lou's library

As I’m writing this, I cannot remember the last day I did not sweat. This might be too much personal information, but is my way of telling you that it’s been hot in Germany lately, and by lately I mean since approximately mid June. To be honest, this weather stopped being fun a long time ago but seeing as there is little chance of cooler temperatures anytime soon, I figured I would compile a little list of books I would recommend reading in a heatwave. In case you too are sweating a lot these days. Stay hydrated and have fun with these books!

Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth

As the title suggests, this gem of a book is set in large part during one very hot summer. To be honest, Ireland isn’t the first country I associate with warm weather, but the vibe is immaculate nonetheless. Sunburn focuses on Lucy and Susannah, who are teenagers growing up in 1990’s rural Ireland. We follow them closely over the course of one summer, but get glimpses into their futures as well a bit later on. It’s a story of growing up, coming to terms with your home town, wanting to belong, awakening desire, and negotiating what you want versus what your family wants for you. And the mixture of actual heat because of the weather and the desire that is basically drooping from these pages is just immaculate. The writing throughout this novel is of the kind that has the capacity to destroy you if you’re not careful, as it goes straight to the heart and then refuses to leave. Case in point:

“The last of August is peeling off my shoulders, revealing softer skin for the Autumn to destroy.

Jeez, okay. Basically, if you’re a human and you’ve done some growing up, you will love this book. Particularly in summer, but anytime, really.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Ah, my favourite tragedy. My favourite star-crossed lovers. My favourite teenagers dying for each other. Such fun. Sorry if that was a spoiler, but you’ve literally had hundreds of years to catch up on the plot of one of the world’s most famous stories, so do try to keep up. Romeo and Juliet is not only set in fair Verona, but also in the heat of July, which makes it a perfect summer book. Heat is one of my first associations with Italy, and so is summer and beautiful surroundings. All of that features in Romeo and Juliet, but there’s also a lot of longing, desire, violence and impulsive decisions. Tempers are generally running high, and a lot of the shit that is going down could be prevented if any one of the characters took one deep breath before making a decision ever. But that wouldn’t be half as much fun, so may I recommend you strap in and come along for the epic ride that is the greatest love story ever told? It might make you want to run off with your lover, or become a nun and never lay eyes on anyone ever again. No in between.

The God Of The Woods by Liz Moore

My God, what a perfect thriller. The God Of The Woods is one of those books that is every bit as good as you hoped it would be, and summer is at its very core. It’s set in the 1970’s, in an American summer camp for rich kids, where one of the campers goes missing. I won’t say any more, because going in blindly truly is the best way to experience this book. I found it impossible to put down, and am so glad I picked it up in summer. It takes you right back to those endless summers when you were a child with no responsibilities but a bunch of seemingly unsolvable problems but at the same time so much time and not a care in the world. The God Of The Woods is gripping from page one, and part of what drew me in is the feeling that there is so much rotten underneath the perfect facade of this summer camp, and that nobody in this book seems to be the person they pretend to be. Seriously, if you’re only reading one book this summer, do yourself a favour and make it this one.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

When I first read The Virgin Suicides, it didn’t immediately strike me as a summer book. It happened when I kept thinking about the book in the weeks after that it occurred to me that this is one of these books that ought to be read in summer. It is partially set in that season, which might be part of the reason for this feeling, but I think there is more to it than that. First things first: major trigger warning for suicide, so if that’s something you’re not comfortable reading about, please skip this one! It’s about the Lisbon sisters who, as the title suggests, kill themselves one after the other, while their neighbourhood watches on, helpless and fascinated at the same time. It’s one of the more devastating and slightly horror-leaning books I’ve read, which isn’t a favourite genre of mine. But Jeffrey Eugenides pulls it all off so well, and I had so many emotions while reading this pretty short book, that by the end of it, I had to gather my thoughts for a long while. There’s so much decay in this story, and so much pain, but also a lot of beauty. The writing is sublime, and I found myself highlighting a lot of sentences and passages, as this one:

“In the end, it wasn’t death that surprised her but the stubbornness of life.”

The Virgin Suicides is a perfect book for a relentlessly hot summer day as it will pull you in and only spit you back out once you’re done. To be honest, I was quite glad to be out of its pull, but I admit I was also endlessly fascinated by this character study and by the insights into humanity it offers. I feel like I will only be able to appreciate this book fully once I will have reread it. Which will be in summer, that’s for sure.

There you go, some books to get you through the heat. I hope these reads will allow you to escape the high temperatures for a little while and that they will turn out to be perfect summer books for you, too. Happy reading!