Summer is in my opinion the best time to read, especially as a high school student! So much free time and no cursed assigned reading. This summer I’m hoping to read as much as possible. As a self-proclaimed young adult literature expert, here are some of my favorite or most anticipated YA reads of the summer so far. 

Non-Fiction:

Girls Running: All You Need to Strive, Thrive, and Run Your Best by Melody Fairchild

As a high-schooler who runs Cross-Country competitively, summer is a great time to train and get in shape. Training isn’t only physical though, running is a hard sport mentally and I am always seeking ways to make it more fun. This book is perfect for competitive runners to learn how to train, eat, and think while competing while staying happy and healthy.

Fiction:

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston 

In Casey McQuiston’s third book and first YA Novel, we meet and follow the story of Chloe Green, a high schooler in Alabama whose goal is to get through high school as quick as possible and be named valedictorian, her only competition: the principal’s daughter Shara Wheeler. When Shara kisses Chloe and then goes missing a month before graduation, Chloe is thrown into an adventure to find out if there is more to Shara than she thought. A super cute high school romance to read over summer!

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han 

The Summer I Turned Pretty will be released as a tv series on August 17th on Amazon Prime and if you’re like me, you’ll want to read the books as soon as you can. The trilogy follows Belly Conklin who measures her life in summers. Her summers spent at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. This summer, she’s sixteen and suddenly everything has changed but maybe they are changing to the way they were always meant to be.

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Everyone loves a mystery! When Avery Grambs is suddenly given almost all of one of the richest men in America's inheritance, she is instantly catapulted into instant fame and wealth. But nothing is that easy and with a family trying to disprove her inheritance, a father trying to come back into her life, and conflicting feelings about two boys,  her billion dollar inheritance is not a new life of luxury, at least not yet. Quick and fun reads, the two first books of the trilogy are perfect to read this summer before the release of The Final Gambit on August 30th.

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda

Maggie Gonzales is in need of a date for her sister’s quinceanera and the search is bringing confusing feelings to the surface. Dealing with feelings about three of her friends she also has to think about her future and what her plans mean for her and her loved ones. An exciting debut about identity, growing up, and relationships. Your Local Bisexual Disaster is a great read for this summer!

Graphic Novels:

Taproot by Keezy Young

Taproot is a sweet graphic novel about a ghost named Blue, Blue is in love with his best friend, Hamal. Hamal can see him though, but strange things start taking place and Hamal could be in danger, Blue has to find out how to protect him. A quick read, this book will give you all the feels accompanied by stunning art.

Wash Day Diaries by Robyn Smith and Jamila Rowser

Wash Day Diaries tells through five interconnected stories the story of four friends and their lives in the Bronx. It lends its name from the universal yet personal experience of Black women’s hair care. Just released I am excited to read this expansion of the mini comic.

My Perfect Life by Lynda Barry

Collected from the strip comic Ernie Pook’s Comeek, My Perfect Life tells the story of teen Maybonne and her younger sister Marlys. Told throughout a school year, the comic is funny in its stories of embarrassment and relatableness but also real in its story of a broken home. 

Buy All The Books Here!