"Between the pages of a book is a lovely place to be." ~ anonymous
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Summers are made for reading! Unlock worlds unknown, escape to magical far away lands, or travel in time - books have a way of creating adventure without ever having to leave where we are. With longer summer days ahead, and an array of amazing books to read - how does one ever choose what to discover next? We've narrowed down some suggestions with two great summer reading lists from Nikita Eleniak and Marina Black! |
In this fantasy heist novel, a group of six teenagers living in the slums of Ketterdam band together to pull off the ultimate heist… with the promise of a payoff beyond their wildest dreams. But what really sets this book apart is the intricate details of each character, and how they weave together to create a found family. Now a Netflix series!
Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia - Psychological Thriller | MysteryWhen “good girl” Hattie Hoffman is found stabbed to death, her small town is shocked. Told in alternating perspectives between the present day and Hattie’s flashbacks of the previous year, it appears that there was more to the real Hattie than meets the eye. The suspenseful mystery reveals a bigger question - can the wrong kind of love lead to death?
Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia - Psychological Thriller | MysteryTen years ago a father and son visited the Boundary Waters, and never returned. Now, a decade later, the son has reappeared - violent and unpredictable. He is sent to a psychiatric facility where he meets therapist Maya Stark. No matter how hard she tries, he won’t open up about his father, or what occurred over the past ten years. But Maya has her own secrets and finds herself drawn to him - and realizes how much she’s willing to risk to save this man lost to the woods.
The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab - Fantasy | MysteryThe Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw - Fantasy | Mystery
200 years ago, three sisters accused of witchcraft were drowned in the town of Sparrow. Now each summer, they return to lure and drown boys in the harbor. Known as the Swan Season, the town has become a morbid tourist attraction. When Bo Carter unknowingly arrives in town just in time for the season, local Penny Talbot can’t sit idly by and watch him become another victim. But Penny has a dangerous secret… and will have to choose whether to save Bo or herself.
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff - FantasyWinner of the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel, Nevernight is the story of an orphaned girl, seeking revenge against the men who brought down her family. Bent on revenge, Mia Corvere is rescued from the streets by a retired assassin and is raised with the intent on apprenticing for the Red Church - the deadliest assassins on the continent. Follow Mia on her journey through the ranks of the Red Church and discover all the secrets hidden behind the Church’s walls.
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen - Fantasy | RomanceLana grew up knowing two things. 1. The Bridge Kingdom is evil. 2. She will be it’s downfall. After being raised as a warrior in isolation, Lana is wedded to Aren, the king for the Bridge Kingdom in an arranged marriage, with orders to bring the kingdom to it’s knees from the inside. But the longer she stays and the more she learns about Aren and his kingdom, she learns that what she was raised to believe might not be the whole truth. Now, she is faced with a choice between continuing her father’s nefarious plans and following her heart.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk - Fiction | Satirical NovelThe first rule of fight club is… you don’t talk about fight club. But it’s difficult not to talk about this novel. Our narrator lives a boring, mundane, cookie-cutter, IKEA life. But that all changes when he meets the mysterious Tyler Durden. The inspiration behind the 1999 cult classic film, Fight Club is a must read.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - Psychological Thriller | MysteryFrom the author of The Girl on the Train comes a new eerie thriller. 15 year old Lena lost her best friend to the river early in the summer, and now the river has claimed her mother too. And they weren’t the first women to have lost their lives to the river. Left in the charge of her aunt who vowed never to return to their town, Lena is desperate to find out what really happened to her family.
“No matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark”. In 1714 France, a young woman makes a desperate bargain to live forever. The catch? She will be forgotten by everyone she meets as soon as she leaves. Cursed to roam the world as a shadow, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue travels across centuries as Addie tries to leave her mark on a world who won’t remember her.
| Nikita Eleniak is an avid reader and has more books than she has shelf space! She is recommending some of her top picks for Summer 2021 here, and can also be found showcasing her favourite reads on Instagram and TikTok |  |
Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley
Science Fiction | Classics
Brave New World depicts a dystopian world where humans are genetically modified through reproductive technology and your social status is based on intelligence. Written 90 years ago, Aldous Huxley will blow you away with his ability to predict elements of the future and remain contemporary. Once I started Brave New World, I could not put it down – it is a timeless classic not to be missed!
I Am the Central Park Jogger (2002) by Trisha Meili
Non-Fiction | Autobiography | True Crime
On the night of April 19, 1989, Trisha Meili was brutally assaulted and raped while jogging in New York City’s Central Park, becoming known as the Central Park Jogger while she lay comatose in the hospital for nearly two weeks. In her book, Trisha recounts the mesmerizing, inspiring, and gut-wrenching story of human strength and transcendent recovery. Trisha’s story is not always easy to digest, yet her story is remarkable, and her eloquent writing makes you want to keep turning the page.
A Gentleman in Moscow (2016) by Amor Towles
Historical Fiction | Book Club
After being deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal in 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Count Rostov must live in the hotel’s attic while critical years in Russia’s history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. This is a great book to recommend to your book club!
Tuesdays with Morrie (1997) by Mitch Albom
Nonfiction | Memoir | Philosophy
No matter what stage of life you are in, you’ve had or will find someone older and wiser that serves as a mentor or role model. Mitch Albom describes his college professor, Morrie Schwartz as his mentor when he was young and searching for advice in his young adulthood. After losing touch for nearly 20 years, Mitch rediscovers Morrie during the last few months of the older man’s life and rekindles their relationship by learning the last few lessons of life. Tuesdays with Morrie will provoke you to think about life and show the beauty of friendships across all ages.
The Painted Girls (2012) by Cathie Marie Buchanan
Historical Fiction | Canadian
In 1878 Paris, Marie and Antoinette van Goethem face the troubles of losing their father, a drunken mother, and extreme poverty. As the sisters must work to pay for their lodgings, Marie throws herself into dancing and later modelling while Antoinette must choose between honest labour and more profitable means of “work” for a young woman. Weaving between the sisters’ stories, The Painted Girls addresses the darker side of “civilized society.”
Read Along with Me
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The Vanishing Half (2020) by Brit Bennett Historical Fiction | Race |
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Anna Karenina (1877) by Leo Tolstoy Classics | Historical Fiction | Romance |
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Catch 22 (1961) by Joseph Heller Classics | Historical Fiction | War |
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Nala’s World: One Man, His Rescue Cat, and a Bike Ride around the Globe (2020) by Dean Nicholson Nonfiction | Travel | Animals |
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A Promised Land (2020) by Barack Obama Nonfiction | Autobiography | Politics |
| Marina Black is an aspiring writer and photographer from Ontario, Canada. Check out her website and blog for more of her work! |  |
