Beach Book Bonanza: What’s On the Mods’ Summer Reading List

You’ve selected the perfect sandy plot on the shorelines and have set up your towel, umbrella, and beach chair. You’ve got hours of sunshine, lapping waves, and a nice new book to crack open. What could be better?

If you’re not heading to the shore, maybe you’re relaxing poolside, soaking up rays and nose deep in the latest book by your favorite author. Or you might prefer to crank up the AC and chill indoors with your e-reader fired up.

Whatever your preferred relaxation location, we’re of the mind that for those in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to settle down with a good book and get a mental vacation. Looking for suggestions, we asked the Mods for tips on some cool reads. Here’s what they recommend.

“I had never previously read any of Terry Pratchett’s books. I was recently challenged by a friend to a race through the Discworld series. I’m currently working on the Witches books to start with. At the moment, I’m on the second book in the series, Wyrd Sisters. Pratchett’s wordplay just makes some deep, primal section of my brain light up like a Christmas tree.

I’m also about 80% of the way through The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I haven’t been able to bring myself to finish it because I don’t want to say goodbye to the characters I’ve grown so attached to, if that says anything about how good of a book it is. The prose and imagery are just stunning. The story will break your heart and stitch it back together over and over — and you’ll just keep crawling back for more. I don’t have sufficient words to recommend this book highly enough. Just phenomenal.”
— Madeline H.

“I just finished Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, who is probably best known for Big Little Lies (which I devoured in book and video form). Now that I finished the book, I’m excited to watch the series starring Nicole Kidman when it launches in August 2021.”
—Amy K.

“I’m reading Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, and it’s a real blast! Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and there’s a ton of voice and character in this series. Harry Dresden is a witty, sarcastic, but ultimately very caring protagonist who’s easy to love and root for. I’m not a huge fan of mystery titles, but these are fun.”
— Rochelle H.

“I’m currently working on I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb, which was also a recent HBO miniseries.”
— Aunya R.

“I’m reading Desus & Mero’s book, God-Level Knowledge Darts: Life Lessons from the Bronx. It’s really fun! I love Desus & Mero, so I somewhat expected that.”
— Cory B.

“I have to reread The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey; it’s kind of a summer tradition.”
— Olivia L.

“Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is very compelling, and has some unique post-apocalypse elements. I’m a fan of that genre, but I will say that it’s a brutal and heart-wrenching book, particularly for fathers. Even better, of course, is Nevil Shute’s 1957 masterpiece, On the Beach. If you haven’t read that one, you can’t claim to be a fan of the post-apocalypse genre — in my not-so-humble opinion!”
— Richard W.

“Fiction-wise, I’m slowly moving through the only Hermann Hesse novel I haven’t read – Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth. I adore his work more than most, but as short as this is, it feels like a slow burn.

Non-fiction-wise, I’ve started reading about mathematical ideas. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife has been great so far. I’m using it to pave the way to a mammoth piece of work: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas Hofstadter. I’m really looking forward to that one, but I’ll probably be on it for about a year before the first read-through is done!”
— Gerard R.

“I loved both The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and The Guest List by Lucy Foley. Both are juicy, easy summer reads. Page turners, but not tough.”
— Patricia D.

Thanks to all of our ModSquad bookworms and bibliophiles here at ModSquad. There’s something for everyone on this list. Now, we’d like to know: What books are you catching up on this summer? Leave your favorite titles in the comments section below!