The Midnight Reads Guide to Summer Reading

So this week because the team at Midnight Reads have been such good girls we have nothing to report on the book buying front.  That being the case we thought we'd use this opportunity to suggest some books for our fellow book lovers to take on holiday with them.  There's a pretty wide range here so I hope everyone finds something that piques their interest!  We've provided links to all of our suggestions so you can investigate further over at Goodreads.



So, without further ado let's dive into Bungles summer selection:


Bungle's holiday recommendations.

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini is my first pick because, for me, it was the book I couldn't wait to get my hands on this year. I was fortunate enough to get a proof copy at the end of last year and I devoured the book!! My original review was just two words 'Heartbreakingly beautiful' and as much as I tried to come up with something better, I just couldn't, those two words say it all. There is so much happening in this second installment from Angelini that you will not be able to put this book down. I recommend reading at the end of a lovely summer's day, sunset would be perfect given the night time happens throughout Dreamless.

My second pick is Until I Die by Amy Plum, again this was a greatly anticipated book for me this year. There are two reasons for me picking this book, firstly Plum is an amazing writer but with book 2 you can actually see her grow as an author and secondly this book is a perfect summer read for anyone not going away this year because Plum's writing is so vivid and rich in detail that you will actually believe you are in Paris!

Now my third pick was a little harder but then I was thinking, if I was going away this year and I was sunbathing by the pool or at the beach what would I want to read that is light hearted, easy to read and if I put it down I could just pick it up and carry on again and then Jessie Hearts NYC came to mind! It is the perfect holiday read with lovable characters, a brilliant setting and a story full of chance and coincidence, just like your summer holiday might be!

Sally's holiday recommendations.

I like to think of Bungle as the optimistic half of this holiday duo.  Bungle has whisked you away to beautiful locations, if only in your imagination.  I'm here to bring you back to reality.  You are no longer in Paris or on the sunny east coast of the United States.  You are in Rhyl, North Wales.  You are in a small rusty caravan next to a tyre recycling facility. At least you think you are.  It smells like you are but the fog has prevented you from actually confirming your suspicions.  You are bored of Pot Noodles and the dog has rolled in something rancid.  The putrid odour has taken over the frozen atmosphere inside the caravan and devoured your clothes at the same time.  Only a decent read is going to get you through this extended period of 'relaxation'.  So what would I recommend?  Here goes...

At this point the futility of your holiday situation has started to kick in.  You need something cathartic I think.  My first must-read therefore has to be The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. This is the first in the Blood of Eden series and in writing it Kagawa has taken the vampire genre to an entirely different level.  The dystopian environment that the story is set in is so detailed that it leaves the reader feeling as though they are witnesses to that world. As for the characters, well I love me a kick-ass heroine and in The Immortal Rules you have one! Can't recommend this one enough.

So you're still stuck in the caravan and a whoop of baboons appear to have occupied the van next to yours. They are dressed like small children but you know otherwise. Joy... You now need something calming, gentle to appease your nerves.  The Scorpio Races is that read.  Set in Ireland it's pace is slow and steady, telling the tale of the residents of Skarmouth who take part in the aforementioned races riding the savage water horses that frequent their shoreline. This book is not perpetual action,nor is it overly dramatic, rather it is a slow warm luxurious read that draws you in and it is all the better for it. 

So we've now calmed ourselves down and we're looking for something bitter-sweet to cleanse our palettes of the dank rubbery atmosphere that the tyre recycling facility has created.  The Fault in our Stars is that book.  I would have to say that this is probably my favourite read of the year so far, indeed this is the only book that has ever made me cry and I love it all the more for it! The story of cancer sufferers Hazel and Augustus is beautifully written. It isn't fluffy. It's funny, tragic and breath-taking all at the same time and even though it might make you cry it'll make you smile in equal proportions and when you've finished you'll be so glad you read it!

So, there you have it.  The Midnight Reads guide to summer reading.  Hope you find something here that you consider worthy of a place in your suitcase.  In the meantime, we'd love to hear your recommendations!  What do you think we should be reading as we search in vain for the occasional ray of sunshine?