10 Books to Check Out this Summer

/ Amelie
Photo by Caio Resende on Pexels.com

Hey, everyone!

Summer is finally (finally!) here. School’s out, the weather’s warm, and there’s so much more time available for us to do all the things. 🙂 One of my favorite ways to spend extra time is by reading, and I’ve been reading a lot of amazing books recently. So, I thought I’d share a few recommendations with you all to add to your TBR! I’ll be providing a little of everything, from YA fantasy to nonfiction to classics, so there’s something for everyone. 🙂

Here we go!

1. The Weaver Trilogy by Lindsay A. Franklin

LOOK AT THOSE COVERS. ❤

I’d heard about this series among the bookish community for a while, and I finally decided to read it.

I did not expect to love it as much as I did.

The Weaver Trilogy is a gorgeous fantasy series in which stories, paintings, and songs are woven by hand into masterpieces for all to enjoy. The characters are fleshed-out and distinguishable, and I quickly fell in love with them. With each book, I became more invested in their story and their quest to rid their land of oppression against the weavers. The author tackles some tough subjects in the last two books, and because of this I would recommend the story for ages 14 and up. However, I believe that she handles these topics with tact and wisdom, presenting them non-explicitly but also calling attention to them in appropriate ways. This story will leave you thinking about it for a long time afterwards.

2. Wars of the Realm Trilogy by Chuck Black

Wars of the Realm

When Drew Carter suffers a serious accident in a physics lab, he’s suddenly able to see into the realm of mysterious invaders. While searching for his friend and at the same time trying to protect another, Drew must grapple with all that he thinks he believes, for the invaders he can see are angels and demons, and time is running out.

This series is gripping and incredibly inspiring. Characters like Sydney Carlyle and Tamaral display rock-solid faith, and Drew’s journey from near fugitive to CIA agent will have you flipping pages as fast as you can to find out what happens next!

3. Ashtown Burials series by N.D. Wilson

Ashtown Burials

*shrieks* I seriously cannot say enough about this AMAZING series! I just finished the third book a few days ago, and I could talk about it for hours. 🙂

Cyrus and Antigone Smith, with their older brother, Daniel, are just kids trying to survive in a world without their mom and dad. Running a sagging roadside motel helps bring in the money necessary to feed and clothe them, but their mundane life doesn’t show any signs of changing. When an old man shows up and abruptly gifts them two fantastic artifacts, Cyrus and Antigone are forced on the run. Full of action, mythology, lost civilizations, and buried treasure, the Ashtown Burials series is a wild ride from start to finish!

I could rant on and on about these books. The characters are amazing. The plot is amazing. The mythological elements incorporated into the series are amazing. The wordsmithery is amazing. The themes are amazing. But really, I should do a series review sometime. Just trust me and go read them! 😉

4. God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew

God's Smuggler by [Brother Andrew, John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill]

The convicting, true story of a man who smuggled Bibles into closed nations, God’s Smuggler is like a real-life spy story! This book was so incredibly inspiring in that Brother Andrew and his friends were so devoted to sharing the word of God with their oppressed brothers and sisters in Christ. Genuine faith and prayer meet a thrilling story in God’s Smuggler!

5. This Changes Everything by Jaquelle Crowe

This is a fantastic nonfiction book for teens about living life in a way that honors God. Jaquelle writes personally with so many practical, helpful, and true examples about living a life that has been completely changed by the Gospel. This Changes Everything is convicting, concise, and theologically rich. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice by [Jane Austen]

Ah, Pride and Prejudice, one of the most classic novels in history. I read this book for school this past year and absolutely loved it.

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the romance genre in general. However, Pride and Prejudice is so much more than just another romance story! It explores human interaction, appearance, and wit while unfolding an intriguing, masterful story. There’s a reason Jane Austen’s tales are so highly praised. 🙂 (And her heroes and heroines are lively and just amazing!)

7. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

This cover’s a little weird, but whatever. XD

Oliver Twist is one of my favorite classics of all time. Oliver is the sweetest little boy, and his journey from a workhouse to a den of thieves is intriguing and heartbreaking. The plot twists are very well written, and all the characters are lively and enrapturing. Oliver Twist is a wonderful, charming, classic read! 🙂

8. The Songkeeper Chronicles by Gillian Bronte Adams

The Songkeeper Chronicles (3 Book Series) by Gillian Bronte Adams
Aren’t these covers amazing?!

I love this series SO MUCH! When I first discovered it a couple years ago, I fell in love with the story, the themes, and the characters. Reminiscent of Tolkien, the entire story is incredibly beautiful.

The Songkeeper is one meant to remind others that the Song woven by the Master Singer is still alive in the world of Leira. But there are those who wish that the Song remain forgotten. When orphaned Birdie first hears the Song burst from her lips, she is forced to flee and decide who to trust along the way – a gruff peddler, a street-smart thief, or a griffin claiming to know her past. With war orchestrated by the strategic Takhran threatening her homeworld, Birdie must discover her place and embrace who she is meant to be.

The most noticeable element of these epic fantasy books are their incredible, deep, and moving themes. And the most prominent of these is hope. Beautiful, star-bright hope. I promise, if you push through some of the slower parts, it will be worth it. I finished this series earlier this year, and I’m still thinking about it.

9. The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Haha, you knew I couldn’t get through a list without mentioning these, did you? 😉 But seriously, if you haven’t read these beautiful, beautiful books…YOU MUST.

Following the three Igiby children, along with their queenly mother, their ex-pirate grandfather, and their loyal dog, Nugget, Andrew Peterson weaves a brilliant tale with plenty of whimsy, hope, and family interaction in the mix. I’ve talked about The Wingfeather Saga so much, and it will always be towards the very top of my recommendations list.

10. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

I first read this classic, science-fiction/fantasy tale about two years ago, and, wow. It is so incredibly good. Meg is a wonderful, relatable heroine. Calvin is a sweet, loyal friend. Charles Wallace is a lovable, precocious little brother. And their journey through the universe via tesseract is interesting and fantastic. It’s definitely a weird book, but at the same time, it’s a good kind of weird, being beautiful, fun, and fascinating. 😀

Well, there you have it! You’re welcome for adding more to your TBR. (All you bookworms probably didn’t ask me to heap more stories onto your mountainous TBR pile, but I’m doing it anyway. You’re welcome.) 😉 I hope this gives you some more books to check out, either this summer or later on!

Have a wonderful week, everyone! Stay safe. 🙂

What have you been reading lately? Any book recommendations for me? (My TBR is just as massive as yours, but I still love to heap more books on top.) 😉 Are you enjoying your summer so far? Let me know in the comments!

16 thoughts on “10 Books to Check Out this Summer”

  1. I love the Weaver Trilogy! (I haven’t read the last book yet though.) Imagining the little crystal stories is so fun.

    I’m reading A Wrinkle In Time for the third time this summer for Joy’s (From the Speaking with Joy podcast, I think you’ve listened to it before?) book club. 😁
    I just finished Manalive by G.K. Chesterton, which was terrific! It’s free on kindle if you’re ever interested in reading it.

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    • Ah, yes, it is such a wonderful series! I can’t wait until you read the last book! We’ll definitely have to talk about it when you’re done. 🙂

      Oh, fun! I actually have not listened to Joy’s podcast before, but I’ve heard great things about it. I just finished Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson and enjoyed it a lot!

      Thank you for letting me know! I love what I’ve read of G.K. Chesterton, so I’d definitely be interested in checking out Manalive.

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      • *thinks* LOTR (that counts as one, right?), Orthodoxy, Till We Have Faces, Empire of Bones (or Death By Living — I literally cannot pick), and The Blue Castle and/or Pride and Prejudice. (Just mentioned 7/10 books when you asked for five. That’s what happens when people want to know my favorite books.)

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      • Yep, LOTR counts as one! (I just read the introduction to my copy in which it says that LOTR is one novel split into six books. *shrugs*) Awesome list! I adore Empire of Bones (as you well know) and Pride and Prejudice, too; my mom and I just watched three different film adaptions of P&P, and it was very fun to relive the story that way. 😀

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      • Which adaptations did you watch? My favorite is the 1995 (even though I still don’t think they cast everyone right, and Jane is definitely better in the 2005), but I also enjoy the 2005 (despite that awful field kiss) and recently watched the first episode of the 1980 (which is basically a play that takes scenes word-for-word from the book, except when it doesn’t, which leads to unnecessarily awkward scenes [Darcy: want to dance a reel? in the middle of Charles’ living room? in front of Caroline? now? / Lizzy: what? I’m afraid of how you’ll judge me!!]).

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      • I watched all three of the ones you mentioned, and I loved them all! I especially loved the 1980 (very accurate to the book, like you said) and 1995 ones (Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy, although David Rintoul is also excellent). I didn’t especially love the actors for Wickham in any of them, but the 1995 one was DEFINITELY the best. I didn’t love Jane in the 1995 one either; I thought that she was great in the 2005 and 1980 ones, though. And yes, that scene is quite unnecessarily awkward. XD Let me know what you think of the 1980 one when you finish!!

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  3. WINGFEATHERRRRR!!! 😍😍
    The Weaver books and Gillian Bronte Adams’ books are both on my (forever growing, lol) TBR list!! I’ve heard such great things about them!! GIRL, I’m with you all the way on Pride and Prejudice!! I figured I’d very much dislike it whenever I had to read it, seeing as I typically ignore things featuring romance heavily in the plot, and politely dislike the “romance novel” genre as a whole. But Austen is SUCH a good writer, and I feel the urge to lecture anyone who tells me they haven’t read P&P because “they don’t like romance books” or (in the case of some male friends of mine) “ew, no [insert gauge allusion to it being ‘just for girls’ here]”. I’ve got Sense and Sensibility on my Summer Reading List this year, and I very much want to give Northanger Abbey a try as well!!
    I saw that Audrey mentioned Joy Clarkson’s Summer Book Club already, but I’m also planning to join in with that by reading A Wrinkle in Time again as well! In many way, that book reminds me of Star Wars (primarily the Original Trilogy) and LOTR, with it’s Christian themes and emphasis on the power of love in bringing about redemption. Have you read any of Madeline L’Engle’s other books? I VERY much want to read Walking on Water soon; I learned about it through Adorning the Dark, and Andrew Peterson speaks so highly of it and some of L’Engle’s thoughts in the relationship between faith and art that I’m sure it’ll be amazing 😄

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    • WINGFEATHER!!! ❤

      Oh, yes, I think that you would love the Weaver books and the Songkeeper books!! If you get to read them, we'll definitely have to discuss them when you're finished. 😀

      YES, EXACTLY!!! I love P&P SO MUCH, and I very much surprised myself when I discovered how good it was! And I will always recommend it to everyone, even those who say they dislike "romance" books. I just watched the 2005 version of the movie with my mom and enjoyed that as well, although I do still think that no movie can quite do the book justice. 🙂
      I think that Emma is on my reading list for the coming school year, and I'm definitely going to read more Austen for fun, as well.

      Yes! A Wrinkle in Time is a lovely hodgepodge of genres with such amazing themes and characters; I've been wanting to buy the entire series for a while now so that I can enjoy it again! I've only read A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door so far (both of which I absolutely loved!).
      The only other L'Engle book that I've read is a charming children's story called The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas; it's my sister's. But I very much want to read more of her work! I've also heard great things about Walking on Water (and thank you for reminding me yet again that I simply must get my hands on a copy of Adorning the Dark; it will definitely be on my list when someone asks what I would like for my upcoming birthday XD).

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  5. I LOVE Oliver Twist (and basically all Charles Dickens) and I also really enjoyed Brother Andrew when I read it for school. A Wrinkle in Time is a truly magical book. I love it. As to the other books on your list, the Weaver Trilogy looks interesting, and I have been meaning to get back to the Wingfeather Saga- I read the first two books but then got sidetracked and now I just need to start over.
    This summer I reread the Winnie-the-Pooh books, which was heavenly, and I also read a little fairy tale book called The Lovesick Salesman, which was a prequel to The Ugly Princess and the Wise Fool. Both of them are gems, 🙂

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    • Charles Dickens is a master writer. Soon, soon I will read Great Expectations and David Copperfield. 😀
      Yes!! A Wrinkle in Time! There’s so much depth and whimsy and loveliness all wrapped up in that treasure of a book. ❤
      Ah, yes, you should DEFINITELY finish The Wingfeather Saga! One of my favorite series of all time; it's so, so wonderful.
      Winnie-the-Pooh never gets old. They're so sweet and lovely. Those other books sound interesting! I'll have to look into them!
      Thanks for reading!

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