Last updated on October 27th, 2021 at 09:38 pm

We have a very special guest post, we’re excited to share with you! My (Jen’s) coworker, teammate and friend, Amanda, has shared some great summer reads for you to check out!

I’m always really impressed with how knowledgable Amanda is when it comes to all kinds of different topics, and how she always has two or three books in progress at the same time.

Amanda has Bookstagram and BookTube accounts, where she shares reviews and recommendations for all the books she’s reading. With all the junk on YouTube, it’s refreshing to watch Amanda’s content. It’s like talking with a good friend, and learning something at the same time.

I could go on and on about how great Amanda is, and why you should check her out, but lets get into the great summer reads!

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Great Summer Reads!

Summer is in full swing and this year since everything is opened back up I’ve been on the go constantly it feels like. Which makes it harder for me to take the time to slow down and do my favorite thing, read. 

Summer is always the hardest time for me to really get into the reading flow. There’s always fun activities going on, weddings to attend, bbq to eat, and generally for me I just am so easily distracted in the warmer months, but here are some great books I recommend!

One to Watch – by Kate Stayman-London

The first one I thought about was a classic “beach read” called One to Watch by Kate Stayman – London. If you’re into reality love shows like the Bachelor or Bachelorette this may be super fun for you. We follow our main character Bea who is chosen to be the next contestant on the popular reality show Main Squeeze.

This book was so fun to read and provided a little glimpse behind the curtain on how a reality show may operate when the cameras aren’t rolling. Another thing I loved about this book is our character is a plus sized fashion blogger who has come a long way in self confidence and knows her worth which is really refreshing to read.

I highly recommend reading this by the pool or at the beach rocking your hottest swimsuit. 

Sharks in the Time of Saviors – by Kawai Strong Washburn

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn is next. This book is slightly on the longer side but I fell in love with it.

With a sprinkling of magical realism we follow a family after their son falls overboard on a cruise ship but instead of getting lost in the waves is rescued by a group of sharks and gingerly brought back to his mother.

This signals to the family that their son/brother has favor from the Hawaiian gods themselves and becomes even more sure in this fact when he displays abilities they can’t explain. We follow each character in this novel from Nainoa who fell off the boat, to his siblings, and his parents. We watch as this family struggles financially as well as see them struggle to figure out where they fit into the family alongside someone who has such extraordinary abilities.

This story captivated me and the Own Voices representation was the icing on the cake. 

How We Fight For Our Lives – by Saeed Jones

I wanted to add some nonfiction to the mix and you really can’t go wrong with Saeed Jones’ memoir, How We Fight For Our Lives.

Jones masterfully takes us through his experience as a young, black, gay man from the South. He recounts how he had to make a place for himself within his family, his country, and within his hopes, desires, and fears.

By giving us stories from his boyhood to adolescent and to adulthood we see how he navigated this world and balanced his relationships with his mother, grandmother, lovers, friends, and partners.

This book literally reads like a work of poetry and I could not put it down I was so sucked in. This book is also under 200 pages making it a quick absorbing summer read. 

The Office of Historical Corrections – by Danielle Evans

My final recommendation is a collection of short stories titled, The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans.

I think a short story collection is perfect for summer. They are easy to get through and allow you to put down and pick up easily once you find you have the time to read.

This collection of stories offers a wide range of topics from race, culture, and history. The characters within these stories are experiencing love, grief, and where they fit into this world. Inside the pages you’ll find a young white college student try to reinvent herself after a photo of her wearing a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral, a woman who attends a unexpectedly dramatic wedding of an old colleague, and an employee of the fictional office of historical corrections who dives deep into the complicated history of one photo.

This collection was so so good, you’ll find yourself lost in these stories quick.

Are you planning on checking out some of these great summer reads? Let us know what you plan on reading below!