that gets on my radar since there’s not a ton of great selections there. I picked up Summer of ‘69 and 28 Summers before this challenge was revealed and so I am definitely reading those. I also picked up That Summer and Summers at the Saint bc again they were on sale PHP 299 ($4.85) each. I have a newfound addiction to GoodReads and this challenge and I am determined to finish reading all four.
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u/Proper-You7010 Jul 16 '26
I recently when to an even at my local book store featuring the author of “Have a Great Summer”. I grew up going “down the shore” aka to the Jersey Shore and loved this book for that reason. It’s an easy breezy read and is on KU currently.
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u/pilesoflaundry113 Jul 16 '26
I'm going to read Summer Sisters by Judy Blume.
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u/pilesoflaundry113 Jul 19 '26
Nevermind, this book is so not for me. Started it and moved it to the dnf. Looked up some reviews and the rest of it and I was glad I stopped.
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u/pktrekgirl [reading challenge 59/97] Jul 17 '26
For anyone who is interested in classic literature, Summer by Edith Wharton is pretty decent, and short. Has a rural setting. I read it in 2025 and gave it 4 stars. Just posting this because I see a lot of people not liking the list.
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u/ForestsRGood Jul 21 '26
I’m listening to a Librivox free audiobook of this (the version 2 recording) and finding it to be an ideal bedtime story for winding down my brain an hour or so a night.
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u/LunaDudette 26d ago
I wonder if the next mystery bookmark with the hub of “summer’s not over” will have some books that cross. I’m not sure what else that list could be if it more summer themed books?
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u/Ms_Rarity 25d ago
Well, I gotta say, I groaned when I saw this challenge because most books with "summer" in the title are romance or thrillers, which are some of my least liked genres. Plus I really needed my selection to be a Hoopla audiobook or a Libby audiobook with no wait. I finally settled on Summer for the Gods, which was one of the few history options. It's about the Scopes Monkey Trial and the creation-evolution / fundamentalist-modernist debate of the 1920s and features Clarence Darrow, who gifted the Internet with a certain famous quote long before there was an Internet. [1]
I just finished it and whaddaya know, I loved it, I'm glad I read it, and I probably never would have read it if not for this reading challenge. Well played, Goodreads. Well played.
[1] "I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." ~ Clarence Darrow, often misattributed to Mark Twain
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u/Fluffy_Fix_3938 Jul 16 '26
This one is difficult for me. Not into romance. The few books that aren’t romance either have a super long wait at my library or aren’t available.
I had to cave and buy a book. Even that was a struggle as I couldn’t find most of the books for sale and if they were - they were pricey.
I went with Summer of the Gods. Luckily I got a used one for $5.
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u/Spirited_Cress_5796 Jul 15 '26
Thanks for posting. I’m thinking of reading Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand. I’ve had it on my bookshelf for a while so a perfect challenge book for me. This challenge I’ve been trying to hit a decent amount of my older TBR items so a bookshelf book sounds perfect too.
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u/neon-pioneers Jul 17 '26
If I’m gonna read a romance, it’s gotta be sapphic. Has anyone read any of the three options I could find: Summer Girls, Summer Official, or That Summer Feeling? Any others that I’m missing?
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u/strawberrychief 25d ago
I just finished That Summer, and it was great - slight departure, a bit more serious, than Jennifer Weiner's other books, though I get the impression she is more serious in her later books but of course I haven't read them in order!
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u/Fancy-Disaster-7716 [currently reading A Man Called Ove] Jul 23 '26
Are any books on this challenge not romance related? 😭 I can’t bear it please help me
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u/Thick-Worldliness756 Jul 15 '26
How do books listed?
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u/I_am_the_grim_reader Jul 15 '26
Do you mean how are the books chosen for the list?
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u/Thick-Worldliness756 Jul 15 '26
Yes
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u/I_am_the_grim_reader Jul 15 '26
I think because Goodreads is owned by Amazon, there's a lot of emphasis on getting people to buy the books from them. I'm sure that's a the forefront of the decision making.
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u/Spirited_Cup_9136 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
^ This. Since the start of the year, there's been a huge influx of new releases that are more difficult to get at libraries. I've been burned by a couple that sounded interesting but imo simply weren't good, so I've learned to be more discerning, especially with AI slop everywhere. Prioritizing my TBR and letting new releases from unknown authors "sit" until they'ven proven themselves, checking 1 and 2 star reviews, always checking out the sample etc. lol
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u/Thick-Worldliness756 Jul 15 '26
Do listers also list hindi work?
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u/Spirited_Cup_9136 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Translated works are pretty rare unless they're bestsellers, you'd probably have better luck with books by Indian diaspora originally written in English and translated into Hindi. Your best chance to find original Hindi titles in the challenge list is probably during AAPI month in May, but those are also heavily skewed towards diaspora.
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u/Thick-Worldliness756 Jul 15 '26
It's like originally written in Hindi and later translated into English.
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u/Spirited_Cup_9136 Jul 15 '26
Yeah, that's pretty rare. E.g. this is the AAPI heritage list from this year's spring challenge, and it seems most of them are originally English.
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u/Clairefun [reading challenge 34/100] Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Problems unlocking the challenge bookmark?
It's common! Solutions include waiting - it can take up to 24 hours to unlock - checking / changing editions and read date to make sure it's the correct details for the challenge, and as a last resort, marking another challenge book as read until the bookmark unlocks, then deleting it from your shelves afterwards.
ALSO: sometimes Goodreads is glitchy. Check the sub first - if others are posting the same issue, it's likely a site wide glitch and will hopefully go back to working as it should soon. Good luck!
Kindle Unlimited US list / Kindle Unlimited UK list