2022 Summer Reading Guide: Chick Lit
The hero of summer reading! Every single year, the Chick Lit category is far and away the most popular one on the whole Summer Reading Guide. And I’m right there with you.
The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella
I’ve read every Sophie Kinsella book and some of her recent ones have missed the mark for me. But The Party Crasher felt like a return to her roots of humor and hijinks. Effie’s parents got divorced two years earlier and it’s been a rocky road for her since then. And now, things are getting worse because her dad is selling the beloved house she grew up in. Her dad’s new girlfriend is throwing a big party before the sale is closed and Effie refuses to go. Until she remembers a beloved treasure hidden in the house and she’s not going to let the house be sold before she retrieves it. The party is the perfect cover for her to break in and grab it, but as she sneaks around, she’ll find out more about her family than she ever bargained for. This one is a perfect mix of Sophie Kinsella’s trademark laugh-out-loud humor and deeper more thoughtful themes about growing up and moving on. (Full review here)
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
It’s a surprise to no one to see a Jenny Han book on this list, since I’ve spent entire days of my life waxing on about my love for her To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. This start to a trilogy (all three of which have been out for years) follows Belly who lives for summers at the beach house with her mom’s best friend and her two handsome teenage sons. They’ve always been more like brothers to her, but this year, Belly isn’t a little girl anymore and those boys are starting to notice. This one is coming to Netflix in June, so it’s the perfect time to read it now before it hits the screen. (Full review here)
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
Jennifer E Smith generally writes young adult novels so I was delighted to see an adult novel out from her this spring! Greta James is a successful indie musician – or at least she was, until her mom died and she publicly fell apart on stage. Now her brother has roped her into going on a cruise with their dad (a cruise that was supposed to be for her parents’ 40th anniversary), and she unwillingly goes along. Not only is she struggling to put the pieces of her professional life together, but she’s not thrilled about spending a week with her dad, who always thought her choice of career was unstable and risky, and now she seems to have proven him right.
Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey
I was underwhelmed (understatement) by her first book, Finding Tom Hanks, so I had low expectations for this one and then it just absolutely charmed me! This one has a “You’ve Got Mail” vibe where two strangers strike up a correspondence relationship, without realizing they know each other in real life too. Teddy works at a vintage toy store and feels like she has nothing going for her in her life. Everett runs a local children’s TV show that Teddy watches religiously. It’s charming and funny and all the things I love in a romantic comedy book.
Beauty by Robin McKinley
I’ve always loved a good fairy tale retelling and this is one of the ones I remember best from my childhood. My mom read this Beauty and the Beast retelling aloud to us and I woke up in the middle of the night to see her reading it in the hallways because she couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out! I love that this one gives you way more backstory for Beauty’s family and I really love her sisters and their sweet relationship. It has such great character development and it’s just a delight all around.
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