Happy July! Can you believe we only have one more month of summer left!? It makes me so sad knowing how fast the time has gone. That being said, I am highlighting four more books that make great summer reads. You can soak in the sun and read these on the beach! Let’s get started!
Book 1: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Alicia Berenson’s life couldn’t be better. She has a great career as a painter, she’s married to a man she adores, and she’s been dealing with her demons by journaling. Everything seems to be going well for her, until one evening when her husband comes home late and Alicia shoots him five times. After his murder, she never speaks another word. Hidden away in a mental institution, she becomes a phenomenon – the silent patient.
Theo Faber is a psychotherapist who’s been following the story of Alicia for years. When he receives the opportunity to work with Alicia, he takes it – determined to get her to talk and finally reveal the mystery behind the murder. The book follows Theo as he seeks the truth.
Do not read this book if you have things to do the next day. You will ultimately sit down to start the book and finish it in one sitting. It is such a page turner! Theo’s fascination with trying to figure out why Alicia did what she did gets border line obsessive adding to the suspenseful plot. Will Theo get in too deep? Why did Alicia kill her husband? And will she talk? These are all questions that get answered in the book, but you’ll just have to read to find out what’s going on for yourself! It’s easy to rate this book a 5/5 star for the twist alone. You won’t believe the ending!
Book 2: Dream Big by Bob Goff
It wouldn’t be a book review without recommending another Bob Goff book! What did you dream of doing while growing up? When did we start letting fear get in our way and allow it to call the shots? Bob Goff uses his writing to encourage us to dream big by implementing practical advice. If you are looking to rediscover your dreams and turn them into reality, you need to read this book!
Dream Big by Bob Goff is the perfect book to help you take that next step to not only pursue your dreams, but to make a difference in this world. Life was never meant to be all about making money. We get so fixated in our jobs that we forget to live. This book will help you seek a plan for your life and define your purpose. You will take notes, you will underline a ton, and you will fly through the short chapters. Each chapter is filled with inspiration that will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and do something.
Bob Goff shows you in this book how to clearly define your dreams, identify the obstacles holding you back, and develop tools that will help you act on the plan. Push yourself to live a bigger, more meaningful life and read this book. It’s timely as we seek new ways to amplify all the voices around us. 5/5 stars.
Book 3: Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
Chanel Miller was known to the world as Emily Doe during the trial of Brock Turner. He had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford’s campus. Outraged by the lengthy trial and his sentence, her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed and quickly went viral. Chanel recounts the events that took place leading up to the trial in her book, Know My Name.
There are no words for what it was like to read how one traumatic event changed the course of Chanel Miller’s life forever. In this book, you will learn about the criminal act that took place and everything she encountered afterward. Chanel reclaims her identity and tells a powerful story, which happened to be her reality. 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted, it’s the cold, hard, sickening truth. Chanel uses her experience to highlight the injustice many women face today. Her story “illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.”
Miller is an incredible writer and I found myself in awe during most of the book. The way she can instantly put the reader in the scene is pure talent. You feel everything she is feeling and can’t help but root for her even when you know how the case ultimately turned out. Her words are poetic and thought provoking, and you truly get a behind the scenes look at the horror she went through during the trial and its aftermath.
Once I had finished reading this book, I wanted to make signs and go protest. I was angry. I was frustrated with our legal system. And I wanted to provoke change. I still do! If you like reading books written by strong women, you need to read this book. Sexual assault is so prevalent in our world and Know My Name transforms the way we think about this difficult topic. It’d be unfair to give it anything other than 5/5 stars.
Book 4: Rules For Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno
Looking for a quick, entertaining read? Rules for Being a Girl can easily be read in one sitting. It is powerful, infuriating at times, but so incredibly important to read as a female. Ever since we were young, we’ve been told how to act, how to dress, and to make sure not to talk out of turn or offend anyone. Women of all ages can read this book and understand the theme as it encounters the unspoken rules we follow to fit into society.
Marin is in high school. She’s a star student, the editor of the school paper, and the perfect girlfriend. She knows what she wants (Brown University) and is intent on getting there. Marin’s future is bright and her young English teacher, Mr. Beckett, is always quick to tell her that. He compliments her writing, talks books with her, and from time to time gives her a ride home from school. When Mr. Beckett takes things too far and comes on to Marin, she is appalled and doesn’t know how to react. Did she send him a signal? Did she ask for this?
Marin tells her parents and the administration what happened, but no one believes her. Losing her friends, having to face Mr. Beckett every day, and this event weighs heavily on her while she’s trying to live her life. Not accepting the cards she was dealt, she uses the school newspaper to get her thoughts out and finds her allies by creating a book club at school. The book follows Marin as her eyes are opened to the sexism all around her.
This young adult book is a quick, simple read but has such an important message behind it. I have read several books written by these two authors and thoroughly enjoyed this one just as much as their others. Since the setting did take place in high school, I felt a little mature reading it. But overall, it was a great read. 4/5 stars!
There you have it! I hope you choose one of these four books to finish up your summer reading. This month was a mixture of books – from a biography, young adult book, motivational, and psychological thriller. No matter your genre, you are bound to enjoy one of these. Let me know if you read any, and if you do tell me what you think! Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram to see what next month’s books will be!
