#summer book recommendations

[sandramiksaauthor]

Books I want to read this SUMMER ☀️ (unrealistic TBR)

[xxxyzart]

“What does it take to know a person? Time. It takes time.”

― Elin Hilderbrand, 28 Summers

[squash1]

ok book club <3 what are we reading that’s actually good and would maybe fill the trc shaped hole in my soul???? and don’t say reread. unless you say reread the dreamer trilogy because i’m so close to giving into the urge.

please. please. give me your suggestions.

as a frame of reference here are non-trc books i love & would recommend (different content, same soul):

watch over me by nina lacour

in memoriam by alice winn

under the whispering door by tj klune

these violent delights by micah nemerever

the anthropocene reviewed by john green

summer sons by lee mandelo

a tale for the time being by ruth ozeki

i need an actual book club but tumblr took away my group chats :(

anyway love you please give me suggestions!!!!!

[kevinsdsy]

apparently i did a lot of book buying over the summer omg

[nejjcollectsbooks]

Samarkand by Amin Maalouf

A novel that perfectly encompasses the arabian dark academia subgenre. This story has a dual timeline, the first is set in old-time Persia as the mystic Omar Khayyam authors his famous book; the Rubaiyaat. The other timeline is set in modern-day America as an obsessed scholar attempts to hunt down the original Rubaiyaat manuscript.

I was delighted to find a personal inscription on the first page by a past owner. I love thrifting books and seeing other people's writings in them.

[knightleysbookshelf]

finally finished my reread and annotations of the six of crows duology! i am very proud of myself

if anyone knows any books that are similar to these please let me know, bc i fear i am just going to reread them until i can't anymore!

[noahhawthorneauthor]

I loved the audiobooks so much, I acquired trophies. 🎧📚🌈

Or vice versa in the case of The Last Sun (and series), and A Strange and Stubborn Endurance. I borrowed A Strange and Stubborn Endurance from the library, loved it, then listened on audiobook and later acquired a hard copy. I bought The Last Sun and series, and later listened to the audiobooks at least five times each.

Yes, really.

There's a method to my madness, I swear. In case you haven't noticed, I'm big on rereading, and relistening. I love to annotate, and I love the emotion that narrators put into the stories I love. It's a hand in hand experience for me. I've recently listened to Silver Under Nightfall and The Scottish Boy, so the next time I experience them will be in pages and pencil.

The second slide are audiobooks that I love, but haven't collected the print editions yet.

[lexxwithbooks]

📖: 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 (𝐶ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑛𝑢𝑡 𝑆𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 #1) 🐂🫀

✍🏽: 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫

[bellasbookclub]

The Bella's Book Club summer reading challenge is BACK for 2024! 📚

As 3B1P wraps up New Moon season, BBC is gearing up for Hot Rec Summer! Have a book (or five) you think book club would enjoy? Now's your chance to recommend it!

How to participate:

Fill out the Google form by June 10th, 2024 with up to five of your recommendations! These can be your own favorites, books you think go with Twilight or the Gothic genre, your favorite cursed books, or even plays, poetry, or nonfiction! Almost anything goes except for:

Books that already appear on Bella's list from Midnight Sun

Fanfiction

In solidarity with the ongoing boycott, books published by St. Martin's Press (see Google form for more info)

2. When the compiled rec list is posted on June 11th, choose five of your fellow BBC readers' recs and read them by early September! Come chat about your picks on the BBC Discord, or link us to your Goodreads/Storygraph review. We'll also be running the challenge on Storygraph so you can track your progress.

Didn't get to read everything you wanted to from last year's reclist? No worries, it's eligible for this year's challenge too! While you're at it, check out last year's reccer spotlights 💡

Happy reccing! 🎉

Bella’s Book Club is an interactive virtual book club created by the Three Books One Plot podcast. Our monthly Discord discussions are open to all! More info here.

[marbleheavy]

this is out of left field but a book rec list!! specifically, books that have to deal with consumption of women/cannibalism/ecofeminist themes (basically, feminist, food-centric horror)

1. The Vegetarian by Han Kang

This book is SO good but definitely check the trigger warnings. Told from three different perspectives, it follows a woman after she has a life-altering dream that makes her go vegetarian, much to the dismay of her family. The thing that stuck with me most about this book is how it portrays the normalized but profound betrayals by men that women experience. It’s a mix of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and My Year of Meats

2. My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

Another meat-centric book! This one switches between two women, one in America and one in Japan, as they navigate the world of meat consumption and how patriarchy and misogyny are reflected in it. There’s a very mixed-media feel to this as every section starts with a poetry excerpt by Sei Shonogan and one of the main characters, Jane Takagi-Little, is directing a series on American meat consumption to promote eating meat in Japan. All of Ruth Ozeki’s books are wonderful so if you like this, you should read them all.

3. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterriva

This one is straight up cannibalism. It’s about a man, Marcos, who works at a meat processing plant that makes “special meat” (human) and is gifted a “specimen” for him to eventually slaughter himself. The specimen is a woman, Jasmine, who Marcos eventually forms a relationship with. This one is overtly dystopian and although certainly very dark, a little more palatable because it allows the reader to feel more distant from the reality of the book. Of course, though, there is till some very striking commentary on the abuse and exploitation of animals, women, and people as a whole.

4. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

This one is different from the others in that the consumption comes from fungus and not literal people, but there’s still a deep-seated sense of rot. The main character, Alex Easton, returns to the ancestral home of their childhood friend as they learn she’s dying. There is a distinct supernatural element to this, but still very heavy with animal and body horror.

5. A Certain Hunger by Chelsea Summers

Dorothy Daniels, the main characters, is a food critic, sex lover, and psychopath. This one, again, explores the relationship between the treatment of women as sexual beings and commercialized consumption. Also, again, cannibalism. However, this one is very White Feminism, so take that into mind.

all of these books are very good but all have very heavy trigger warnings, so please please look them up before reading. happy reading, my pals <3

[k-nonsense]

My updated rankings/reviews of all the k dramas I have seen so far (up to 56 now). I would recommend any show I gave a C grade or higher, which is most of them. I bolded recently added shows.

1. Hometown Cha Cha Cha: An absolute masterpiece. It’s a heartwarming fish out of water story about a big city girl who finds herself in the quirkiest little seaside town. I wanted to stay in Gongjin forever. Grade: A+(Netflix)

2. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (S1): Delightful! Never have I ever rooted for a lead harder. She is the most endearing lead you will ever find. And the male lead is so so swoony. Grade: A+(Netflix)

3. Alchemy of Souls: The wildest of rides and the perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, mystery, comedy, and romance. The characters are just so lovable, you’ll never want it to end. Season 2 just as good as Season 1. Grade: A+ (Netflix)

4. Lovely Runner: the most beautiful love story ever told. ImSol and Sunjae forever! In every timeline! My only wish is that the drama would never end. Grade A (Viki)

5. My Demon: This show had me utterly enthralled, it was so mysterious and suspenseful and yet incredibly goofy and romantic. My new favorite main couple in all KDrama land. Yes it wasn’t perfect but I enjoyed it so much, it really encapsulated everything I love in a tv show. Grade: A (Netflix)

6. Love To Hate You: New fastest binge of my life. 10 episodes and I didn’t fast forward at all. There were no bad/slow parts. Also the funniest KDrama I’ve ever seen. Just watch it. You won’t regret it. Grade A+ (Netflix).

7. Business Proposal: It’s got every trope you can think of and it does them all to perfection. Plus it’s hilarious. Grade: A (Netflix)

8. Healer: This super romantic action mystery drama will keep you on the edge of your seat. Ji Chang Wook is equal parts sexy and adorable which is a seriously winning combination. Grade A (Viki). One caveat: I was very disappointed by a certain wardrobe decision in episode 3.

9.Her Private Life: Super funny and charming. The romantic leads have incredible chemistry. The premise is so good! Might be the one of the most rewatchable kdramas. Grade: A (Netflix)

10. Castaway Diva: Just utterly heartwarming. An instant classic. Ultimate underdog, redemption, story that teaches us what real love and family is. Also Ki-Ho is the new standard by which all men will be judged. Grade: A (Netflix)

11. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung: Great strong female lead. Very good messages. Couldn’t stop watching. The most adorable prince I’ve ever seen 💜Cha Eunwoo💜 Grade: A (Netflix)

12. Bad Prosecutor: Absolutely thrilling and hilarious. It’s like a heist, detective, lawyer, action comedy that will keep you wondering who is outsmarting who? Super shocking plot twists. Amazing OST. Stuck the landing with a truly satisfying finale. Grade A (Viki)

13. Sh**ting Stars: Probable the biggest turnaround of any show I’ve seen (The “Africa” part was so problematic). However it turned out to be one of the funniest and swooniest KDramas out there. There are 5 couples and you will cheer for all of them. Grade: A- (Viki)

14. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon: The main couple is absolutely everything! Just fast forward through pretty much every side plot (they are not important) and you’ll love it. Grade: A- (Viki)

15. So I Married the Anti-Fan: It’s campy, fluffy, goodness, with a fierce female lead and a K-pop star enemy/love interest. 2nd fastest binge of my life. Grade: A- (Viki)

16. 100 Days My Prince: An absolute classic period drama romcom. Who knew D.O. could kiss like that? Such a great strong female lead. I LOVE a show with adorable, quirky, townspeople. Grade: A- (Netflix)

17. Romance is a Bonus Book: Might be the most romantic K-Drama I’ve ever seen. Nothing about the trailer or setup intrigued me but I’m so glad I watched it anyway. It was a truly beautiful love story. Grade: A- (Netflix)

18. Because This Is My First Life: This drama really does everything right for me… A slow burn romance built on mutual love and respect. Supporting characters who I genuinely cared about and had incredible side stories of their own. A critique of the patriarchy. Women supporting women. An adorable cat. Maybe a bit melodramatic at times but not too much. Grade A- (Netflix)

19. Start-Up: Exceptional acting, compelling storylines, intriguing plot twists, great cinematography, intense love triangle. It’s just all around high quality. Grade: A- (Netflix)

20. Run On: Cute, fun, silly and pretty light. I especially loved the supporting cast. Strange storyline but it was a fun easy ride. Grade: A- (Netflix)

21. Forbidden Marriage: This is a weird show, but weird in the best way. It’s like a comedy, horror, romance, fictional-historical. I don’t know how to describe it but it’s really fun. B+(Viki)

22. Soundtrack #1: Short and beautiful. I just loved it. No one does heart eyes better than Park Hyung-Sik. Grade: B+(Disney+)

23. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo: A bad-ass yet vulnerable female lead. The main couple just had a lot of fun together. Refreshing. Grade: B+ (Viki)

24. Doctor Slump: This show was a really nice journey of both mental health and romance. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

25. Welcome to Samdalri: Very heartwarming and beautiful story about love, family, friendship, and going home. It has quirky townspeople and Ji Chang Wook 😍 what’s not to love? Grade: B+ (Netflix)

26. My Lovely Liar: Creative and engaging premise, intriguing mystery, and a swoon worthy romance. A very fun viewing experience. Grade: B+ (Viki)

27. King the Land: This drama pretty much has no stakes or conflict and the main couple has THE MOST chemistry I have ever seen in my entire life. So if you just want to turn your brain off and be happy, this is the drama for you. I absolutely loved it. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

28.Law Cafe: This drama has so much to love, a strong/fierce/brilliant and morally righteous female lead, lovable side characters, steamy romance. But what I loved most was how the show spotlighted important issues like consent and abuse in nuanced and progressive ways. Yes it’s a fun rom-com but it felt like the beginning of a new chapter of more egalitarian storytelling which made me really excited for the future of k-dramas. Grade: B+ (Viki)

29. Not Others: A lovely Gilmore Girls type show about the relationship between an immature mother and her very mature adult daughter. It was a pleasure seeing them grow in their relationships with each other, others, and themselves. I want more! Grade B+ (Viki)

30. Cheer Up: Sports, comedy, romance, mystery, suspense, coming of age, this show had everything. The female lead was the lovable, feisty, driven, and brave. The male lead was adorkable, considerate, and sweet. It’s all very enjoyable and wholesome. Grade: B+ (Viki)

31. I Am Not A Robot: Zany premise but it was surprisingly pretty grounded for how crazy the set up was. It’s funny, emotional, good story telling. Great character development. Grade: B+ (Viki)

32. The Atypical Family: A really good healing family drama. I was a bit bored at times but it was overall very good. I liked all the mysteries a lot. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

33. See You in My 19th Life: The shared experience of watching this mystical mystery drama week to week made it a really enjoyable watch. Not sure if it was totally satisfying, or that any of the couples’ chemistry felt authentic, but it was a very interesting and creative storyline. Grade B (Netflix)

34. Summer Strike: This show made me cry a lot. It’s heartbreaking yet healing. I’m still not sure if I liked watching it or not but it was a beautiful story of found family. Grade B (Netflix).

35. Shopping King Louie: Adorable! So many light fluffy feels for this show but it does drag a bit in the second half. Grade B (Viki)

36. Fight For My Way: Such lovable leads. Love the fierce female lead and adorable himbo male lead. It’s like a coming of age story but for 30 year olds. Storyline was ok. Second couple was skippable. Grade: B (Viki)

37. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim: More PSJ is always a good thing. This drama did all the tropes in ways that didn’t always feel fresh, but it was very romantic and hilarious. A true classic. Grade: B (Viki)

38. Touch Your Heart: If you can just stick it out through the first few very shaky episodes, you will enjoy this adorable, fluffy, series. Grade: B- (Netflix)

39. Doom at Your Service: It was sometimes real sad yet ultimately a heart warming mystical story. Grade: B- (Viki)

40. True Beauty: Fun, cute, teen drama however, it’s a little too “antsy teen” for me. Cha Eunwoo though💜 Grade: C+ (Viki)

41. Destined With You: The chemistry between the main couple was absolutely sizzling. Rowoon was both hilarious and next level adorable. However, the plot and the characterization of women occasionally made me very frustrated. Grade: C+ (Netflix).

42. Suspicious Partner: Great story, great characters, attractive actors, beautiful romance, interesting plot, sometimes funny, sometimes suspenseful, but with 40 episodes, the plot was dragged. Grade C+ (Viki)

43. Crash Landing On You: The first half is GREAT but the second half is way too melodramatic for my taste. It’s a very interesting storyline, the main couple has insane chemistry, and there are very lovable side characters. Grade: C+ (Netflix)

44. Secret Romantic Guesthouse: First few episodes were a fun scooby gang mystery, middle episodes were super boring, last 3 episodes were crazy fast paced and thrilling. It ended well- I’ll give it that. Grade: C (Viki)

45. Dear.M: It was inoffensive and decently entertaining. If you like school dramas, you’ll probably enjoy it. Grade: C (Viki).

46. A Good Day To Be A Dog: The storyline is bonkers but very intriguing. It started off so well but the storyline lost its way in the back half. But hey, Cha Eunwoo + dogs, it’s worth the watch. Grade: C (Viki).

47. Angel’s Last Mission: Love: This drama was very similar to Doom At Your Service but it was more a bit more redundant with all of the tragedy and crying. I LOVED the chemistry of the main couple but I found myself fast forwarding a lot. Grade: C- (Viki)

48. Marry My Husband: Episodes 1-11 were phenomenal. Such an interesting premise with shocking twists and turns. After episode 11 it seemed like there were new writers who had never seen the show. Very disappointing but top tier villains. Grade: C-

49. Our Beloved Summer: I LOVED V’s “Christmas Tree” OST however I struggled to keep watching. Boring storyline but great acting. Grade: D+ (Netflix)

50. Heavenly Idol: An absolute hot mess. It was completely convoluted and just low quality but I also weirdly liked it. I can’t bring myself to rank it higher because I know how bad it was but I actually enjoyed it better than many shows I ranked ahead of it. Grade: D+ (Viki)

51. My Secret Romance: The story of a total screw up female lead falling for a manipulative, gaslighting, hottie. It was problematic yet fun? So 🤷‍♀️ Grade: D+ (Netflix)

52. My Man Is Cupid: Pros: many cute dogs, sometimes those dogs wear human clothes, cute ending. Cons: Makes no sense, not much chemistry, murder plot takes up too much time. Grade D+ (Prime).

53. She Would Never Know: As handsome as Rowoon is, I found his character problematic at the beginning (no means no buddy) but he did get a lot better as the show went on. I just ended up skipping to watch just the scenes with the main couple, which made the show way more enjoyable. Grade D (Netflix)

54. My Love From the Star: I found myself fast forwarding a lot through all the parts that didn’t involve the main couple and most of the flashbacks. Grade D (Viki)

55. Goblin: The age gap is too disturbing for me, like call the police disturbing. However, the Grim Reaper who is one of the most adorable characters I’ve ever seen. Grade: D- (Viki)

56. Extra-Ordinary You: I have never felt so betrayed by a second half of a series as I did in this one. All of the character development that it seemed to be leading to was replaced by a pretty sickening codependent relationship. Grade: D- (Viki).

Currently Watching: My Sweet Mobster

Dramas I’m Thinking About Watching: Gaus Electronics, Bad and Crazy, Hospital Playlist, Another Miss Oh, Oh My Venus, My Roommate is Gumiho, She Was Pretty, Crash Course in Romance, Soundtrack #2

Dramas I just couldn’t Finish (I’m sorry I tried): Today’s Webtoon, Once Upon a Small Town, Love in Contract, Hotel Del Luna, Kings Affection, Record of Youth, Behind Your Touch, Sparkling Watermelon, Tale of Nine Tailed 1938, Strong Girl Nam Soon, The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract, Wedding Impossible

What are your thoughts on these shows? Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? Any k-romcom recommendations that are not on the list yet?

[solxs]

Nabuplata

[bookishfreedom]

this book made me want to make a summer bucket list 🌻

[ghostjelliess]

5 books I reread a lot that I don't think get talked about enough:

Highfire: grouchy and ancient, the last of the dragons gets beer delivered to his bayou home by a scrappy kid while Bad Guy hunts for him, bonding and shenanigans ensue + side plot mom romance is cute. Not for kids. My favorite line is Bad Guy saying (paraphrased) "Imma bury him so deep, they'll need an archaeologist to find him."

We Are the Ants: depressed baby boy is abducted by aliens and given a choice to press the button that will destroy the world. They'll be back for the answer. He moves through his life looking for advice and wondering if he should push the button, asking people around him, hypothetically of course, what they would do as we begin to understand his hesitation and the countdown to the alien return for his answer approaches.

The Strange and Beautiful Life of Ava Lavender: small-town witch family has a daughter with wings. This makes life hard as she grows up. Content warning for metaphorical SA, but it's about how the resilience of recovery starts long before the traumas, and how hope can look so different from each angle. I did not think the end was tragic or vague, tbh, but I guess some people did. Maybe I read what I needed to hear, either way it sits on the special shelf.

Every Heart A Doorway: when portal fantasy kids (like Alice from wonderland, Wendy from Neverland) return home, they don't always assimilate. The traumatized ones get sent to a special school to wait for their portal doors to reappear, and because some are from nonsense worlds and others are from logic worlds, the kids don't always get along, but they're all there for the same reason, and maybe that's enough. Also then the murders start happening and we may have to reevaluate how the school works.

Lexicon: words can be magic words to the right people, but the right people can become the wrong people if enough shit happens to them because some things can't be expressed in words. Is it sci-fi? Is it Fantasy? Probably both. Our agents hunt for their Bad Guy and we learn what happens when traumas are left unchecked and exploited.

[nejjcollectsbooks]

Women of the Fertile Crescent; Modern Poetry by Arab Women compiled by Kamal Boullata.

An anthology of poetry written by Middle Eastern female poets. You've never read poetry quite like Arabic poetry, the mastery they have over the language and their ability to evocate powerful or romantic imagery is unparalleled. You feel their strength, power, rage, yearning, guilt, loss, despair, frustration, their everything and more.

I recommend, I recommend, I recommend.

[theonethatyoudreamof]

Putting out a request for books with interesting power dynamics between main characters (not in a weird way, pls do not send me books that will scar me):

Examples would be the Captive Prince Series, Cruel Prince, Summer Sons, Daisy Jones & The Six, A Darker Shade of Magic, Spinning Silver, Vicious, etc.

I just finished Summer Sons and am in such a reading slump because I loveeeee books where both the characters want power in life and are vaguely giving enemies to lovers against each other and then have to reckon with how their personal aspirations affect the relationships in their lives (and whether they give or continue taking)

Anyways, not sure this makes any sense but would love suggestions!!