Summer Reading Recommendations

Asummer day spent lounging by the pool, relaxing at the beach or chilling on the deck at home is best enjoyed with a good book. We’ve gathered some suggestions for a summer read from friends and neighbors around Peachtree Corners.

To Kill A Mockingbird by

To Kill A Mockingbird is a book that nearly everyone reads at some point in school, and everyone should read it (at least twice). It’s based on a real trial from Harper Lee’s childhood. While the theme is based in the 1930s, some of the messages are still applicable today. I especially loved the symbolism of the mockingbird throughout the story.

The perfect YA romance series for your summer reading list. Love triangles, competition and dystopia combined. Plus, it’s a five-book series that will keep your TBR [to be read] full all summer!

The book Confessions of a Shopaholic is a great read. While there is a movie, the book is very different. It’s an easy read, funny, romantic and well-written. And there’s a full series to follow!

Where

This book is one of my all-time favorites — amazingly written and brings tears to my eyes. The movie will also not disappoint; it’s com- pletely book-accurate and just as amazing. A beautiful story, exceptionally written.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless is a romantic and heartbreaking YA fantasy. Full of plot twists, this book will keep you guessing. It also includes some hidden lessons that can apply to real life. You’ll definitely want to read it again and again!

I love the We Are Legion series by Dennis E. Taylor. That is a series of four books that explore interesting concepts about survival in space. The details in the book really take the reader into the sci-fi realm. If you like to nerd out about space, this book is for you.

1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell are great reads. They demonstrate the importance of keeping the government in check as citizens. They are frightening at times because of how some of the book’s ideas are coming true today. Another great read is Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. This book is also frightening to read at times due to its predictions. It speaks on how the pursuit of pleasure can lead to a lack of humanity. It also shows the direction we, as a society, might be moving towards.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver eloquently details the importance of eating and shopping locally, especially for food in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. She weaves the personal stories of her family with the health, economic and environmental realities of local agriculture. An engaging and informative read!

I am addicted to his novels, and he is such an amazing person with a foundation that encourages kids to read.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

This is a feel-good read and is a great introduction into Historical Fiction for anyone who has been thinking about giving it a try. It’s based on the very true life of Marjorie Post and how she became one of the most powerful businesswomen, and one of the richest people, in America in the early 20th century. Although there are certain to be some liberties taken throughout the book, TMLOMP still hits all the key moments and markers in Marjorie’s life that make her such a fascinating person. One of my top reads of 2023 so far!

For Middle School readers, my favorite read of the year so far is The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart. The Midnight Children tells the story of a lonely boy who finds himself in the middle of a mysterious situation. What I love is how he is able to make brave choices and change his life for the better. It has adventure, humor and suspense — perfect for middle schoolers. er clues to find out why a formerly popular girl is now the pariah of her new school.

My favorite High School read of the year In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner. Two teens, both children of poverty and opioid culture make an impressive scientific discovery. Through a combination of luck and brilliance, they are offered a chance to escape their circumstances — but that means leaving family behind.

I love these two characters; they have to make adult decisions early in life. There are no obvious right answers here; real life is hard, but these two have a strength of character you will love.

This is a WWII Historical novel with several male and female protagonists who have their own agendas for becoming involved in a spy operation. I am finding it hard to put down.

I loved this book because it was a fast-paced, fun and clever read. I’ve now given it to my 12-year-old daughter because I know she’ll love it and I think it’s important that she read it. The message is one I think girls need to hear and understand long before they reach high school.

Meant to Be by Emily Giffin

This is a delightful yet deep romance about a son of American royalty who falls in love with a beautiful girl who comes from a troubled past. The story centers on whether their relationship will survive the glare of the spotlight and the tragedy that seems to run in his family.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor

How to Win Friends and Influence

People by Dale Carnegie

I first picked up Dale Carnegie’s masterpiece when I was 12 years old. There isn’t a better book on working with people! I now use its principles to help advocate for my organization’s work that benefits the poor around the world.

I believe Towles’ best book is A Gentleman in Moscow. It’s an incredible story set in a luxury hotel in Moscow about a former Russian nobleman sentenced to live there after the Bolshevik Revolution. As a starter to feasting on his three full-length novels, I recommend The Lincoln Highway. It’s a modern-day Odyssey that spans just 10 days in the summer of 1954 rather than the 10 years traveled by Ulysses.

Starting in a farm town almost in the geographical center of the U.S., a young man and his brother travel along the Lincoln Highway to retrieve his small inheritance stolen by a “friend” from his reform school. While not a short book, it flows quickly and has fascinating characters, action and plot twists.

I loved this book, as inspired by the real-life story of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, because I was able to experience both the intrigue and angst that comes with being an American celebrity, and I also enjoyed imagining what could’ve been, had their lives not tion of a young Putin regime and ultimately becomes his number one enemy.

A financial caper, crime thriller and political crusade, Red Notice is an absolutely fantastic read that will inform you about events that led to modern day Russia.

— Scott Hilton, Georgia State House of Representatives

Perfectly Wounded by Mike Day

An excellent book about the service members who protect our country and suffer the consequences of doing so.

— Cliff Bramble, Bramble Realty

The BFG by Roald Dahl — for kids

This is one of my favorite books to read aloud. Roald Dahl’s magical way of telling a story is so engaging, and his made-up words are hilarious to try and pronounce.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig — for adults ended so tragically.

— Shannon Balloon, Wesleyan Artist Market

Red Notice by Bill Browder

This book is an incredibly compelling and timely book that tells the true story of a hedge fund manager in Russia after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Bill Browder witnesses firsthand the corrup-

Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

…or any of the Anne Rice novels!

—

What Happened to Rachel Riley?

by Claire Swinarski

This middle grade novel is about an eighth grader who uses social media posts, passed notes and oth-

Haig has a wonderful way of putting emotions and feelings into words. I loved how the main character continued learning life lessons as he lived through so many historical eras.

— Lacey Unger, 3rd grade teacher, Simpson Elementary School