A selection of lighthearted books to read this summer that will satisfy your every reading desire.
By the time summer rolls around each year, I’m in desperate need of lighthearted, wholesome books to read. Books that don’t require intense concentration or focus. Stories that take you out of your everyday routine to a new place, time, and culture. Novels that make you laugh and cry, and that satisfy your soul like a warm, chocolate chip cookie. While classics are wonderful, sometimes you just need a book to read for fun, and that’s exactly what this list is for!
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch.
In this first book of the Love and Gelato series, 16 year-old Lina travels to Rome to meet her father and fulfill the wishes of her dying mother. Although she enjoys the pasta and gelato, Lina struggles to connect with her father. With the help of her neighbor Ren, she embarks on a quest to discover why her mother kept her father a secret all her life. Filled with lighthearted humor, creative plot twists, and Italian drama, this novel makes an enjoyable summer read for teens and adults alike. If you enjoy this book, you might also check out the movie adaptation available on Netflix, (Note though that it doesn’t follow the book as accurately as readers might like.)
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Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Set in the Swiss Alps, this classic story of an orphan and her grandpa will make your heart melt. When her mother dies, Heidi moves in with her reclusive grandfather and becomes the light of his life. Although she has suffered a lot in her short life, Heidi focuses on how she can bring joy to others who are hurting. When her aunt decides to take her back, Heidi and her grandpa realize just how much they love each other. Will they ever be reunited? Filled with beautiful scenery, ornery goats, and forbidden kittens, Heidi will make you laugh, cry, and dream of moving to Switzerland!
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Emma by Jane Austen
If you’re looking for books to read this summer, you can never go wrong with Jane Austen! The lovable but slightly spoiled Emma Woodhouse endeavors to make the perfect matches for all her friends to the dismay of her brother-in-law Mr. Knightley. When Emma’s matchmaking ends in disaster, she wonders if she herself will ever find love. A comical cast of characters and a satirical view of English high society add to the hilarity of this timeless rom-com. If Jane Austen’s vocabulary seems intimidating, try listening to this novel as an audiobook, especially if you choose a narrator with a British accent!
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Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility by Hillary Manton Lodge
This fresh twist on Sense and Sensibility will delight avid Austen admirers although the story is still enjoyable for its own sake. After their family business fails, Jane and Cecilia reluctantly move to Austin to start their own tea shop. As time wears on, they begin to find friends and love in Austin. However, they discover people are not always what they seem, and when disaster strikes, help arrives in an unexpected form. Complete with easy recipes, Austen references, and wholesome sisterly relationships, this book is perfect for summer reading.
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The Help by Kathryn Stockett
It’s 1963, and Eugenia Phelan, otherwise known as “Skeeter,” has recently returned from college to her home in Jackson, Mississippi, searching for writing material. After talking with Aibileen, a black maid, she decides to compile a book about the hardships of African American maids in the South. However, she must keep their identities a secret and prevent their employers from guessing the truth. While reading this book, you’ll go from crying one moment to cracking up the next and go away longing for a sequel. (Unfortunately, there isn’t one … yet!) If you enjoy this book, make sure to check out the movie adaptation – you won’t be disappointed.
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Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
As an Elizabethan rom-com, this play follows two pairs of lovers through masked balls, midnight deceptions, and mordacious banter. In Messina, Italy, Claudio and Hero are preparing for their wedding. Desiring to make others as happy as themselves, they plot to bring the salty spinster Beatrice and the snappish soldier Benedict together. However, salacious rumors threaten Claudio and Hero’s relationship, and all four lovers must decide whom they can trust. Although at times Shakespeare’s language is difficult to understand, making the effort to read this book is absolutely worth it!
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The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera
When Prudencia Prim accepts a position as private librarian in the rural town of San Ireneo, she is unprepared to have her world turned on its head. Feminists who believe in marriage, children who can read Latin and Greek, and a somewhat annoying employer conspire to make her life anything put peaceful. Despite the culture change, Miss Prim delights in the challenge and discovers friendship (and perhaps love?) in her new home. Note: This book is best experienced when read with a cup of tea and plate of biscuits.
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Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
As an American journalist in New York, Joy Davidman is struggling to find work and to preserve her marriage. When she stumbles upon C. S. Lewis’ writing about Christianity, she sends him a letter, hungry to learn more about this God he so loves. And so their friendship begins. Through their letters, Joy finds a restored faith and hope in God. She also builds a strong relationship with Lewis that sustains her through heartbreak, disappointment, and disease. Based on the true story of their relationship, this novel shines light on a hidden side of Lewis’ life while also demonstrating the power of friendship and faith. Once you start reading this book, you won’t be able to put it down!
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If you enjoyed this list of books to read this summer, check out the Book Nook for more book lists and reviews!
What books are you reading this summer? Let me know in the comments below!
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